No Anti-Virus software or so-called “cleaning” apps are needed or recommended for Mac OS. They can conflict with Mac's own built-in security. At best they will slow your Mac by using unnecessary resources and at worst will bork your entire system. Your Mac has all the built-in protection you need. MacOS - Security - Apple. By design, the Mac operating system is more secure against the threat of viruses and malware, but there are still plenty of ways for malware to find its way in. Another thing protecting Macs is the fact that they’re less popular than PCs, but that doesn’t stop some hackers from targeting Macs.
Great rivalries always spawn the greatest battles. And while there are many examples we could point to, perhaps none are as heated and controversial as the war that’s constantly waging between Mac and PC.
Sony recently released a statement saying last year’s data breach cost $15 million. Other corporate giants have faced similar attacks, and we’ve seen bugs like Shellshock and Heartbleed cause a lot of panic. Unfortunately, advancements in technology have simultaneously created an era of computer viruses and malware, meaning people need to consider security whenever making tech purchases. So with this in mind, which computer system, Mac or PC, will keep your information better protected from external threats?
Before getting started, it’s important to clarify the parameters. When discussing the Mac versus PC debate, it’s often a comparison of Apple’s OS X and Microsoft’s Windows. Nothing against Linux, but 98% of machines run these other two systems, so it’s more relevant to focus on them. Also, when we discuss security threats, we are focusing primarily on virus and malware attacks.
With those specifics in place, which system is safer? I would have to put my money on OS X right now. Actually, maybe safer isn’t the best way of putting it. Instead, let’s just say that OS X is less likely to face attacks.
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Turns out Macs aren’t as immune to malware as we thought. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFPSource:AFP
If you bought a MacBook or iMac because you thought it couldn’t get viruses or malware - you’re in for a nasty surprise.
Not only can Mac computers be struck down with the same annoying malware as other computers, they’re now targeted more than their rivals.
The most prevalent of the annoying programs have been named and shamed in a new report by anti-malware software company Malware Bytes.
It said threats on Macs rose 400 per cent last year outpacing those on Windows and in fact almost doubling the amount, with 11 detections per computer over the year.
Part of this rise was attributed to Apple growing market share, which made Macs a more enticing target for malicious coders and hackers than they had been in the past.
Turns out Macs aren’t as immune to malware as we thought. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFPSource:AFP
The report said Macs were particularly under threat from annoying adware and unwanted programs, differing from Windows where “traditional malware” like Trojan horses (programs or files that hide their true function), backdoors that give hackers access to your computer, and programs that spy on what you’re doing.
This means the threats you’re more likely to face on a Mac are more annoying than they are dangerous. But some can also be a real worry.
“While these threats are not considered as dangerous as traditional malware, they are becoming a much larger and more noticeable nuisance for Mac users who can no longer say that their beloved systems are immune from malware,” the report said.
Immunity to viruses and malware has always been a popular selling point for Macs, and was the subject of one of Apple’s iconic Mac vs PC ad series from the mid-2000s.
The piece of malware that Malware Bytes users detected the most was a piece of adware called NewTab, which was detected 30 million times last year after releasing in December 2018.
The adware hijacks your web browser and attempts to redirect the searches you make to earn affiliate revenue from referring you, making it hard to find the information or web pages you’re actually looking for.
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It mostly gets into your computer through apps that embed extensions in Apple’s Safari browser.
It's often spread through fake web pages, particularly flight and postage tracking websites that ask you to download an app in order to track.
The apps don’t track anything.
While the more prevalent adware is annoying, there were also significant detections of more dangerous malware.
Almost twice as much malware was detected on Macs than Windows computers in the report.Source:Supplied
The report noted more than 300,000 detections of a suspicious piece of code, and a similar number of detections of malware that sends you to scam websites instead of the Mac App Store when you try to open a file without the required program installed.
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Malware Bytes advised the best defence was vigilance and your own behaviour.
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“Of all the threats seen this year, only one incident involved anything other than tricking the user into downloading and opening something they shouldn’t.”
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Apple has been contacted for comment.
Have you experienced any of these annoying programs on your computer? Let us know in the comments below.