Windows-based systems are far more likely to be infected by viruses and malware; however, Mac users are far from immune to malware infections. A new report from McAfee suggests Mac malware infections increased substantially in 2016. Malware instances rose by a staggering 700% in the space of just one year.
The Threats Report by McAfee Labs shows that its anti-virus solutions detected and prevented 460,000 Mac malware infections in the final quarter of 2016 alone. That is a significant jump from the previous quarter when 150,000 Mac malware infections were detected and blocked – a rise of 247% from Q3 to Q4.
Compared to the number of infections of Windows based systems, the number of mac malware infections is still very low. McAfee detected more than 600 malware samples on Windows devices and 15 million attempted virus attacks on Android devices. At its highest, Mac malware infections were at 1.3% of the level seen on Windows-based devices.
However, the rise in Mac malware attacks should not be ignored. While Mac users are far better protected against malware attacks than Windows users, they should not be complacent. Cybercriminals are now developing more malware to target Mac users and they are no longer content with attacking Windows devices.
McAfee reports that malware developers are increasingly tailoring their malicious software to be capable of attacking multiple platforms. As more consumers and businesses use Macs and other Apple devices, attacks become more profitable. When there is potential for profit, malware developers are quick to take advantage.
The Threats Report indicates much of the new Mac malware is adware, with OSX/Bundlore one of the main malware variants discovered in Q4, 2016. Adware usually comes bundled with legitimate apps, especially apps on non-official stores. Downloading apps from the Mac app store is unlikely to result in infection.
Other forms of Mac malware have also increased in prevalence. As with Windows-based malware, the malware has been developed to steal login credentials and banking details. Remote access Trojans have also increased in number as has Mac ransomware – OSX/Keydnap being a notable example. OSX/Keydnap was bundled with the torrent client BitTorrent and even found its way onto the official download site.
To prevent Mac malware infections, businesses and consumers should be security aware and not take unnecessary risks. Apps should only be downloaded from official stores, security software should be installed, updates to software and apps should be applied promptly and strong, secure passwords should be used.
