Want to know what the top 5 cybersecurity myths are that could help you stay safe out there in cyberspace? Stay tuned as we are revealing the five cybersecurity myths and we bust those with the reality. You’ll also receive some handy tips to help you stay safe if you work on an Apple Mac.

The third myth is “Apple products aren’t susceptible to viruses and online attacks”. Actually, an Apple computer is less likely to be infected by viruses than Windows computer but can still get a virus or malware infection. In recent years Macs have become less safe and secured as they once were. Mac popularity has grown so viruses and malware have become more advanced and are being targeted more. Despite the fact that Macs have an operating system that has typically allowed them to remain pretty secure, attackers are still able to get in.

Example of Mac Virus

There are cases where viruses have stuck their way in like the OSX/Crescent Core. This malware was available as ad download from several websites and even showed up in Google search results. It was disguised as a DMG file of the Adobe Flash Player installer but would actually install a different file called LaunchAgent that is called Advanced Mac Cleaner. This malware was able to bypass Apple’s Gatekeeper (blocks software that has not been approved by Apple on your Mac) because it was signed by a certificate assigned by Apple to a developer. This took Apple a few days before they were able to remove that certificate, so Macs were exposed to malware.

How to Keep Your Mac Safe

  1. Keep Your Mac Updated

Install the security update anytime there is one as soon as possible. This helps with any flaws and vulnerabilities that Apple is experiencing on the operating system.

You can also check out the latest version of the macOS here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

  1. Don’t Connect to Public Wi-Fi

You are taking a huge risk of a hacker accessing your Mac if you are using a public Wi-Fi. Hackers are setting up their own Wi-Fi hotspots to imitate businesses and once you connect, they steal any data that you send over that network.

  1. Watch Out for Phishing Emails

Make sure you always study the email before taking action such as signing into a site with username and password or installing anything. Triada uses Ironscales to keep businesses protected from phishing and accidental clicks. You can read more about Ironscales on our blog here: https://triadanet.com/ironscales-best-antiphishing-software-and-anti-ransomware-software/.

  1. Watch Out for Social Media Scams

This has been popular with Facebook. Facebook scams are usually created to obtain data from the most gullible people so keep your eyes out. Don’t click on links on social media just because a friend says to and definitely do not give out your personal data on Facebook!

How to Tell if Your Mac is Infected

Here are the signs you need to look for if you think you may be dealing with a possible virus, look out for these signs:

  1. Ads and pop-ups are popping up way too often

This can be a sign of adware. Signs that its adware could be an excessive amount of banner ads or fake pop-ups that recommend updates to your Mac.

  1. Your computer is lagging and is slow

If your Mac’s cursor turns into a rainbow wheel for a long period of time, then this is a sign of a lagging and sluggish computer. That little wheel that is turning means that your mac is working even harder and trying to do way too much at one time. This could mean that there is a malicious program running in the background.

  1. You have browser issues

If your browser suddenly changes its homepage and you are not sure what it is or if your browser is unresponsive then you could have a virus. Also, if your browser crashes regularly this could also mean a virus.

  1. Your computer is doing nothing at all

Sounds odd right? But a lot of malware is secretly working in the background without the user even knowing.

As you can see this myth has been busted! Apple computers are susceptible to viruses and online attacks. It’s important these days to also protect your Apple computer since there are still significant threats out there. Add an extra layer of protection by finding a Mac antivirus software.

We know that Cybersecurity can be complex even for Macs so let us simplify the process for you! We have a full suite of security tools designed to help you reduce risk and maintain control.

Contact us today for a free security consultation and protect yourself from a future breach. You can schedule it online or call 201-297-7778.

 

Sources:

Kovacs, Nadia. “Do Macs Get Viruses and Malware?”. Norton by Symantec. https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-can-macs-get-viruses.html

Haslam, Karen. “Can Macs Get Viruses & Do Macs Need Antivirus Software?”. Macworld from IDG. 25 Jul 2019. https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac-software/can-macs-get-viruses-3454926/