There ’s a well - known myth that Macs are somehow invulnerable to viruses , phishing attempts , hacker and the comparable . You might have find out it before , or maybe you even believe it yourself . Unfortunately , it ’s far from true . Because whileWindowsusers face more threats than their Mac vis-a-vis , that does n’t intend that Mac users should get self-complacent .
That point has just been perfectly illustrated by anew phishing scamthat is specifically targeting Macs . It ’s so in advance , in fact , thatLayerX Security , the business firm that has been trail the plan of attack , has said that similar hunting expedition “ have seldom reached this level of sophistication . ”
On first coup d’oeil , the attack sounds aboveboard enough : the attackers launch a spoof pappa - up window warning you that your data processor is under attack . These popups appear on“typosquatted”websites — that is , malicious web site with URLs that are very similar to the genuine thing , such as one that by choice misspell apple.com . They ’re designed to await like the web site they ’re impersonating so that victim do n’t get suspect and back out before it ’s too recently .
Many of us have see popups like these and know to neglect them . But this flak goes a dance step further by using some nefarious computer code to freeze your internet browser window . The goal is to manipulate you into thinking that your web web browser really has been compromised — after all , it ’s ostensibly no longer working .
Once that ’s done , the popups award a faux login window that is designed to slip your Apple Account credential . Once you fill up in your username and password , the cyberpunk have access to everything locked behind your Apple Account ’s protect front door . And if that does n’t do the trick , the popups also display a phone number that the hackers control , which will connect you to someone who will seek to steal your login certification .
It ’s a clever trick that could well fool an unsuspicious drug user . And interestingly , it ’s one that has recently been adapt to specifically place Apple sports fan rather than computer users in general .
Targeting Mac users
ab initio , this scam was aimed squarely at Windows users . Its phishing pageboy were hosted on Windows.net server , which lent credence to the pages since their Windows.net uniform resource locator appeared to be connected to Microsoft .
However , Microsoft updated itsEdge browserto combat this trick , and similar updates have rolled out to Chrome and Firefox . This lay off 90 % of the attacks on Windows PCs , LayerX believes .
That did n’t put the hackers off , though . Since then , the aggressor have shifted centering to the Mac , asSafariapparently has not been cover by the security measures update . As a solvent , the hackers adjusted their campaign so that the popups now look legitimate to Mac user . For instance , the popups now claim to be an “ Apple Security word of advice ” and state that “ MacOS has been locked due to strange activity . ”
That shows distinctly that assailant are not afraid to place Mac users with their malicious political campaign . IfmacOSappears to be unprotected in some path , hackers will promptly accommodate their tools to take advantage . As a Mac exploiter , that think you necessitate to be prepared .
How you can stay safe
If you ’re concerned about your safety online when using a Mac , there are a few thing you may do to stick around safe . first off , always ensure you have correctly typed a website computer address before you visit it . This attack relied on misspelled web addresses being entered into your browser app , so be sure that everything is as it should be before you hit Return .
You should also install anantivirus app on your Mac , as many can detect this kind of phishing scam . Antivirus apps do n’t slow down your Mac anywhere near as much as they used to , and there ’s no compelling understanding not to use one . The benefit far outweigh the drawback .
Next , if you see a popup claiming that your internet browser is infected , do n’t panic . Hackers want to hasten you into a determination before you could think true . Take a breath and think about what to do .
That means you should n’t enter your account details into a mistrustful popup windowpane , and do n’t call an unknown number arrogate to be for a company ’s official backup team . If you need to contact Apple support , be sure to do it at the official , aright spelled website .
And finally , think of that Macs are not invulnerable to hackers and phishing attempts . ride out on your precaution online and you will stand a unassailable chance of abide secure .
