Issue No. 81April 2019

 

So How Do I Protect My Organization Against Mac Malware? 

 

Many of you have employees or coworkers that use a Mac, so we thought we’d dedicate this month’s article toward a Mac related topic.

“Macs don’t get malware”, as many of you know those days are long gone, in fact, cyber thieves are specifically targeting those with this mindset

So how do you protect your organization  against Mac malware?

First of all, don’t fall for the hype. There’s nothing implicitly safer about a Mac except for the rarity of threats compared to Windows. As the Mac threat landscape continues to expand, most Mac users aren’t prepared for it, continuing to think they’re safe simply by virtue of using a Mac. This puts Mac users at higher risk of getting infected with something nasty.

Secondly, always remember the “if it’s too good to be true” rule. If you get a perky pop up offering something free, put on your skeptical face and don’t touch that mouse. This often happens on risky websites, so it’s best to avoid them. If you look at the status bar at the bottom of your browser, it’ll usually show you the true URL of the site you’ll go to if you follow the link you’re mousing over (without clicking). Pay particular attention if the domain ends in an odd set of letters, i.e., something other than com, org, edu, or biz, to name a few. This may indicate it is a viper’s nest for malware.

Also, keep your software up to date, whether it’s the operating system, browser, or just about any program you frequently use. That way, you’ll avoid any malware that seeks to exploit any bugs in the code.

Remember, you are your own first line of defense, so stay vigilant. Beware of unsolicited email attachments and software from untrustworthy websites or peer-to-peer file transfer networks.

Finally, install a Mac cybersecurity or anti-malware program from a reputable vendor. This will protect you from malware that makes it past your good cybersecurity habits.

Source:  Malwarebytes

To learn more about Mac related questions for your business,

feel free to reach out to one of our Apple Certified Engineers

Phone: 858-952-5400 x0

Email: [email protected]