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macOS

Overview

The HYAS Protect Agent (HPA) empowers organizations to leverage the robust capabilities of HYAS Protect on their roaming devices. Functioning as a DNS Proxy, the HPA offers a straightforward, lightweight, and highly effective solution to extend the full benefits of HYAS Protect to your mobile workforce.

This page will review the HPA installation procedure for a Mac machine. We’ll give you both UI and Terminal options along with some troubleshooting steps if you get stuck along the way.

Architecture

  • The HPA consists of two parts, a service and a UI (user interface)

    • Service/Backend: The service, also known as the backend, is responsible for the core functionality and logic of the Agent.

    • The UI, also known as the front end, is the part of the application that users interact with.

  • For purposes of this document, when referring to the HPA, we mean the service and the UI together.

Agent Deployment

If your organization uses local domains, please be sure to configure Local Domains PRIOR to deploying the HPA.

If your organization uses a VPN, please review VPN Compatibility testing below PRIOR to deploying the HPA.

Downloading the Agent - HYAS Protect UI

HYAS makes it simple to download the macOS HPA directly through the UI.

  1. Log into the HYAS Protect UI.

  2. Navigate to the Settings icon

  3. Select ‘Organization Settings’

  4. Finally, select 'Protect Agent' from the menu on the left side.

  5. From the Protect Agent dashboard, select the ‘Install’ tab.

  6. Click the macOS download button to begin the download.

Downloading the Agent - Terminal

In certain scenarios, it may be preferable to download the HPA via terminal. The instructions below guide you through that process.

Administrator privileges are required to install via Terminal.

  1. Verify the latest version of the macOS Agent.

    1. Navigate to the HYAS Protect UI, Settings>Protect Agent> Install. The download buttons confirm the latest Agent version number.

  2. Copy the curl command below and paste into the macOS terminal.

BASH 
curl https://protect-updates.hyas.com/macos/pkg/HYAS-Protect-latest.pkg -o $HOME/Downloads/HYAS-Protect-latest.pkg

  1. The HPA has now been downloaded to your local ‘Downloads’ folder.

Installing the Agent - Interactive

Now that you’ve downloaded the Agent, its time to install it. This walks you through how to complete an interactive install. Instructions on a silent install in the next section.

  1. Navigate to your downloads folder and double click the HYAS-Protect-latest.pkg file.

  2. Follow the steps in the Setup Wizard below:

    1. Click “Allow”

    2. Click “Continue”

    3. Paste your Install Key and then here then click, “Continue”

      1. To obtain your Install Key, navigate to the HYAS Protect UI>Settings>Organization Settings> Protect Agent> Install. Copy your Install Key and paste it here.

    4. Select, “Install”

      1. If you’re not currently logged in as an Administrator, you will need Administrator credentials to allow the installation.

    5. Finally, click on “Close” and you’re all set! The HPA is now installed and protecting your machine!

By default, the Agent’s UI will not launch, but rest assured, the service will still be running and actively protecting your machine whether the UI is running or not.

Installing the Agent - Silent

A ‘silent’ installation means that the application is installed or deployed without any input or interaction from the end user. To silently install the HPA, please follow the steps below.

Please make sure to follow ALL of the steps listed below BEFORE attempting to execute this command.

This assumes the Agent has already been downloaded to the machine.

Downloading the HYAS SSL Certificate

Due to changes introduced in macOS 15, clients must install the HYAS SSL certificate on their machines to enable a fully silent installation. This only applies to machines that have not installed previous versions of the HYAS Protect Agent.

You can use the following curl command to install the certificate via your preferred deployment method:

CODE 
curl -sSL https://ca.hyas.com/cert/pem/hyas-protect-ca-cert.pem -o /tmp/hyas-protect-ca-cert.pem
sudo security add-trusted-cert -d -r trustRoot -p ssl -p basic -k /Library/Keychains/System.keychain /tmp/hyas-protect-ca-cert.pem
rm -f /tmp/hyas-protect-ca-cert.pem

Installing the Agent

  1. Copy the following curl command

    1. BASH 
      client_id="xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx" 
install_dir="$HOME/Downloads"
install_file="HYAS-Protect-latest.pkg"

echo "${client_id}" > /tmp/.hyas.protect.client.id
install_path="${install_dir}/${install_file}"
sudo installer -pkg "${install_path}" -target /

  2. Replace the client_id, noted above as xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx with your client ID

    1. To obtain your client_id, navigate to the HYAS Protect UI>Settings>Organization Settings> Protect Agent> Install. Copy the ‘Install Key’, this is your client_id

  3. Once you’ve replaced the client_id as described above, proceed with executing the command.

If the installation does not complete successfully, please make sure you’ve updated the variable in step 2 above.

Starting the Agent UI

By default, the Agent’s UI will not launch upon install however, the HPA service is running and protecting your machine in the background.

The HPA UI provides feedback, status updates and other information related to the HPA. If you wish to start the UI to view these, please perform the following steps:

  1. To start the HPA UI,

    1. Navigate to the Launchpad

  2. Search for and click on HYAS. This will start the UI.

Checking Agent Status

When checking status, keep in mind that the HPA communicates with the HYAS Protect backend approximately every 5 minutes, so statuses may not appear immediately in the HYAS Protect SaaS UI.

HYAS Protect SaaS UI

Administrators may check the status of all HPA’s from the ‘Manage’ tab in the ‘Protect Agent’ section of the HYAS Protect SaaS UI.

  1. Login to HYAS Protect, click on Settings>Organization Settings> Protect Agent> Manage.

  2. From this view, you can check the ‘Status’ column to get information on the status of all the Agents.

HYAS Protect Agent UI

It is also possible to check the status of the HPA on the local machine itself.

By default, the Agent’s UI will not launch, but rest assured, the service will still be running and actively protecting your machine whether the UI is open or not.

  1. Ensure the HPA UI is running.

    1. If you do not see the HYAS in the menu bar, the HPA UI is not running. This does not mean that HYAS Protect is not protecting the machine. This only means the UI is not running.

    2. To start the HPA UI follow the instructions listed above under ‘Starting The Agent UI’

  2. With the UI running, click on the HYAS icon in the menu bar.

    1. You’ll be presented with the following window:

    2. Green means everything has passed checks and is working properly. Red signifies that there is an issue with the status and further troubleshooting may be required.

Agent Status Definitions

Protection Active

  • This shows the overall status of the Agent.

Internet Check

  • Checks if the HPA can reach the HYAS resolver directly. The HPA will do a DNS lookup that only HYAS can answer.

Proxy Check

  • This checks whether the DNS proxy can connect to the HYAS backend. It verifies both if the service running on localhost:53 belongs to HYAS and if it can communicate with HYAS's backend. It performs a lookup that only HYAS can respond to. Therefore, if another DNS proxy is using port 53, this check will not succeed.

OS Check

  • This asks the OS to do a DNS lookup. If the system is configured to use the HPA, the lookup will go to the DNS proxy and we are at step 2 again. If this fails, some other process has reconfigured DNS and competing with the HPA for DNS resolution.

Agent Preferences

The HPA on the local machine includes configurable preferences to provide greater flexibility, visibility, and advanced troubleshooting. To access Preferences, start by navigating to the Menu Bar and right-clicking the HYAS Protect icon.

  • Once you click on Preferences, you’ll see the three options below:

  • Start UI at login

    • Enabling this will ensure that the GUI is started on machine login.

The HPA will still run in the background - and be protecting your machine - regardless whether the UI is running or not.

  • Notifications

    • Turning this on allows the Protect Agent to send you notifications regarding connectivity or errors that may have occurred.

  • Debug Mode

    • Toggling this on can be useful if you’re having issues with your Agent. This feature enables additional logs to be collected for Client Admin or HYAS analysis.

Disabling/Enabling the Agent

Disabling

There are a few different options to “Turn off” the Agent. Let’s dive into the differences.

Disabling the UI only

This turns the UI off but allows the HPA to still run in the background.

  1. Click on the HYAS Protect icon in the Menu Bar to access the settings. You’ll see the following popup.

  • Clicking “Quit” here will turn off the HYAS Protect UI.

The HPA will still run in the background - and be protecting your machine - regardless whether the UI is running or not.

Re-enabling the UI only

  • If the HYAS icon is missing from the Menu Bar, it means the UI isn’t running.

    • To start the UI, see instructions above titled, ‘Starting the Agent UI’

Disabling Protection Locally

If you wish to disable the HPA completely, you must stop the service itself.

This will completely stop HYAS Protect from running and it will no longer be protecting your machine.

  1. Click on the HYAS icon in the Menu Bar.

  2. Select, ‘Disable Protection’

    1. This will disable the HPA completely for a period of 5 minutes.

If you are unable to select ‘Disable Protection’, your Administrator must toggle the feature on via the HYAS Agent Central Management Console. Instructions for Admins on completing that here.

Re-enabling Protection Locally

The HPA will automatically restart after 5 minutes. However, if you wish to restart the HPA sooner perform the following:

  1. Navigate to the HYAS Logo in the Menu Bar, click on it and select ‘Enable Protection’

  1. This will re-enable the HPA to begin protecting your device again.

Disabling Protection via the HPA Central Management Console

HYAS Protect Admin privleges are required to manage agents in the Central Agent Management Console.

  1. Navigate to the ‘Manage’ tab of HPA Central Agent Management Console.

  2. Select the Agent(s) you wish to disable by selecting the check box next to the Agent(s) and selecting the ‘Action’ button at the top of the screen or by selecting the Actions icon at the right of the page.

  3. Then select ‘Disable Agent'

This will disable the Agent indefinitely. The HPA must be manually re-enabled before it can resume protecting the selected devices.

Confirming the Agent’s Running State

By default, the Agent runs in the background and automatically protects your machine upon installation. However, if you’d like to confirm that it’s running, you can do so by following one of the procedures below:

By default, the Agent’s UI will not launch, but rest assured, the service will still be running and actively protecting your machine whether the UI is running or not.

If the UI is NOT running (default state)

  1. Run the Check Running State script in the Terminal.

If the UI is running

  1. Navigate to the Menu Bar at the top of the screen and you should see:

    1. The H with the solid dot signifies that the HPA, (both service and UI is up and running)

Updating the Agent

Like all software, regular updates are crucial for fixing bugs, adding new features, and improving client experience and overall security. The update method for the HPA may differ depending on the version, so please refer to the instructions below for details specific to your version.

Regardless of the update method, HYAS STRONGLY recommends using a phased rollout approach. This involves updating a few machines at a time, testing them, and then proceeding with additional updates. This standard practice for software updates helps ensure easier troubleshooting and minimizes the risk of widespread issues.

Due to system limitations introduced in macOS 15, updating older versions of the HYAS Protect Agent (v2.2.11 and earlier) to v2.2.12 via the web portal (Protect Agent > Manage > Actions > Update Agent (v2.2.7+)) is not currently possible. Updates must be performed manually or through your MDM.

Agent v2.2.7 and Newer

If you machine(s) are currently on HPA v2.2.7 or newer, you may update to newer versions (2.2.8+), directly from the HYAS Protect SaaS UI.

  1. Navigate to HYAS Protect, click on Settings>Organization Settings> Protect Agent> Manage.

  2. Select the machine(s) you which to update (ensuring they are running v2.2.7 or newer)

  3. Click on ‘Action’

  4. Then select ‘Update Agent (v2.2.7)’

  5. Allow up to 15 minutes for the updates to complete.

Agent v2.2.6 and Older

If you have HPA v2.2.6 or older you will not have in-place updating capabilities until you’ve updated to v2.2.7+. This means, you need to manually update your agents.

However, if you are updating to v2.2.5 or newer, it will automatically look for older versions of the HPA dating back to at least 2.1.1 and automatically uninstall the older version as part of the update process.

In all other cases, please manually uninstall the older HPA per the instructions below. For installation, follow the instructions listed above for downloading and installing the HPA.

Uninstalling the Agent

v2.2.6 and Newer

If your machines are running v2.2.6 or later, the easiest way to uninstall the HPA is through the ‘Manage’ tab in the HYAS Protect SaaS UI

  1. Navigate to HYAS Protect>Settings>Organization Settings>Protect Agent>Manage

  2. From the ‘Manage’ tab, select the machines you wish to uninstall the Agent from, click on ‘Action’ and select ‘Uninstall (v2.2.6+)’

  3. After approximately 5 minutes, the HPA will be uninstalled from the desired machines.

v2.2.5 and Older

Older versions of the HPA require a different procedure, although this method will also work on newer versions as well.

  1. Stop the HYAS Protect service.

    1. Navigate here for instructions on stopping the service.

  2. Next, navigate to the Finder

  3. Click on Applications

  4. Search for HYAS Protect

  5. Right-click on HYAS Protect and select, “Move to Trash”.

VPN Compatibility

HYAS understands that some organizations utilize VPN's for enhanced security and privacy. Therefore, HYAS has conducted extensive compatibility testing with many of the most popular VPN’s in use today. However, it's important to recognize that not all VPN's have been tested with the HPA. As such, organizations using VPN's not explicitly tested by HYAS should exercise caution and consider conducting their own compatibility assessments to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance.

It should be noted that in some cases, the VPN must be disabled in order to give preference to the HPA to resolve DNS queries. Once a VPN is disabled, the HPA will automatically take over DNS resolution capabilities.

VPN

Compatibility Testing Results

Bitdefender

Using Bitdefender VPN and HPA simultaneously will prioritize Bitdefender. Deactivating Bitdefender grants preference to HPA.

Cisco AnyConnect

In every observed scenario, enabling the HPA consistently results in HYAS DNS taking precedence, ensuring proper functionality of both HPA and internet access.

Fortinet FortiClient

In every observed scenario, FortiClient takes DNS preference. Must disable FortiClient to enable HYAS Protect.

PAN Global Protect

In every observed scenario, local DNS settings are applied. Must disable PAN Global Protect to enable HYAS Protect.

Troubleshoot

Update the Agent

Before performing any troubleshooting steps, please be sure you have the latest version of the Agent.

How to check if you have the latest version of the Agent:

  1. Navigate to the UI

    1. Then go to Settings>Protect Agent

    2. From the “Install” screen, you’ll see the “Install Download” buttons. These buttons have the latest release number on them. Note the release number for the Windows Agent here.

Now, there are two quick ways to find out which version is on your machine.

  • Navigate to the “Manage Agents” section of the HPA Dashboard.

    1. From there, find your machine name, and scroll over to see it’s associated version.

    2. Navigate back to your mac machine.

    3. Right-click on the HYAS Protect icon in the menu bar and you’ll see the version number at the bottom of the window.

  • If you Agent version is outdated, please follow the Uninstall directions listed above and install the latest version.

Debug Mode

In all cases where it is suspected that the HYAS agent may be encountering an issue or may be the cause of connectivity issues it is highly recommended to enable debug logging for the HPA to capture verbose telemetry to expedite troubleshooting.

  • To enable Debug mode, refer to the Agent Preferences section above.

  • From there, Client Admins or HYAS can review the logs located at

    • macintosh HD/private/var/log/com.hyas.protect

Captive Portal Connectivity

Issue

When connecting to the Internet via a hotel, coffee shop, or related location, often the store or location utilizes a “captive portal” that the device must connect to prior to obtaining full Internet access. In some cases, the device may not properly connect to the captive portal, meaning that the device may not properly authenticate to obtain access to the Internet.

Solution

First – the user should perform a restart of their device. A device reboot should resolve the issue; if it does not, please perform the steps below.

If a reboot does not resolve the issue, and the device still cannot connect to the captive portal, you need to stop the Protect service (please note the user will need admin privileges to perform these steps)

  • To stop the HPA, follow the above recommended method and stop the service via Terminal.

The device should now be able to connect to the captive portal and thus the Internet.  If the captive portal does not appear, consider disconnecting from the network and reconnect to prompt the captive portal to appear, or reboot the machine.

When network access has been restored, restart the Protect service using the procedure referenced above.

If the above suggestions are ineffective and immediate access to the network is required, the agent may be disabled via the following procedure:

  • Connect temporarily to another network such as personal cellular hotspot

    • Coordinate with IT to allow an admin to remotely access the machine

    • Admin runs a disable script provided by HYAS

    • When the agent has been disabled, disconnect from the hotspot or other network

    • Reconnect to the network with the captive portal (may require machine reboot)

Local Domains Not Resolving

Issue

Unable to resolve local domains.

Solution

Corporate networks, often referred to as a corporate or company Intranet, typically use local domains (DNS suffixes) for local resources. If a problem with the resolution of local domains occurs:

  • Ensure all local domains associated with the organization are configured in the Local Domains tab in the HYAS Protect UI.

    • This can be found under Settings > Protect Agent

  • If a local domain is not configured, then endpoints will not be able to resolve resources associated with that domain. 

  • Configure any internal resolver IP in the HYAS Protect UI that is expecting an endpoint to query for DNS records. This should be completed prior to the agent installation to prevent possible resolution issues and negative user experience.

Split-Brain/DNS Functionality

Issue

In some cases, organizations use of the same domain both on the local intranet and on the internet. This dual usage creates ambiguity in resolving the domain's IP address, as it may resolve to private IP addresses when connected to the intranet and to public IP addresses when outside the office.

Solution

In determining network location, the HYAS Protect Agent distinguishes between local and external networks. If it detects the local network, it routes DNS requests to local resolvers based on defined settings. Otherwise, it directs queries to HYAS Protect cloud resolvers. The HYAS Protect web portal facilitates configuring specific DNS queries and their expected outcomes. The agent then periodically runs these tests to differentiate internal from external requests. Note that versions of the agent before 2.2.1 lack Split Brain DNS functionality and may not function properly in such scenarios. Upgrade to version 2.2.1 or above for optimal performance. Find the latest agent version in the UI under Settings > Protect Agent > Install. Click here to learn more about configuring Split-Brain DNS

HYAS Icon shows not protected when all HYAS services are active and green

Issue

For Agent versions 2.2.1 and older, there is a know issue where the HYAS icon in the Menu Bar indicates that the HPA service is not currently active on the machine.

Solution

The solution here is to update the Agent. In absence of that, right-click on the HYAS icon in the Menu Bar. If all four checks (Protected, Internet Check, OS Check & DNS Proxy Check) all show green, then the service is fully functional and protecting the machine.

Block Page Issues

Issue

For Agent versions 2.2.1 and older, users may experience a block page error when trying to access a blocked domain.

Solution

The solution here is to update the Agent to the latest version. The latest versions of the Agent include the HYAS Root Certificate Authority as part of the installation package.

Additional Troubleshooting Scripts for Terminal

Note that Administrator privileges are needed in order to run the below scripts.

View Local Log

BASH 
sudo tail -f /var/log/com.hyas.protect/dnsproxy.log

Uninstall

BASH 
sudo bash /Library/Application\ Support/com.hyas.protect/uninstall.sh
rm /tmp/.hyas.protect.client.id

Check Running State

BASH 
ps -ef | grep com.hyas.protect.dnsproxy | grep -v grep
sudo launchctl list | grep hyas
ps -ef | grep "HYAS Protect.app" | grep -v grep

Restart the Service

BASH 
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.hyas.protect.plist
sleep 3
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.hyas.protect.plist

Stop Service

BASH 
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.hyas.protect.plist

Start Service

BASH 
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.hyas.protect.plist

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