21 New Malware Families Detected Attacking Mac Users

The upsurge of Apple products has made Mac users the prime targets for hackers who use malware to exploit them. 

In the past, Macs were always seen as being more secure; therefore, this makes their users less concerned with ensuring that they are safe. 

So that cybercriminals can take advantage of these weaknesses and find a way into sensitive data stored on Apple computers.

Cybersecurity researchers at Jamf recently detected 21 new malware families that were found to be attacking Mac users.

21 New Malware Families Detected

More than 15 million devices were globally analyzed in Q4 2023 by Security 360 across 90 countries (macOS, iOS/iPad, Android, Windows) to gauge the real-world impact of security trends.

Jamf’s 2024 malware report reveals that 9% of mobile users fell for phishing, and 20% of the companies risked due to flawed smartphone setups.

Jamf is a device management service that annually reports smartphone safety. Recently it has been claimed that 40% of users use devices with vulnerabilities, and 39% of organizations have at least one such device. 

This data highlights the growing concerns about iPhones alongside Android. This also notes a rising trend of the threat actors targeting Apple’s ecosystem with sophisticated attacks, highlighting a focus on developing hard-to-detect exploits for iOS/iPadOS.

Despite Apple’s focus on security, Jamf’s report reveals neglect of their platforms. For instance, FileVault, a crucial data protection feature, was disabled on 36% of surveyed devices. 

In 2023, 3% of iPhones had disabled lock screens, and 25% of organizations had at least one user with this issue.

New Mac Malware Instances

Here below, we have mentioned the new Mac malware instances:-

Malware Families Ranked In The Top 10

Here below, we have mentioned all the malware families that ranked in the top 10:-

Recommendations

Here below, we have mentioned all the recommendations provided by the cybersecurity researchers:-

• Maximize policy controls and minimize agents by using integrated management and security products.
• Harden endpoints by following the industry or regional best practice recommendations.
• Make sure to manage the threat exposure properly by keeping the OS and applications up-to-date with the latest available patches and updates.
• Implement defense-in-depth protections by utilizing multi-layered security measures.

You can block malware, including Trojans, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, worms, and zero-day exploits, with Perimeter81 malware protection. All are extremely harmful, can wreak havoc, and damage your network.

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