Launch Startup Security Utility

If you want to check your security settings, you might need to launch Startup Security Utility.

We all want to keep our MacBooks working well, and Startup Security Utility can help protect Macs from unauthorized access or booting up from harmful disks.

In this article, I’ll explain what the Startup Security Utility is, how to get to Startup Security Utility, how to configure settings, and how to fix some common issues.

Before you start:

 

It’s important to make sure that your Mac is as secure as possible. Startup Security Utility can help with that, but you also need to run regular malware scans. MacKeeper’s Antivirus can help you here. With real-time malware detection and on-demand scans, it can help keep your Mac running smoothly.

 

How to scan for viruses with MacKeeper’s Antivirus:

1. Download MacKeeper and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
2. Open the app and choose Antivirus.
3. Click Start Scan.
4. If any threats are found, follow the on-screen instructions to remove them.

What is Startup Security Utility on Mac

The Startup Security Utility is a Mac security feature that protects your computer from the moment it boots up. Available in most newer MacBooks, it allows you to protect your Mac from unauthorized access or unverified operating systems.

In Startup Security Utility, you can change security settings, including:

• Firmware password: Set a password to prevent unauthorized users from booting from a new disk. (Only available on Macs with the T2 Security Chip.)
• Secure Boot: Your Mac will check on startup to ensure that your MacOS is legitimate. If it finds any problems, it will request an update.
• Allowed boot media: Decide whether your Mac can boot from external disks.

Startup Security Utility can be used with other security features and software to keep your Mac working smoothly. If you’ve noticed any problems, find out how to run diagnostics on MacBook.

As well as using Apple’s built-in security features, you should make sure your Mac is protected from malware. MacKeeper’s Antivirus detects and removes 99.7% of known threats, helping your Mac to continue working well.

To scan your Mac for malware:

1. Open MacKeeper and choose Antivirus.
2. Click Start Scan.
3. When the scan is complete, follow the on-screen instructions to remove any threats.

Which MacBooks support Startup Security Utility

You can launch Startup Security Utility on your MacBook if it uses the Apple T2 Security Chip, or an Apple silicon chip, such as the M1, M2, or M3. If your MacBook uses an older Intel Processor, you won’t be able to access Startup Security Utility.

How to launch Startup Security Utility on Mac

To open Startup Security Utility, you’ll need to enter Recovery Mode, enter your administrator username and password, and then launch Startup Security Utility. It’s a simple process.

However, before you do this, you’ll need to know whether your MacBook has a T2 Security Chip or an Apple Silicon chip (such as the M1, M2, or M3 chip). The process to enter Recovery Mode on Mac is a little different, depending on which chip you have.

1. Open Startup Security Utility on Mac with T2 Security Chip

If you have a T2 Security Chip, it’s simple to launch Startup Security Utility.

To access Startup Security Utility on a Mac with a T2 Security Chip:

1. Turn on or restart your Mac, and immediately press and hold Command+R.
2. Select an admin user and press Next.
3. Enter the user’s password.
4. You’ll see the macOS Utilities screen. In the menu bar, go to Utilities > Startup Security Utility.
5. You’ll be asked for your macOS password, and an administrator account username and password. Enter these, and you’ll be in the Startup Security Utility.

2. Run macOS Startup Security Utility on M1

It’s also easy to access Startup Security Utility on a Mac with Apple silicon, such as the M1, M2, or M3.

To launch Startup Security Utility on an M1 Mac:

1. Shut down your Mac completely.
2. When your MacBook is completely turned off, hold down the Power button until you see the Loading startup options screen.
3. Click Options and Continue.
4. Select your disk, then choose Next.
5. Select an administrator account, choose Next, and enter your password.
6. Choose Utilities > Startup Security Utility.

How to configure settings in Startup Security Utility

Once you’ve launched Startup Security Utility, you can configure settings to make sure your Mac is as secure as possible. You can disable booting from an external drive, and choose the level of checks you want your Mac to perform on your operating system each time it starts up.

If you have a T2 Security Chip, you can also choose to set a firmware password, ensuring that no unauthorized user boots from another disk. To do this, simply click Turn On Firmware Password and follow the on-screen instructions.

1. Configuring Secure Boot Settings

Secure Boot or Security Policy allows you to make sure that your MacBook always starts up from a legitimate operating system.

You can choose from several options:

• Full Security is the safest setting. Your Mac will verify whether macOS (or another operating system installed on your computer) is legitimate, and will attempt to download updates if needed.
• Medium Security (if you have a T2 Security Chip) or Reduced Security (if you have an Apple silicon chip) offers a lower level of checks. This will check that the operating system has been verified at some point in the past.
• If you have a T2 Security Chip, you can also choose No Security if you don’t want your Mac to run any of these checks on startup. This isn’t available if you have Apple Silicon.

After you’ve chosen your option, you may need to enter your password. Then, restart your Mac.

2. Enabling or disabling External Boot

It’s more secure to disable booting from an external drive–after all, the external disk could be corrupted or contain malware. However, you may need to boot from an external drive sometimes. Perhaps you need to start up from a recovery disk or want to use another operating system that’s stored on an external drive.

To enable this, simply select Allow Booting from External or Removable Media.

After you’ve chosen your option, you may need to enter your password. Then, restart your Mac.

How to fix issues with Startup Security Utility

But what if you get to Startup Security Utility and there’s an issue? Fortunately, most issues are easily fixed.

1. No administrator was found in Startup Security Utility

When you launch Startup Security Utility, you need to select an administrator account. Sometimes, though, your T2 Security Chip Mac will say that it can’t find the administrator account. If that happens, restart your MacBook in Internet Recovery Mode and then access Startup Security Utility.

To start your Mac with a T2 Security Chip in Internet Recovery Mode:

1. Restart your Mac.
2. Immediately press and hold Command+Option+R to enter macOS Recovery over the internet.
3. Select an administrator account and enter the password.
4. Go to Utilities > Startup Security Utility.

2. Security settings do not allow this Mac to use external startup disk

If you see this message, you need to open Startup Security Utility and enable External Boot. Choose Allow Booting from External or Removable Media.

3. System requires to be updated to use this startup disk

If you see this message on your Mac, you may be able to fix the issue by using another USB port.

If this doesn’t work, there are two other options you can try.

Restart your startup disk like this:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Under General, choose Startup Disk.
3. Click Restart.

Update your macOS this way:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Under General, choose Software Update.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install any updates.  

4. Unable to access Startup Security Utility

If you can’t launch Startup Security Utility at all, make sure that your Mac supports it.

If your Mac should let you launch Startup Security Utility, are you following the right method? Remember, there’s a different way to open Startup Security Utility depending on whether your Mac has a T2 Security Chip or Apple silicon.

Next, try resetting NVRAM, if you have a T2 Security Chip. NVRAM stores certain preferences and settings–including startup disk selection.

To reset NVRAM on your Mac:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Turn on your Mac, and immediately press and hold Command+Option+P+R. Hold these for around 20 seconds.

If you can’t access anything, check out what to do when MacBook stuck on Apple logo.

Conclusion

When you launch Startup Security Utility, you can configure a range of features to help keep your Mac secure.

However, Apple’s built-in security features aren’t enough to keep you safe at all times–you also need to make sure you scan for malware regularly. MacKeeper’s Antivirus can help keep your Mac safe. 47% of MacKeeper users find malware on their computers during their first scan!