Apple DEP-2025 - Apple Deployment and Management Certification Exam

User Enrollment is designed for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scenarios, separating personal and managed data on the device. It uses a Managed Apple ID to apply organizational policies (e.g., managed apps) while leaving personal data (e.g., photos, personal apps) untouched, leveraging a cryptographic separation. Automated Device Enrollment (option A) is for organization-owned devices with full control, not BYOD. Device Enrollment (option B) applies to organization-owned or manually enrolled devices without inherent data separation. TheApple Platform Deployment Guidedetails User Enrollment’s privacy-focused approach for BYOD.

TheLock commandin MDM allows administrators to remotely lock a Mac and require asix-digit PINfor reactivation. Apple documentation specifies this command is particularly useful for securing a device temporarily, such as when it is lost, stolen, or during incident response. Unlike Managed Lost Mode (which applies only to iOS/iPadOS devices), this Mac-specific command forces the device into a locked state. When the device restarts, it presents a PIN entry screen before the user can proceed. Activation Lock, on the other hand, prevents reactivation with a different Apple ID, not a six-digit PIN entry. EraseDevice would wipe the Mac entirely, not prompt for a PIN. Thus, the reported behavior directly aligns with the Lock a Mac command.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions are used to manage and secure Apple devices remotely. To link a device to an MDM solution, an enrollment profile is required. This profile is a configuration file that, once installed on the device, establishes a connection between the device and the MDM server, allowing the server to send commands and policies to the device. The enrollment profile contains information such as the MDM server’s URL and authentication details, enabling secure communication via Apple Push Notification service (APNs). While APNs (option A) facilitates communication between the MDM server and the device after enrollment, it is not the mechanism that links the device to the MDM solution. A firewall (option B) is a network security tool and unrelated to linking a device to MDM, and a restriction (option C) is a policy applied via MDM, not the linking mechanism itself. According to Apple’s official documentation, such as theApple Platform Deployment Guide, the enrollment profile is the foundational step for MDM enrollment.

Licenses can only transfer within an organization. TheApple Business Manager User Guidestates, "Licenses can be transferred between locations, but both the sending and receiving locations must belong to the same organization in Apple Business Manager." Option D is false as licenses must be unassigned first.

Configuration profiles enable device customization by allowing IT administrators to define settings (e.g., Wi-Fi, VPN, security policies) tailored to organizational needs, deployed via MDM or manually. Personalization (option A) is user-driven, often restricted by profiles. Network performance (option C) is unrelated, and data separation (option D) is a User Enrollment feature. TheApple Platform Deployment Guideemphasizes customization as a key benefit of profiles.

TheLock a Maccommand generates a six-digit PIN for unlocking. TheMobile Device Management Protocol Referencestates, "The Lock command sent via MDM locks a Mac and generates a six-digit PIN that must be entered to regain access." Option A prevents booting, B wipes the device, and D is iOS-specific.

Apple’s Setup Assistant skip payloads allow organizations to streamline enrollment by hiding certain configuration panes. When theLocation Services pane is skipped, the feature defaults tooffduring enrollment. Apple Learning specifies that the user retains the ability to enable Location Services later in Settings. This provides flexibility while reducing setup complexity. Skipping does not force the feature permanently off, nor does it require administrator intervention to enable it. The pane is simply suppressed from Setup Assistant, and the user decides post-enrollment whether to activate it. This approach ensures privacy while maintaining compliance with organizational deployment goals.

Configuration profiles allow IT administrators to manage firewall settings on macOS devices, enabling or disabling the firewall, specifying allowed apps, or configuring stealth mode. These profiles are deployed via MDM or manually, ensuring network security. Find My (option B) and iCloud (option C) are unrelated to firewall management. MDM (option D) delivers profiles, but the profiles contain the settings. Note: iOS/iPadOS devices don’t have user-configurable firewalls, so this applies to macOS. TheApple Platform Deployment Guidedetails firewall configuration via profiles.

When Activation Lock is enabled on a supervised Apple device, the organization needs a way to recover the device if a user leaves or forgets credentials. Apple Learning states that MDM can escrow and store abypass codefor Activation Lock. This code can then be used by IT administrators to unlock and reactivate the device without needing the original Apple ID. It is not stored in ABM/ASM, nor tied to the user’s Managed Apple Account or personal Apple ID. Instead, it resides in the organization’s MDM solution for controlled use. This ensures organizations can always return supervised devices to service while still maintaining theft deterrence against unauthorized users.

Skipping Location Services hides it and disables it, with admin control. ThemacOS Deployment Referencestates, "If the Location Services pane is skipped in Setup Assistant, it is hidden from the user, and the service is disabled post-enrollment. An administrator can enable it later in System Settings." Option B fits managed scenarios, unlike D which implies user control.