FAQ

What Operating Systems are supported?

We support Windows, macOS and Linux.

For each OS we support the officially maintained releases. More specifically:

• Windows 11 24H2.
• macOS 13 Ventura, macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia.
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS, Debian 12, Fedora 42 and 41, Nixos 24.11 and the latest two Arch releases.

An app is shown as outdated, but there is no update available.

Many companies release a new version of their app to a small subset of users (known as staggered releases). Then, after some time, to another slightly larger subset. Eventually, everyone is on the new version.

The problem is that some apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams have longer-than-usual periods between these so-called staggered releases.

The Pareto Security app waits a few days before reporting an app as outdated. This “a few days” period seems to work fine for most apps and their release cycles but not for others.

We’re looking into improving this, but as of right now, we recommend snoozing the checks for a week so that your device finally gets that update.

Slack via Mac App Store

If you’ve installed Slack via the App Store, then you can force the update by opening the Slack page in App Store and clicking Update. The update might not automatically show for a few days but it will immediately if you go to the app’s page.

Not all outdated apps are reported.

By default, Pareto Security only reports recently used apps. You can go to the app Preferences and disable Update check only for apps used in the last week so that Pareto will report all apps.

How do I recover my license?

As of February 2025, the Pareto Security macOS app no longer requires a license to use and is free for anyone to use. We only charge for Pareto Cloud.

[Mac] Why isn’t Pareto notifying me that a new macOS update is available?

See staggered releases above.

[Mac] The app does not start.

Maybe you just don’t see the icon in the menu bar? Do you use Bartender, Ice, or a similar menu bar manager that hides apps?

You can verify if the app is running with Activity Monitor.

[Mac] Why does my app not start after reboot?

1. Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
2. Select your user account and navigate to the Login Items tab.
3. Check if the app is listed and ticked. If not, add it by clicking the + button and selecting the app.
4. Restart your Mac to see if the changes take effect.

[Mac] Why are App Store apps not reported as needing an update?

Unfortunately, it’s not trivial to get data on all App Store apps, so in general we recommend using App Store’s automatic updated feature those apps.

Another reason are staggered releases.

Finally, by default, Pareto Security only reports recently used apps.

[Mac] Why is Pareto Security not available on the App Store?

Apps on the App Store are sandboxed and cannot read system files, preventing the implementation of the majority of the checks.

That said, we are a registered developer with Apple, and the app is notarized. The codebase is open-source and audited by third parties.

[Mac] How do I manually trigger an update of my macOS app installed via SetApp?

If you declined an automatic update at some point, Setapp will not update the Pareto Security app until you perform the following manual step:

Open up Setapp menu, and click Check for Updates.

[Mac] Why is my antivirus flagging Pareto Security as malware?

Some antivirus scanners, such as CrowdStrike Falcon, identify Pareto Security as a potential threat due to its utilisation system calls to macOS automation APIs for permission checks. You can verify we are malware free by using the VirusTotal online tool.

The best way to know we are safe is to check the code yourself - codebase is open-source.

Furthermore, the binary is authenticated by Apple and notarised, thereby precluding the possibility of malware infection.

Finally, our software is audited by third parties on regular occasions.

App ran checks a few moments ago. Why isn’t the information in the Dashboard updated?

Pareto Security uses a random algorithm to decide when to send updates to the Cloud Dashboard. The reason is your privacy: your team admin or your boss can’t tell when you were online by looking at the Dashboard, since the app only reports occasionally.

I don’t receive a reset password email for the dashboard.

Are you an admin of a Cloud Dashboard account? If not, then you don’t need to login, just go to the download page and install an app.

Do you offer rewards for security disclosures?

Yes, see the Responsible Vulnerability Disclosure page.

Do you offer discounts?

Pareto Desktop is free and Pareto Cloud is a paid subscription service.

We offer a free Starter plan of Pareto Cloud, limited to 5 devices, great for personal and family use, or small teams.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Login to Dashboard and go to your Account page. Alternatively, contact us and we’ll sort it out for you.