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When you distribute your Electron app, users need to trust it. Operating systems like Windows and macOS have built-in security features to protect users from malicious software.

Code signing and notarization are essential steps to prove your app's authenticity and integrity, ensuring users feel safe installing it.

Code signing is like attaching a digital signature to your application. It uses a cryptographic certificate issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).

• Authenticity: Verifies the app comes from you, the publisher.
• Integrity: Confirms the app hasn't been tampered with since you signed it.

If the signature is invalid or altered, the OS will warn the user.

On Windows, unsigned applications often trigger security warnings like "Windows protected your PC" (SmartScreen filter).

A valid code signature helps your app pass these checks, giving users confidence and reducing installation friction. It also allows your app to be installed without extra administrator prompts for some operations.

To sign your Windows Electron app, you'll need a Code Signing Certificate. This is typically a PFX file containing your private key and certificate chain.

Tools like electron-builder simplify this process by letting you specify your certificate details in the configuration.

When code signing, it's crucial to also time-stamp your signature. This ensures that even if your signing certificate expires, the signature remains valid because it was signed when the certificate was active.

Most signing tools, including electron-builder, can automatically add a time-stamp server URL to your signing process.

For macOS, Apple introduced Notarization as an additional security check. It's an automated service that scans your app for malicious content and code signature issues.

Think of it as Apple giving your app a "seal of approval" before it can run smoothly on macOS Catalina and later.

macOS's security feature, Gatekeeper, blocks unsigned or unnotarized apps from running by default. Users will see a warning that the app "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified."

Notarization allows your app to pass Gatekeeper checks without annoying users or requiring them to bypass security settings manually.

To notarize your Electron app, you need:

• An Apple Developer ID.
• An app-specific password for your Apple ID.
• Your app must be signed with a Developer ID Application certificate.
• Hardened Runtime enabled (a security feature).

electron-builder handles most of these configurations for you.

electron-builder simplifies the notarization process. You configure your Apple ID credentials and it handles uploading your app to Apple's notarization service.

It waits for the notarization to complete and then "staples" the notarization ticket to your app bundle.

Always keep your signing certificates and private keys secure. Treat them like sensitive passwords.

Integrate code signing and notarization into your Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to automate the process and ensure every build is properly signed and notarized.

Which statements accurately describe the purpose or requirements of code signing and macOS notarization?

In this lesson, we learned about the critical role of code signing for Windows and notarization for macOS in distributing your Electron applications.

These processes build user trust, ensure app integrity, and help your app run smoothly on target operating systems by satisfying their built-in security requirements.