{"id":57243,"date":"2017-06-14T11:58:08","date_gmt":"2017-06-14T16:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=57243"},"modified":"2017-06-14T11:58:08","modified_gmt":"2017-06-14T16:58:08","slug":"apple-declines-comment-growing-malware-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/apple-declines-comment-growing-malware-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Declines to Comment on Growing Malware Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Ransomware &amp; Spyware Targets Apple&#8217;s Mac Computers<\/h4>\n<p>With Apple&#8217;s market share growing, it is fair to assume cyber criminals will broaden their hacking horizons beyond Windows PCs. \u00a0Recently, ransomware was found targeting Mac computers. \u00a0Ransomware, or the malicious software that encrypts user data and demands payment in order for the user to regain access, has been known to target Windows PCs. \u00a0However, Apple is no longer immune. \u00a0Unfortunately, the ransomware that is targeting Macs has been found to completely destroy the files without an opportunity to retrieve them after the payment has been made. \u00a0Of course, the user doesn&#8217;t know that. \u00a0Assuming they pay the ransom, which is NEVER recommended, they will not see their files again. \u00a0Even if the cyber criminals wanted to retrieve the files, they could not do so. \u00a0Whomever wrote the ransomware did a poor job maintaining the decryption keys; therefore, whatever data is locked, will remained locked.<\/p>\n<p>Another form of malware, called spyware, it targeting Mac users. \u00a0Spyware sits on the device and collects data about the user &#8212; what they&#8217;re doing on the device, tracking keystrokes, etc. \u00a0The spyware targeting Macs, Macspy, is able to log keystrokes, access the computer&#8217;s microphone and take screenshots. \u00a0According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology-40261693\">BBC<\/a>, Macspy is highly evasive, avoiding detection from basic security programs.<\/p>\n<p>At this time, Apple has not commented to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology-40261693\">BBC <\/a>regarding the increased cyber threats facing their product.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ransomware &amp; Spyware Targets Apple&#8217;s Mac Computers With Apple&#8217;s market share growing, it is fair to assume cyber criminals will broaden their hacking horizons beyond Windows PCs. \u00a0Recently, ransomware was found targeting Mac computers. \u00a0Ransomware, or the malicious software that encrypts user data and demands payment in order for the user to regain access, has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":55127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4949,5000],"tags":[273,3965,4363,390],"class_list":["post-57243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ransomware","category-ransomwarewar","tag-apple","tag-mac","tag-ransomware","tag-spyware-2"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Apple Declines to Comment on Growing Malware Threats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Apple has made no comment regarding the two newest forms of malware targeting Mac computers. 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