So it seems that people are at least wising up to these dodgy programs. These apps tend to hound users, which is part of their downfall, as due to the bad reputations of some of these apps the number of Macs affected has fallen, according to Malwarebytes. Potentially Unwanted Programs (or PUPs): Famous examples include Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Adware Remover, and Mac Space Reviver. According to Malwarebytes: “macOS’ built-in security systems have not cracked down on adware and PUPs to the same degree that they have malware, leaving the door open for these borderline programs to infiltrate”. A virus is only one type of malware of which there are many, and unfortunately there have been cases on the Mac.Īdware: Once this malicious software is installed on a Mac it will show advertisements and pop-ups for software – most likely for Potentially Unwanted Programs like those we will discuss next. A computer virus is so-called because it is capable of replicating itself and spreading. The word virus gets used a lot more than it should be – a more accurate word would be malware. However, malware, dubbed Silver Sparrow, was found on the M1 Mac soon after launch so even Apple’s own chips are not immune.Ĭurious to know what Mac viruses are out there, perhaps because you were thinking you might spy some suspicious processes or malware names in Activity Monitor on your Mac? In this article, we will endeavor to give you a complete list.īefore we run through the malware that’s been spotted on Macs we need to address this question. Even Apple’s Craig Federighi has admitted there is a problem, saying in May 2021 that: “We have a level of malware on the Mac that we don’t find acceptable.” To stay safe, we recommend you read our best Mac security tips and our round-up of the best Mac antivirus apps, in which we highlight Intego as our top pick.Īnother thing to note is that Apple’s own M-series chips that it has been using in Macs since November 2020 are considered more secure than Intel processors. In recent years malware on the Mac actually decreased, however, as you will see if you read on, Macs are not completely safe from attacks. For more information read: how Apple protects you from malware. We also discuss whether Macs need antivirus software separately. This is part of Apple’s Gatekeeper software that blocks apps created by malware developers and verifies that apps haven’t been tampered with. Apple has all the malware definitions in its XProtect file which sits on your Mac, and every time you download a new application it checks that none of those definitions are present. In addition, Apple has its own built-in anti-malware tool. If you were to install something from an unknown developer Apple would warn you to check its authenticity. You can specify whether only apps from the Mac App Store can be installed, or if you are happy to allow apps from identified developers too. You can check these settings in macOS Ventura’s System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll to the Security section, or, if you are using Monterey or older, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. For example, macOS shouldn’t allow the installation of third-party software unless it’s from the App Store or identified developers. Luckily Apple has various measures in place to guard against such threats.
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