“Apple has managed to avoid attacks that first appear in the wild, usually nipping them in the bud either through advance disclosure from security researchers or the sheer difficulty of exploiting a flaw that’s revealed before a patch is available,” Glenn Fleishman writes for Macworld. “It’s also never had a long-running exploit that was known to exist, wasn’t fully patched in old releases, and had a large number of users still running those old releases.”
“This makes Apple’s OSes seem more invulnerable than they are,” Fleishman writes. “But is an anti-virus package the answer? In my view, and that of many security experts, including those who have found vulnerabilities in macOS and iOS, no—in most cases.”
Fleishman writes, “The biggest risk to Mac users is the rising tide of a specific kind of malware, called ransomware, which you can defend against using targeted anti-malware software that doesn’t rely on virus definitions.”
Read more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: We also use Little Snitch, Little Flocker, and Block Block on our Macs. More infomation and links for each are in Fleishman’s full article.
SEE ALSO:
Russian Mac malware behind U.S. DNC hacks looks to steal passwords and iPhone backups – February 15, 2017
MacKeeper scamware leaks 13 million Mac owners’ data, leaves passwords open to easy cracking – December 15, 2015
Security researcher claims to have downloaded sensitive data from 13 million accounts of MacKeeper scamware app – December 14, 2015
MacKeeper buyers ask for refunds in droves following class-action lawsuit – October 23, 2015
MacKeeper customers can file a claim to get their money back – August 10, 2015
Don’t waste your money on OS X snake oil for your Mac – July 28, 2015
How to detect and remove MacKeeper and keylogger malware on your Mac – July 17, 2015
Controversial MacKeeper security program opens critical hole on Mac computers – May 12, 2015
What ‘MacKeeper’ is and why you should avoid it – January 21, 2015
How to uninstall MacKeeper from your Mac – December 19, 2014
I’ve used Little Snitch a long time, I guess it does what it’s supposed to. I ain’t paranoid, just paranormal, and only sit with my back against a wall.
This may be a dumb question, but how does ransomware encrypt your hard drive if you’re not logged in with your admin id? Wouldn’t encrypting a drive require an admin password?
Most people at home work in their admin account……..
There are no active exploits for Macs, and NO software will ever stop a determined hacker from guessing your password. Now go look at any Mac AV supplier’s support page and see how many issues their offerings cause. In the end you will be inviting a slew of problems for nothing more than vapourous claims of security; they prey on irrational fears and make money, lots of money. THere’s a damn good reason Apple doesn’t recommend any of their products.
How have the companies that distribute online ads remained blameless for ransomware? They appear to be the weak link in all of this.