Infosec Journey

Have you noticed why there are three profiles in Windows and why such profiles do not exist on Mac? Or how, in Linux, there are no fixed profiles, but you can create your own user-defined profiles? Before we go further, let’s clarify what a “profile” or so-called network profile actually does in simple terms.

Network profiles define how your device’s services and configurations behave depending on the type of network you’re connected to. For example, they determine whether your device is discoverable to others, if file sharing is enabled, and how strict your firewall rules are.

Can these profiles switch automatically, and do your services or configurations change with the profile? The answer is: it depends on the operating system.

Windows: Three Profiles—Domain, Private, and Public

Windows comes with three network profiles: Domain, Private, and Public.

Domain: This is applied when your computer can authenticate to a domain controller (typically in enterprise environments using Active Directory). When joined to a domain, certain policies (like enabling file sharing or specific firewall rules) are enforced automatically.

Private: Used for trusted networks, like your home or office. Devices can see each other, and sharing features are enabled.

Public: Used for untrusted networks, like coffee shops or airports. Your device is hidden from others, and sharing is disabled for security.

Windows can automatically switch between these profiles based on network detection and authentication. For example, if your laptop connects to the office network and authenticates to the domain, the Domain profile is applied. If you connect to a new Wi-Fi at a café, Windows will typically prompt you to choose Public or Private, defaulting to Public for safety.

macOS: No Explicit Profiles—You Control the Settings

macOS does not provide pre-defined network profiles like Windows. Instead, your Mac’s behavior depends on your configuration choices:

• When you’re on a public network (like Starbucks), you should manually disable sharing and discovery for maximum security.
• At home, you can enable sharing and device discovery as needed.

There is no automatic profile switch in macOS. The operating system does not detect the network type and adjust settings for you. You must manually change sharing and firewall settings depending on your environment, or use “Network Locations” to switch between sets of configurations—but this is a manual process, not automatic

Linux: User-Defined Profiles

Linux does not have a fixed set of profiles. Instead, users or administrators can create as many custom profiles as needed using tools like firewalld (with zones), NetworkManager, or custom scripts. This allows for highly granular and automated control, but requires manual setup and management.

Enterprise Use Case: Windows, Mac, and Linux Together

In a typical enterprise:

• Windows: Workstations and servers are joined to Active Directory. The Domain profile is applied automatically upon authentication, and group policies are enforced centrally24.
• Linux: Servers can authenticate users synced from AD (often via Red Hat IdM or similar), but they do not participate in Windows-style domain profile management. Instead, admins use firewall zones, host-based access control, and service discovery to control access and security boundaries.
• macOS: While Red Hat IdM can technically support macOS as a client, it lacks many features. Active Directory is the standard choice for enterprise Mac authentication. When a Mac is joined to AD, it uses LDAP and Kerberos for authentication, but access policies and group memberships are enforced locally on the Mac, not through automatic network profiles.

In summary:

• Windows offers automatic profile switching with clear, built-in security boundaries.
• macOS leaves security boundaries up to the user, with no automatic profile switching.
• Linux allows for unlimited, user-defined profiles, but requires manual or scripted management.

A key difference for enterprise environments:
When Linux (or macOS) systems are integrated with Red Hat IdM and synced with Active Directory, they can authenticate AD users but do not inherit Windows Group Policy features. For example, AD policies like locking a user account after several failed login attempts are enforced natively on Windows, but not on Linux or macOS—these systems require separate, local configuration for such controls because they are not fully domain-joined in the Windows sense.

This distinction is crucial for both personal and enterprise environments—understanding how each operating system handles network profiles and policy enforcement helps you keep your devices secure and your services available only where you intend.

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