Tuesday 17 April 2018

Mac Users Are No Longer Safe

Not everyone can afford a Mac computer. It is a status symbol that speaks of wealth, class, and affluence. More often than not, only people from the higher echelons of society uses Mac computers since the very first time Apple released their own set of computers. And for the longest time, Mac users have felt secured thinking that their device is almost virtually safe from hackers and other virtual attacks that most Window users have to deal with far often than they want it to be. But it is proving to be such a big lie today as we continue to see one malware attack to the other directed at Apple computers. The premise here is this, hackers saw how big of a market the Windows PCs are and exploited it to their heart’s content. It was easy money for them and they can also target more victims at once.

However, they haven’t forgotten about Macs. It’s just that the Windows market is bigger, more vulnerable, and easier to access. Macs aren’t immune to outside attacks and we are seeing it now. It has actually been going on for years although not as widespread as malwares directed at Windows computers. And now, the statistics have spoken. Cybercriminals are releasing more malwares that target Mac PCs. These attacks won’t just damage the hardware your Mac is built of but even endanger privately stored data into leaking and get in the hands of the wrong people. When such a thing happens, you better come prepared by knowing the basics about data recovery and related services such as https://www.harddriverecovery.org/mac-data-recovery/.

Apple used to boast that its Mac computers were a virus-free utopia, but that was before hackers and criminals decided to focus their efforts on the operating system. Now, your Mac is just as vulnerable to viruses as any Windows PC, and a new report reveals that hackers can get access to your computer through an entryway that you might think would be better protected: the Mac App Store.

According to software developer and privacy expert Felix Krause, third-party apps can spy on everything you’re doing on your Mac, even if they’re running in the background. 

(Via: https://lifehacker.com/how-mac-apps-can-spy-on-your-computer-1822928525)

It is inevitable for you to lose important files or even be unable to access your own computer like in the case of a ransomware attack where your device is encrypted and the hacker gains remote access to your device locking you out. It is no longer just simple phishing or the likes. Last year alone hundred thousands of devices were affected by ransomware even that belonging to hospitals and other public institutions causing global panic and hysteria. These attacks have grown alongside the growth in Mac users as well as if knowing by instinct that they have more people to victimize. We now face the harsh truth that using a Mac isn’t an assurance that you will be safe from such attacks.

Malwarebytes has released figures that show that in the year 2017 alone, Mac threats increased more than 270 per cent, while malware targeting Mac operating systems more than doubled from 2016 to 2017.

In a supporting blogpost, the company highlighted four case studies from 2018 that demonstrated a ‘similar pace of malware development'. The first, OSX.MaMi, changes DNS settings on infected Mac computers, and also installs a new trusted root certificate in the keychain. “By redirecting the computer's DNS lookups to a malicious server, the hackers behind this malware could direct traffic to legitimate sites, such as bank sites, Amazon, and Apple's iCloud/Apple ID services, to malicious phishing sites. The addition of a new certificate could be used to perform a “man-in-the-middle” attack, making these phishing sites appear to be legitimate”, said the researchers.

(Via: https://www.scmagazineuk.com/mac-malware-rockets-270-percent--users-warned-safe-perception-is-wrong/article/750725/)

There is even such a thing as a developer featuring taking advantage of a Mac app being able to take screenshots of your PC without you knowing. It works quietly in the background and you are essentially clueless that your safety has already been sacrificed. Through this, cybercriminals can steal your most precious data and either steal from you or worse, take on your identity. This is just one of the many cybersecurity issues Mac PC users now faces. Apple should take this cue and beef up their security measures to counter these attacks or scare away their loyal Mac fanbase from continuously using their devices.

However, understand that these things happen on a wider scale, so don’t just go and complain to Apple if you happen to fall victim to a Mac malware attack. Even big servers are targeted too and they have to face the music and work on getting their data back with services like this: https://www.harddriverecovery.org/raid-data-recovery.html. Everyone is at risk. That’s the bottom line, so take extra precautions in protecting your device and security when using your Mac computer, for instance. That’s the least you can do if you don’t want to go through all the costly and time-consuming hassles of getting your device fixed and salvaging your lost data back.

Mac Users Are No Longer Safe is courtesy of http://www.harddriverecovery.org



source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/mac-users-are-no-longer-safe/

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