how safe are you really?
Malware on the Mac is becoming more and more common, but should you worry? This report shows exactly how safe you (not) are.
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Malware on the Mac: that’s how (un)safe you are
Malware on the Mac seems to be on the rise lately. But how common is malware really on Apple’s laptops and computers? This report from elastic gives you the answer.
The research looked at malware on Mac, Windows and Linux. Of all malware, it is mainly trojans that cause the problems (75 percent). A trojan is malicious software disguised as other software. If we look at all malware, 54 percent can be found on Linux and 39 percent on Windows. Mac still remains the safest with only 6 percent of the total amount of malware.
Earlier this year, Malwarebytes said adware was the biggest culprit in Macs. But according to the elastic report, cryptominer software is the most common malware on the Mac. Of these, the XMRig program is the largest party (40 percent). Elastic does indicate that this program can also be used by people themselves to mine cryptocurrency, but that mainly malicious people use the software and secretly run it on infected Macs.
What is Malware?
Malware is self-executing code that is placed on your device without your knowledge. The word is a combination of malicious and software, so malicious software. There are several forms of malware with different purposes. For example, one malware can track your keystrokes and the other can hold your files hostage (ransomware).
Knowing more? Then check: Screens with Terms #8 – all about malware
This is how you stay safe on the Mac
Malware programs are (usually unintentionally) downloaded from the Internet. Do you want to make sure you don’t get malware on your Mac? Then it is wise to always get as much software as possible from the App Store on the Mac.
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