Why does your Mac require permission to connect a Thunderbolt or USB device?

Apple has improved the safety measures for connecting and inserting thumb drives, printers, and memory cards into the Thunderbolt, USB, and SD Card ports on M-series Apple silicon Macs in macOS called Ventura. Whenever an object is plugged or inserted into these ports, the user will be prompted to grant permission if it is the first time the Mac has encountered it. If the Mac is currently locked, it must be unlocked before proceeding.

The purpose is to stop unauthorized insertion of potentially harmful firmware or for malicious activities, such as copying the contents of your drive, without explicit permission while the computer is unlocked.

You may encounter a notification for a device, drive, or memory card that you have previously connected to your Mac. This is due to a security measure where macOS will prompt you again after three days of inactivity. This is in case there are any issues with the connected device during that time. While the reason for the three-day timeout is unknown, Apple likely has a valid explanation for it.

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If you do not need or dislike these notifications – for example, if your computer is only used by you and trusted family members at home – you can change the setting for “Allow accessories to connect” to Always or Automatically When Unlocked by going to  > System Settings > Privacy & Security. On the other hand, if you prefer a higher level of caution, you can set it to Ask Every Time.

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