According to a new study released by Malwarebytes, there has been a massive surge in the number of viruses that specifically target Apple Mac computers this year. Macs are increasingly becoming the favourite target of malware developers.
The report reveals that, as of last month, malware targeting Macs have increased by 230% compared to 2016.
According to the internet security company, certain categories of malevolent software are increasing even more rapidly, particularly PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) and adware.
Malwarebytes also pointed out that the Mac App Store is presently flooded with an abundance of scam applications, including fake anti-virus applications which can charge unsuspecting users $99.99 for a 7-day subscription.
Looking to the future, the authors of the report predicted that next year there will be another increase in Mac malware, with a particularly large increase in PUPs. These, they claimed, are not policed efficiently enough and are practically left alone to multiply unchecked.
It should also be considered that this is only one company’s view, however. Other experts (who do not have a vested interest in the anti-malware market) may have differing opinions regarding the proposed threat. Having said that, it is difficult to ignore the mounting evidence of malware threats specifically targeting Apple computers.
Of course, Malwarebytes suggests its own solution — an app that offers real-time protection against malware which also promises not to overload system resources.
There are other alternatives apart from Malwarebytes as a security solution, so long as users start to seriously consider effective antivirus protection for their Mac.
It should be noted that Malwarebytes also reported a huge increase in ransomware on Android devices over the same period, with the operating system suffering a 100% rise in this type of malware during the second quarter of 2017.