Malware is not a new thing anymore, especially since many hackers have been using it to breach many people’s accounts for personal gain. The thing is, the malware spread on desktop systems, like Windows and Mac may be more serious compared to mobile.
Many people have said that Apple’s closed system makes the environment a lot safer than Windows. However, experts found it completely in reverse. There are more cases of malware attacks happening on Mac.
And thanks to technological advancements, hackers have developed many Malware types that are more dangerous than ever. In this article, we’ll talk about the malware cases happening on Windows and Mac, while also explaining some of the Malware types. See more below!
The Malware Cases on Mac Is Even Higher Than on Windows
Mac devices with the MacOS operating system are often considered more secure than Windows. However, a recent report from security firm Malwarebytes says otherwise. A recent report from Malwarebytes reveals that in 2019, for the first time ever, malware threats to Mac surpassed Windows. The comparison between malware threats on Mac and Windows devices is 2:1.
In the annual report, it’s been said that the malware case has been increased to as high as 400%, which is an insane number. Malwarebytes claims that the increasing number of Mac users today is also one of the reasons for the increase in malware threats that can attack MacOS. In fact, Malwarebytes detected 11 threats on Mac and that number is higher than Windows which only detected 5.8 threats in the same period.
Based on the report, Malwarebytes also revealed that the threats received by Mac device users are different from Windows users. The most common threats found on Macs are in the form of adware and Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs).
The Dangerous Adware
This adware is also considered to be a major threat to device users with the Windows operating system. In fact, according to reports, the number of adware detected reached 24 million. In addition, Windows is also often the target of two Trojans, namely Emotet and Trickbot, as well as new ransomware such as Ryuk, Sodinokibi, and Phobos.
Different Windows Malware That Also Affects Mac
Generally, there are four types of malware that often be found on various devices:
- Spyware
- Trojans
- Viruses
- Ransomware
However, there’s also a special form of malware that previously inhabited the Windows system called Xloader.
This special malware is reported to affect macOS, diminishing the rumors that MacOS is unbreachable. Xloader is a cross-platform malware that can steal users’ credentials by capturing keystrokes, and screenshots, and running various suspicious processes from within.
The thing is, Xloader mainly works secretly, and it’s almost impossible to detect it without the proper tools. So, we highly recommend using Autorun from MacOS and checking the LAunchAgents folder, the place where the suspicious files reside.
If you indeed find them, delete them right away. You see, there are so many ways you can do about Mac’s safety. About Mac’s safety read this guide about how to remove Search Marquis, which is another form of malware that’s no less dangerous. Search Marquis works differently, which is by using the search capability of a search engine.
The Problematic MacKeeper
A report from Elastic Security Labs says that nearly half of the malicious malware on MacOS mostly comes from a single source. Namely, 47% comes from the MacKeeper application.
Actually, malware on macOS is not too much compared to Windows. But ironically, MacKeeper, which is the source of this problem, is an application to keep devices clean and safe. Elastic says that applications can be abused by enemies because they already have access to processing and files and a wide range of permissions.
Elastic doesn’t go into detail about MacKeeper. But BGR, based on a cursory search, noted the app had no clear history.
As you may know, it is difficult to completely remove MacKeeper. According to BGR, there are many guides for uninstalling MacKeeper. Also on the Malware Wiki found quite a long entry about MacKeeper.
Besides the MacKeeper program, the malware was also found on Xcset (16.67%), Adload (12.50%), Aabokeylogger (10.42%), and Thiefquest (2.08%). Meanwhile, in a similar report, Elastic also found trojan accounts for 80% of malware on every operating system. Next, there are Cryptominers with 11.3% and ransomware (3.7%).
So, what you need to do with this is check the specific program. See whether it’s infected with malware or not by using a certain tool, like Malwarebytes, for example. The tool will work by checking each file stored on your computer to detect and remove any malware found.
What’s best about it is the fact that you can get it for free, although there are still some limitations to its usage. However, you can still get the basic features in the free version, which is not far from good. And also, don’t forget to use the premium antivirus and secure connection to keep you protected on the internet.