2.6.1.2 Ensure Location Services Is in the Menu Bar

Information

This setting provides the user an understanding of the current status of Location Services and which applications are using it.

Apple has fully integrated location services into macOS. Where the computer is currently located is used for time zones, weather, travel times, geolocation, "Find my Mac," and advertising services. This benchmark recommends that location services are enabled for most users. Many users may have occasions when they do not want to share their current locations, and some users may need to rarely share their locations. The immediate availability of Location Services in the menu bar provides easy access to the current status, which applications are using the service, and a quick shortcut to making changes. This setting provides better user control in managing user privacy.

Solution

Graphical Method:

Perform the following steps to set whether the location services icon is in the menu bar:

- Open System Settings
- Select Privacy & Security
- Select Location Services
- Select Details...
- Set Show location icon in menu bar when System Services request your location to enabled

Terminal Method:

Run the following commands to set the option of the location services icon being in the menu bar:

$ /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.locationmenu.plist ShowSystemServices -bool true

Impact:

Users may be provided visibility to a setting they cannot control if organizations control Location Services globally by policy.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/15551

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, SYSTEM AND SERVICES ACQUISITION

References: 800-53|CM-1, 800-53|CM-2, 800-53|CM-6, 800-53|CM-7, 800-53|CM-7(1), 800-53|CM-9, 800-53|SA-3, 800-53|SA-8, 800-53|SA-10, CSCv7|5.1

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 994e9f8e73b11586c9181b31706a55d6b7348ffae5f3f69d1c995db4b107c272