Targeted malware from remote access tools/trojans (RATs) is another significant concern because often an attacker can control a system without a user’s knowledge. Ransomware remains the biggest threat to Apple devices, followed by banker trojans, Reed says. In the past, this simply was not cost-justified.’’ “The market share of Macs has grown and it has become profitable to create malware for it. Mac-targeting malware may historically have been uncommon, but that’s simply no longer the case, explains Kevin Reed, CISO at Acronis. These developments should serve as a wake-up call to small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that better data protection is required for Apple devices, which are at greater risk than ever from cyberattacks. Early May found Apple releasing emergency fixes to its operating systems on iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, which came on the heels of an update Apple issued one month earlier for those same devices to fix a vulnerability. In July, the Mac-targeting XLoader malware - available for as little as $49 - was discovered.

State Department employees were hacked with spyware. In December, Reuters reported that the iPhones of at least nine U.S.

Last year brought a slew of other Mac threats and attacks. Although it reportedly hasn’t delivered any malicious payloads, researchers called Silver Sparrow “a reasonably serious threat.” As of mid-February, Silver Sparrow had already infected over 29,000 macOS devices in 153 countries. In February, researchers issued a second warning about Silver Sparrow malware, which first came to light in November 2021 on Apple’s latest M1 chip. Cyberattacks have grown in scope and tactics, and Apple devices - often, but incorrectly, thought of as ‘immune’ to viruses and other threats - are becoming bigger targets.

Silver sparrow malware how to detect