There has been a long-standing rumour that Macs are immune to viruses and now, someone has proven Macs can be infected. The word is out in CNET’s article: “Apple users beware: First live. In theory, no operating system is immune to viruses.

A phishing scam has targeted Mac users by redirecting them from legitimate websites to fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus. The user is then offered Mac Defender 'anti-virus' software to solve the issue.
This “anti-virus” software is malware (i.e. malicious software). Its ultimate goal is to get the user's credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes.
The most common names for this malware are MacDefender, MacProtector and MacSecurity.

Apple released a free software update (Security Update 2011-003) that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants.
The Resolution section below also provides step-by-step instructions on how to avoid or manually remove this malware.

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How to avoid installing this malware

If any notifications about viruses or security software appear, quit Safari or any other browser that you are using. If a normal attempt at quitting the browser doesn’t work, then Force Quit the browser.

In some cases, your browser may automatically download and launch the installer for this malicious software. If this happens, cancel the installation process; do not enter your administrator password. Delete the installer immediately using the steps below.

1. Go into the Downloads folder, or your preferred download location.
2. Drag the installer to the Trash.
3. Empty the Trash.

How to remove this malware

Immune (lisacintosh) Mac Os 11

If the malware has been installed, we recommend the following actions:

• Do not provide your credit card information under any circumstances.
• Use the Removal Steps below.

Removal steps

1. Move or close the Scan Window.
2. Go to the Utilities folder in the Applications folder and launch Activity Monitor.
3. Choose All Processes from the pop up menu in the upper right corner of the window.
4. Under the Process Name column, look for the name of the app and click to select it; common app names include: MacDefender, MacSecurity or MacProtector.
5. Click the Quit Process button in the upper left corner of the window and select Quit.
6. Quit Activity Monitor application.
7. Open the Applications folder.
8. Locate the app ex. MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector or other name.
9. Drag to Trash, and empty Trash.

Malware also installs a login item in your account in System Preferences. Removal of the login item is not necessary, but you can remove it by following the steps below.

• Open System Preferences, select Accounts, then Login Items
• Select the name of the app you removed in the steps above ex. MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector
• Click the minus button

Use the steps in the “How to avoid installing this malware” section above to remove the installer from the download location.

Note: Apple provides security updates for the Mac exclusively through Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads site. User should exercise caution any time they are asked to enter sensitive personal information online.

Mac users continue to roam the Internet unprotected, despite growing concerns about hacks, ransomware attacks, and extortion attempts on the web.

In this blog, Bitdefender offers its predictions for Mac security in 2018 and beyond, with high hopes that Apple fans will take security a bit more seriously as we step into the New Year.

macOS Malware on the Rise

Malware is growing rapidly on every platform, including macOS (formerly OS X). On the consumer side, we expect a lot of “scareware” or “PUA/PUP” (potentially unwanted applications/potentially unwanted programs).

These threats typically arrive in the form of a scary pop-up saying something along the lines of, “Your MAC is infected. Download and install this tool to save your computer.”

It’s your duty not to fall for these traps, but you should also run a trusted antivirus program to make sure nothing slips through and takes hold of your device.

Enterprise Macs targeted by ATPs

In the business world, we see a growing number of APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats) targeting enterprise workstations. In fact, almost every piece of Mac-centric malware that we investigated within an enterprise environment was related to an APT.

Since there is absolutely no reason to expect a decrease in APTs, we predict even more of these threats will target Macs next year.

Polymorphism-as-a-Service

Immune (lisacintosh) Mac Os Download

Polymorphic malware is just what it sounds like: malware that constantly changes its identifiable features to evade detection. Many common forms of malware can “polymorph,” including viruses, worms, bots, Trojans, and keyloggers.

Polymorphism is now offered by bad actors on an as-a-service basis, and hackers are taking them up on this offer hoping to avoid detection.

Bitdefender AV solutions fight polymorphic malware through machine learning and Advanced Threat Control (ATC) which uses advanced heuristics to monitors a process’ behavior throughout its lifetime.

Increased Supply Chain Attacks

Schemes involving popular Mac apps are also taking on bigger proportions. As some readers will remember, last year Transmission was used in the first successful ransomware attack targeting Mac users.

More recently, a “Trojanized” version of the popular HandBrake video converter was found infecting Macs in the wild, identified in security circles as OSX.Proton.B or Proton RAT.

Proton is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) designed to target Macs and bypass Apple’s “Gatekeeper” security defenses. It can record keystrokes, access the user’s iCloud account, and even control the device’s built-in FaceTime camera.

We expect malware dressed up as legitimate Mac applications to increase in 2018.

Ransomware for Mac

Ransomware is shaping up to become the king of malware, and Apple users are far from immune.

Mac Os Catalina

In 2018, ransomware samples will contain fewer flaws in their cryptographic algorithm, and most (if not all) samples will contain a lateral movement component (similar to WannaCry and GoldenEye). These features will make them harder to detect and deter.

We expect a higher number of non-executable pieces of ransomware (i.e. Nemucod), as well as samples that spread through file-less techniques.

We also anticipate higher demand for Ransomware-as-a-Service platforms, and we expect the source code for older ransomware samples will be recycled and reused with more advanced obfuscation techniques.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac protects users against all these threats and more. Readers can download the full version and try it out for a whole month, for free.