The IT Nerd

I’ve been saying for a few years that Mac users shouldn’t feel smug about their perceived level of security. Anything on any platform can be hacked. In the case of macOS, there have been very few real threats to speak of, and most required some level of user interaction which meant that unlike those who use Windows, macOS users had nothing to worry about.

Those days are over.

We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks some scary malware that is brought to you by the same guys who hacked the US election. Plus just yesterday, we’ve seen the appearance of ransomware on the macOS platform. Crude yes, but it is still very concerning. It’s a sign that attacks on the macOS platform are on the rise and getting more sophisticated. In fact I predict that 2017 will be the year of macOS malware and Mac users will experience what Windows users experienced in the early 2000’s when malware exploded on the Widnows platform. That’s bad news for anyone who runs a Mac. But you can protect yourself and do so easily.

First, you need to run an antivirus app. Yes. Seriously. If you don’t have an antivirus app on your Mac, you will get pwned sooner or later. I’m currently running Sophos on my fleet of Macs, but there’s other options from Bitdefender, ESET Cyber Security and AVG among others for you to consider. Whatever you choose, choose something to protect yourself.

Next are the things that I file under the category called common sense:

• Only install apps from trusted sources such as the Apple app store or from well known developers. In other words, running pirated software is not an option. For bonus points, make sure that under your “Security and Privacy” settings, ensure that “Allow apps downloaded from App Store” is checked. That way it provides and extra layer of protection.
• Never type your password into dialog boxes that randomly pop up (unless you are installing an app that you trust of course) as that can be the sign of malware trying to set up shop on your system.
• Some types of malware are distributed via social engineering attacks like “Spear Phishing” which is a social engineering attack targeted at a specific individual. This article from CSO can help you mitigate these specific kinds of attacks. But for a more general view on how to stop social engineering attacks, this article can help with that.

Finally, I would advise against using Oracle Java and Adobe Flash on your Mac (or your PC for that matter) as they are common attack vectors for malware creators. Realistically, you likely won’t miss anything by not having them and you will make your Mac a whole lot more secure.

Do you have any other tips that I didn’t cover here? If so, please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

This entry was posted on February 23, 2017 at 8:34 am and is filed under Tips with tags Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.