After the recent spate of malware attacks on Mac computers, it is pretty clear Mac computers aren’t exactly immune as was being believed by Mac users. One Mac in every five is infected with some kind of malware, reveals a new study from the Sophos team.
A 100,000 strong snapshot of the millions of Mac computers which have recently downloaded Sophos’s free Mac anti-virus software, revealed that 20% of Mac computers were carrying one or more instances of Windows malware. Sophos’s analysis also shows that 2.7% (one in 36) of Macs which downloaded the free anti-virus product were found to be infected by Mac OS X malware.
There is an increasing level of malware threat on Mac computers which aren’t updated with the latest anti-virus software and whose users are too lazy or smug to adopt safety and security measures. This includes both Mac and Windows threats which may not cause symptoms but can still be transferable to other machines. More than 20% of the Mac computers are carrying one or more instances of Windows malware. One in 36 Macs tested was found to be infected by Mac OS X malware. This is quite disturbing and alarming, according to Sophos.
They in fact draw parallels between an infected Mac computer and Chlamydia, the most commonly transmitted sexually transmitted disease amongst young people.
Sophos talks about the Chlamydia infection among young people, which shows no obvious symptoms but if left undetected, can cause serious problems like infertility. An alarming rate of 20% of youngsters are infected by Chlamydia and this is further passed on to the victims during physical contact.
Now why is Sophos drawing parallels between an infected Mac computer and Chlamydia? Its point being – Chlamydia can be easily treated and so can an infected Mac computer be. And it has offered some advice for Mac users:
- Run a good anti-virus software on your Mac.
- Keep your security patches up-to-dated, for your operating system, as well for your other programs you run on your Mac
- Exercise caution about the programs you install, the links you click on and the attachments you open
- Be alert, always and stay informed! If you keep yourself abreast of the security threats around you, you are less likely to be tricked by a cyber-criminal into making a poor decision.
While it might be a good time for Mac users to stop pretending that the Mac was secure, do you think this comparison of an infected Mac computer to a STD patient, by Sophos, was warranted!?
