{"id":9376,"date":"2017-09-19T09:05:59","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T17:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2017\/09\/19\/news-3149\/"},"modified":"2017-09-19T09:05:59","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T17:05:59","slug":"news-3149","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2017\/09\/19\/news-3149\/","title":{"rendered":"How to tell if your Mac is infected"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: Wendy Zamora| Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:00:31 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are a lot of reasons Mac users don\u2019t sweat getting infected. One: They\u2019ve got a built-in anti-malware system called XProtect that does a decent job of catching known malware. Two: Macs are not plagued by a high number of attacks. (Most cybercriminals are focused on infecting PCs.) And three: There\u2019s just not a lot of Mac malware out there.<\/p>\n

So why not be complacent and assume your Mac is fine? One word: adware<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your Mac is infected…with adware<\/h3>\n

Adware is software that\u2019s designed to display advertisements, usually within a web browser. Most people don\u2019t willingly download programs whose sole purpose is to bombard you with ads, so adware has to sneak its way onto your Mac. It either disguises itself as legitimate or piggybacks on another program in order to be installed.<\/p>\n

Once in your system, adware changes the way your browser behaves by injecting ads into web pages, causing pop-up windows or tabs to open, and changing your homepage or search engine\u2014all in the name of funneling advertising dollars away from companies who pay for online ads and into their own accounts.<\/p>\n

Your Mac is infected…and not protected<\/h3>\n

Sounds pretty shady, right? So why doesn\u2019t the Mac anti-malware program catch these guys? Typically, the makers of adware are hiding in plain sight, operating as actual corporations who claim to sell software on the level. They get away with it because their adware is often hidden in the fine print of a long installation agreement that most people skip over. Is it technically legal? Yes. You accepted the terms of the installment so they can spam you all they want. But is it right? So far, Apple hasn\u2019t stepped in to crack down on it. But if you ask us, the answer is an emphatic \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to adware, other potentially unwanted programs, such as so-called \u201clegitimate\u201d keyloggers, scammy \u201ccleaning\u201d apps (Macs don\u2019t need to be cleaned), and faux antivirus programs that don\u2019t actually detect anything are skirting the Mac protections in place<\/a>. (Because XProtect doesn\u2019t detect and block adware or potentially unwanted programs\u2014only malware that it has seen before.) So if a new form of malware makes its way onto your computer before Apple has a chance to learn about it and write code to protect against it, then you\u2019re out of luck.<\/p>\n

And if that weren\u2019t enough to raise an eyebrow, Mac malware has increased by 230 percent in the last year.<\/p>\n

So if you ask us, it\u2019s time to start taking a closer look at your Mac. Is it acting the way your sturdy, reliable Mac has always behaved? Or is it exhibiting classic signs of guilt? If something seems a little off, you just might have a problem. Let\u2019s take a look at the telltale signs that your Mac is infected.<\/p>\n

Signs of adware<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Advertisements are displayed in places they shouldn\u2019t be, literally popping up everywhere. Your web browser\u2019s homepage has been mysteriously changed without your permission. Web pages that you typically visit are not displaying properly, and when you click on a website link, you get redirected to an entirely different site. In fact, even your search engine has been replaced with a different one. If your web browser, search engine, or websites are acting in funky, unpleasant ways, you\u2019ve likely got yourself an adware infection.<\/p>\n

Signs of PUPs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maybe you downloaded a new program to monitor your family\u2019s behavior online. All of a sudden, new icons are appearing on your desktop for software you don\u2019t remember installing. New toolbars, extensions, or plugins are added to your browser. A pop-up appears telling you your Mac may be infected, and you need to install the latest antivirus immediately<\/em> to get rid of it. Frightened, you do so, and now your computer has turned the corner from automatically installing apps to slowing to a crawl. What\u2019s going on? These are PUPs, and your Mac\u2019s anti-malware system is not going to get rid of them.<\/p>\n

Signs of malware<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mac malware making its way onto your system is, right now, still rare. But if it does, you may look out for similar behavior<\/a> as an infected Windows operating system: your computer\u2019s processing power seems diminished, software programs are sluggish, your browser redirects or is unresponsive, or your ole-reliable starts crashing regularly.<\/p>\n

In some cases, you may not be aware of an infection at all. While your computer hums along, info stealers operate quietly in the background, stealing your data for an attack on your bank accounts or identity.<\/p>\n

And in the worst case scenario, your Mac can even be infected with ransomware. In March 2016, the first Mac ransomware was spotted<\/a>, and it was downloaded by around 6,500 people before Apple had a chance to shut it down. A ransomware attack would be quite obvious to Mac users. Files would be encrypted and cybercriminals would deliver a ransom demand (usually via pop-up) in order to return your data.<\/p>\n

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you? If so, there are a few steps<\/a> you can take to remedy the infection. First, back up your files. Next, remove adware from your Mac using an adware removal tool like AdwCleaner<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Or, if you want to keep it short and simple, download a (legitimate) anti-malware program such as Malwarebytes for Mac<\/a> that\u2019s designed to search and destroy adware, PUPs, and any new forms of malware lurking on the scene. Run a scan and, if there are any nasties hiding away in your pristine Mac OS, it\u2019ll bag, tag, and dump them for you. Then you can finally get your Mac back.<\/p>\n

The post How to tell if your Mac is infected<\/a> appeared first on Malwarebytes Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/feed\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: Wendy Zamora| Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:00:31 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
It\u2019s time to start taking a closer look at your Mac. Is it acting like its normal, reliable self? Or is it exhibiting strange behavior? Here’s how to tell if your Mac is infected.<\/p>\n

Categories: <\/p>\n