A report from Bit9 Carbon Black has found that in 2015 “the number of OS X malware samples has been five times greater than in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 combined.” Why is this and will the trend continue?
You can read the full report here.
The old adage that ‘Macs don’t get viruses’ was never true but 2015 marks the furthest from the truth it has ever been.
Of course malware samples on Windows and Android continue to eclipse the amount we see affecting OS X but Mac users can no longer rely on their rock solid OS to keep them safe.
More market share = more malware
Mark James, ESET IT security specialist, explains that Apple’s growing market share and popularity will certainly contribute to growing malware numbers but Windows is still miles ahead.
“The continuing growth of the apple market share has to be a prime factor in the increasing amount of malware we are seeing on the OS X platform.
“From a malware writers point of view there is no point in investing time and effort into a platform that is not going to deliver the results worthy of their initial investment.
“Tag that alongside the worrying amount of users that have no software security to protect them believing their platform is targeted less so therefore possess less risk.
“A lot of the attacks used so far on the OS X are not that sophisticated, something that will certainly change once users catch on and start taking OS X malware as seriously as windows users.
“When it comes to samples and malware for Windows and OS X they don’t even compare. They are worlds apart when it comes down to numbers; it’s like comparing traffic on the M25 and your local high street.”
What should you do?
The advice that we offer is much the same as we’ve been giving to Windows users for years: keep your OS and programs up-to-date, learn some basic browsing habits and get a strong Internet security program.
“This advice is similar to Windows when it comes to protecting yourselves: ensure your Operating System is up to date, make sure you have good quality regularly updating security software on your OS X endpoints and your users are educated on how and where these attacks happen
“Data management and network monitoring will help flag anything that could indicate an early warning that something is going wrong.
“If your organisation lacks the experience for OS X protection then you really should consider some outside help, knowing the Operating System inside out is a must if you want to find and remove malware in the your enterprise.”
Have you or your business ever been affected by Mac malware?
Join the ESET UK LinkedIn Group and stay up to date with the blog. If you’re interested in seeing where ESET has been featured in the news then check out our ‘In the news’ section.
Are you Serious about Security? If you are then check out everything that’s going on during Security Serious week.