macOS not as safe from cyber attacks as you think; less successful in tackling adware, malware in comparison to Windows

MacBook is regarded as having greater immunity to viruses.

By Rohan Abraham, ET Bureau | Updated: Feb 18, 2020, 05.47 PM IST

Malware detections per Mac endpoint increased from 4.8 in 2018 to 11.0 in 2019, almost double that of Windows computers, which faced 5.8 malware attacks per endpoint.

Apple’s range of laptops command a premium over their Windows counterparts, and this is - in part - due to the perception that they are less susceptible to cyber-attacks.

MacBook is regarded as having greater immunity to viruses, Trojans, malware, and other strains of infections. However, a new report suggests that Apple hardware, like the proverbial forbidden fruit, is increasingly being targeted by different types of attacks.

The “2020 State of Malware Report,” published by the cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, found that there has been a 400 per cent spike in the malware infections in 2019, as opposed to 2018.

This is arguably due to the corresponding increase in the total number of Mac systems running Malwarebytes software. Malware detections per Mac endpoint increased from 4.8 in 2018 to 11.0 in 2019, almost double that of Windows computers, which faced 5.8 malware attacks per endpoint.

Malwarebytes found 24 million instances of adware infections on Windows in 2019. In the same period, 30 million were detected on Mac computers.

Another likely cause for this statistic is that Macs have gained ground over Windows computers in terms of market share, implying that malevolent actors have been forced to target devices running macOS despite its resilience to attack.

But macOS’s inherent security mechanisms have not enjoyed as much success in tackling adware, as it has with malware, allowing dubious programmes to infiltrate the operating system’s defences.

Adware has become more aggressive over the years, evolving to pose a graver threat. Malwarebytes found 24 million instances of adware infections on Windows in 2019. In the same period, 30 million were detected on Mac computers.

“The number one Mac detection, an adware family called NewTab, brought in 28 million detections itself,” the report said.

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