Macs are twice as likely as PCs to be infected with adware, according to a report by Malwarebytes. Threats to Mac computers increased 400% in 2019, with an average of 11.0 threats per system, compared to 5.8 for PCs. Most Mac threats come in a slightly different form than those for PCs, but both can be classified as adware or potentially unwanted programs. Malwarebytes detected 30 million threats to Apple computers and 24 million threats to PCs. Threats to corporate computers increased by 13% in 2019, while threats to personal computers decreased by 2%.
For years, Apple has prided itself on the security of its computers, sometimes satirizing its competitor, the PC, through ads meant to show how Macs are sleeker and easier to use.
But like the Macintosh TV of the mid-1990s, those ads and associated bragging rights have all but disappeared. Now, a report from a well-known anti-malware software company may explain why: Macs are twice as likely as PCs to be infected with adware.
According to research by Malwarebytes, threats to Mac computers increased 400% in 2019. On average, PCs detected 5.8 threats per system in 2019, compared to 11.0 such threats to Macs. A year earlier, the figure for Macs was of just 4.8 threats.
It should be noted that most Mac threats come in a slightly different form than those for PCs, although both can be classified as adware or potentially unwanted programs. In its report, Malwarebytes highlighted the apparent change in the computing environment. “While these threats aren’t considered as dangerous as traditional malware, they are becoming a much bigger and more noticeable nuisance for Mac users, who can no longer tell that their beloved systems are immune to malware,” the company said. Overall, Malwarebytes said it detected 30 million threats to Apple computers and 24 million threats to PCs.
Mac (and PC) under attack:
Threats to corporate computers increased by 13% in 2019, while threats to personal computers decreased by 2%.
The majority of cyberthreats were directed at users in North America (48 percent), while users in the Asia-Pacific region were the safest, accounting for 12 percent of threats.
So-called “ransomware” threats against organizations “remain higher than we’ve ever seen.” For example, Ryuk attacks (a specific form of ransomware) increased by 543% from the last quarter of 2018 to 2019.
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