Gone are the days when Apple-made desktops and laptops were virtually immune from malicious software infection, and this fact got even more alarming in 2019. As of last year, computers running on macOS have seen a significant spike on malware attacks that the threats were deemed higher in incidence compared to Windows-run PCs.
In terms of threat detection per endpoint, Macs overtook PCs as antivirus developer Malwarebytes reported that 11 threats per endpoint were registered in the platform in 2019, a notable jump from the 4.8 threats detected in the previous.
For Windows users that have the Malwarebytes app installed, the same finding recorded 5.8 threats per endpoint, indicating that cyberattacks on Mac systems increased and reached a point that makes the platform nearly as vulnerable to potential exploits as PC systems.
MacRumors said the average threats seen on Mac machines last year surged "by a great deal," last year and even exceeded the similar cases detected on Windows PCs.
"This means that the average number of threats detected on a Mac is not only on the rise but has surpassed Windows-by a great deal," the report said, citing the recently issued Malwarebytes paper entitled "State of Malware Report."
It was clarified though that the rise while considerable could be attributed to the Mac platform's increasing market share, and in 2019 it was established that "Macs became more attractive targets to cybercriminals," due to the devices growing popularity.
The Malwarebytes report also made clear that the threats scanned so far on Mac systems mostly comprised of adware and unwanted applications, meaning the malware threats were not as severe as found on PC machines.
At best, the unwanted apps detected were cleaning tools, but there were threats discovered designed to trick users into downloading or opening potentially dangerous files. These relatively low-risk intrusions, however, served as proof that Macs are no longer "immune from Malware," according to Malwarebytes.
On this, the antivirus firm is warning that Mac users must not be complacent as the possibility is there that in the future attacks will be more creative and intrusive. According to ZDNet, it will not be for long and malware attacks will evolve so it should be expected that future assaults will be more effective.
Malwarebytes CEO Marcin Kleczynski has called on the industry and stakeholders to "continue to raise the bar in defending against these sophisticated attacks."
"A rise in pre-installed malware, adware, and multi-vector attacks signals that threat actors are becoming more creative and increasingly persistent with their campaigns," Kleczynski was reported as saying.
