On Tuesday, Malwarebytes reported that the number of detected malware threats outnumbered those that target Windows PC for the first time. In its yearly State of Malware report, Malwarebytes, an antivirus software maker monitored over 400 percent rise in detected malware in Mac on a year on year basis. With the increasing malware threat, there are several measures that you could do to protect your device.
What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?
Malwarebytes Director Thomas Reed told Recode that it is important that users understand that not because they are using a Mac, they are already safe. It is important that users exercise care on what they click and the kind of apps they download, the director said. One of the primary factors that might have contributed to the increase of Mac malware is the adware called NewTab, reports 9to5Mac.
So far, it has nearly 30 million downloads on Mac devices in last year alone. Usually, users download this thinking that it is an app or browser extension that will help them monitor flights or package deliveries. The Malwarebytes director also recommends against installing Adobe Flash Player.
There are fake Flash installers, which are used to get the malware installed on the Mac, Reed noted. If you have already downloaded malware on your Mac, there are ways to remove it manually. For those who are afraid to mess up their device, you can easily download a security program to do the removal for you.
Also, practice the use of strong passwords. It is worth noting that one machine was earlier infected because the attacker was able to access remotely by utilizing a password that was leaked during the password breach. To be safe, have different passwords for different accounts and try to change these passwords on a regular basis.
Moreover, it is always helpful to have antivirus software installed on your Mac. When installing one, make sure that the antivirus software comes from a trusted company and not a dubious one. Remember, there is some free antivirus software that is selling users' data to their clients without the users' knowledge.
The Increasing Number of Mac Malware
According to the report released by Malwarebytes, the firm discovered 11 threats on each Mac every week in 2019 alone. This is an increase of around 4.8 from 2018. If you compare 2018 against 2019, there is an average of 5.8 threats monitored for every Windows endpoint over the same period.
The report also claims that Macs are easily becoming an attractive target for attackers and cybercriminals because of its increased market share.
