Built In Antivirus Software That Isnt

This was the second incident in five months to involve Transmission.

The rising popularity of Apple computers has made them a prime target for malware.

And security companies are increasingly offering antivirus for Macs, but do you really need it.

The bedrock of macOS (formerly Mac OS X) is a rock-solid Unix foundation.

This is the same operating system on which BSD and Linux were built, and its earned its reputation for reliability and security thanks to a robust permissions system.

It might surprise you to learn your Mac already runs an anti-malware scanner in the background called Xprotect.

When your Mac installs system updates, it also updates the malware definitions.

Built In Antivirus Software That Isnt

By default, macOS blocks all software that isnt signed with an Apple-issued developer certificate or downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Developers who create free, open-source apps often cannot justify the 99 required to enter the Apple Developer Program and issue certificates.

To circumvent Gatekeeper, go to System Preferences Security Privacy, and then click Open Anyway after you attempt to open an unsigned app.

Sandboxing provides the app with everything it needs to perform its purpose and nothing else.

When you run an app in a sandbox, you limit what it can do and provide additional permissions based on input.

Apple limits any potential damage from rogue software because it prevents apps from accessing these areas.

If you restart your Mac and execute a Terminal command, you can disable SIP; but most people should leave it alone.

Many of these slip through Apples defenses by design, or they exploit a zero-day security flaw Apple hasnt been able to patch.

The malware installed an app called Advanced Mac Cleaner, LaunchAgent or a Safari extension, checked for antivirus software, and then exploited unprotected machines.

OSXCrescentCore was signed with a developer certificate, so it infected machines for days before Apple caught it.

Since Apple hadnt patched the security flaw when it was first reported earlier in the year, OSXLinker slipped past Gatekeeper.

In early 2018, it was discovered that almost every CPU sold in the past two decades was affected by serious security flaws.

These flaws became known as Spectre and Meltdown and yes, your Mac was likely affected.

The flaws could allow attackers to access data in parts of the system that were considered protected.

The exploits require that you download and run malicious software for it to do any harm, and theres no evidence that any Mac owners were directly affected.

Meltdown and Spectre highlight the fact that even hardware outside Apples control can result in serious security exploits.

It attempted to steal login details from the system keychain and create a backdoor for future access to the system.

Built In Antivirus For Mac