Qualys Cloud Agent MacOS Silicon 5.5

March 26, 2024

New Features

MacOS Proxy Parity

This new feature allows you to configure multiple proxies as a fallback option if a proxy connection with Qualys Cloud Platform fails. With this feature, you can configure up to five proxies. By default, this feature is disabled.

To enable this feature for your Cloud Agent, set the ProxyFailOption parameter to 1. You can also select the order in which the proxies are connected using the QualysProxyOrder parameter. The path for proxy configuration is /Library/Application\Support/QualysCloudAgent/Config/proxy.
For details about how to set the parameters, refer to the Proxy Configuration section of the installation guide.

With this new feature, Cloud Agent for macOS Silicon expedites the first scan immediately after provisioning or re-provisioning. The subsequent scans are launched as scheduled.

You must restart the Cloud Agent to apply the updated proxy settings.

On-Demand Scan

With this release, Qualys Cloud Agent for macOS Silicon allows you to launch the on-demand scan directly from Cloud Agent UI.

The on-demand scan feature gives you the flexibility to launch the scans immediately without waiting for the next scheduled scan. With this feature, you can launch the on-demand scan for VM, PC, Inventory, UDC, and SCA.

You can not launch the on-demand scan if the scheduled interval scan for the same application is already running.

Remote Log Collection

With this release, Qualys Cloud Agent for macOS Silicon supports remote log collection. This feature allows Qualys Support to retrieve Cloud Agent log files and upload them on the Qualys Cloud Platform for debugging.

This feature reduces the resolution time for support cases where the users are remote and admins can not access these systems.

Qualys Support needs your written consent every time, to collect and analyze Cloud Agent log files.

AWS Support

The Cloud Agent for macOS Silicon now supports the detection, monitoring, and remediation of vulnerabilities found on your AWS assets. With this new feature, you can protect your Virtual Machines (VM), Instances, and cloud containers.

Cloud Agent Enhancement

Keychain Access

With this release, the Cloud Agent for macOS Silicon 5.5 provides Apple Keychain Access to store the User credentials. You have to select this option for every OS Patch Job, you want to save the credentials.

Earlier, OS patch update rights were restricted to admin users but with this enhancement, any user using the system can update the OS patches.

Enhancement for Patch Management

The Cloud Agent now gives you the option to configure the notification titles and notification messages.
No-action screen: This release added the application title and updated the notification text on the no-action screen.
Pre-deployment screen: This release updated notification texts and titles, a countdown timer, and the update button on the pre-deployment screen. Also, the pre-deployment screen now displays the list of applications and system patches available for updates.
Final Countdown screen: You can skip the final countdown using the Update Now button on the final countdown screen.
In-progress screen: This screen now shows an animation to display the patch deployment progress. Also, the notification text is modified.
Post-deployment screen: This release added an animation to display the deployment status on the post-deployment screen.