This guy showed up on a few different websites in 2019, including one commonly used to download comic books, as well as showing up in Google search results. 3 Recent Mac Malware Threats OSX/CrescentCore Sticking to apps that have a security certificate from Apple is a good idea (although even they are not always safe, as we will see!) and if you are downloading something from a non-App Store location, do a quick Google just to make sure there aren’t any known threats.
A lot of malware results from downloading pirated software or media, or downloading apps from untrustworthy sites. In general, if you only download apps from the Mac App Store, you should be safe from malware. Apple is quite dedicated to helping their users stay malware free, and has some handy articles about it. Gatekeeper is a great first line of defense against malware.
The Gatekeeper program, which is on every Mac, blocks any programs from running, unless they have digital approval from Apple. There is good news though! Macs already have a fairly robust system to ward off malware threats. Because of that, not only do you need protection, you want to use a malware detector and remover that is consistently updated against new threats.Ī 2018 report by Malwarebytes showed that there was a 270% increase in Mac malware in 2017, and this trend is not showing signs of slowing.Īs many Mac owners think of their device as virus-resistant, malware developers take advantage of that mindset. Malware threats are a universal problem, and are constantly evolving. You might be asking yourself ‘do Macs even need malware protection?’ Sadly, they do.
If you have been caught by one of the many viruses, adware or ransomware that’s lurking around the internet, you’ll be wondering about Mac malware removal. There are a few main reasons that people buy from Apple: great design, an approachable user interface, and an OS that is known for being virus-resistant.Īnd yes, your Mac is definitely less likely to get a virus than a system running Windows, but that doesn’t mean that your system is immune!