Apple pushes developers towards Gatekeeper and Developer ID platforms

Apple is wooing would-be developers for its upcoming OS X Mountain Lion operating system with the promise of new security features.

Apple launched an email campaign encouraging developers to register for its Developer ID programme and Gatekeeper security tools.

Gatekeeper will function as a verification system for applications that is intended to stem the spread of malware. 

Developers can sign their applications with a digital certificate which users can access to authenticate that software is legitimate.

"The Mac App Store is the safest place for users to get software for their Mac, but we also want to protect users when they get applications from other places," Apple told developers.

"Gatekeeper is a new feature in OS X Mountain Lion that helps protect users from downloading and installing malicious software."

While still rare, malware has been a growing problem for OS X users in recent months.

A rash of high-profile malware outbreaks, most notably the Flashback Trojan, sent users scrambling to update their systems and led many to question Apple's security procedures.

Though Gatekeeper has won praise since its unveiling, security experts have questioned whether the tool will be enough to stop malware on OS X.

The notices also come as Apple is gearing up for its biggest developer event of the year. June's World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco is slated to include updates from Apple on both the OS X and iOS platforms.