Threat Intelligence, Malware, Threat Management

Mac malware spikes 744 percent, still not a big deal

Mac malware increased by a whopping 744 percent in 2016 but it's still not as big of a threat as Windows or even Android malware, according to a recent McAfee Threat Report.

The report also found that Mac OS malware spiked 637 percent from Q2 2016 to Q3, largely due in part to a specific adware bundle that hit a large number of users, and grew a further 245 percent in Q4, the report said.

It's also worth noting that a huge percentage of what McAfee classifies as malware was just adware as opposed to actual malicious software seeking to damage a user's hardware, hold files hostage or steal information.

The report also covered ransomware and DDoS attacks carried out by the Mirai botnet and emphasized the importance of improving threat intelligence sharing by simplifying event triage and provide a better environment for security practitioners to investigate high-priority threats, doing a better job establishing relationships between indicators of compromise, and finding a better way to share McAfee's own intelligence with other vendors.

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