Malware

Google to expand Chrome’s malware protections on Mac

Google’s Chrome and other browsers rely on a feature called Safe Browsing to display a warning message before you visit a dangerous site or download a harmful app. Google is now expanding the scope of Safe Browsing in Chrome for macOS to strengthen protections against malware and other unwanted software such as extensions that silently modify Chrome’s settings. The expanded Safe Browsing features in Chrome for macOS will go in effect on March 31, Google has said.

New Mac malware from Russia targets your saved passwords and iPhone backups

It used to be that Mac computers were immune from the vast majority of viruses and malware plaguing Windows and other platforms. But as Apple’s products have been growing in popularity, hackers and malware developers have been increasingly targeting macOS.

Following recent reports of Mac malware that uses a very old Windows trick which relies on Microsoft Word macros, a new strain of malware from Russian hackers has been found to steal your saved passwords and iPhone backups, security firm BitDefender said.

New malware uses auto-running macros in Word documents to infect your Mac

Taking advantage of a primitive Windows technique relying on automatically-running macros embedded in Microsoft Word documents, a new type of Mac malware attack has been discovered recently. As first noted in a research compiled by Objective-See, the technique used may be crude but once an unsuspecting user opens an infected Word document and chooses to run the macros, the malware installs itself silently on the target Mac and immediately attempts to download a hazardous payload.

Malwarebytes reports first case of Mac malware for 2017, points out antiquated tactics

Security software development firm Malwarebytes has just exposed what could be the first known case of Mac malware for the year of 2017.

It appears to be a highly antiquated piece of malware. In other words, it’s not super advanced and it’s using methods to infect machines that are so well-known that only a small number of unsuspecting users would even fall victim to it.

Apple just shot down an app that could detect iPhone malware

Stefan Esser’s iPhone app, called System and Security Info, can no longer be downloaded from the App Store, as first noted by The Next Web. Esser’s software let iPhone users know if their device had malware that could be used to spy on them, and could detect a jailbreak, too.

The app was removed from the App Store earlier this morning. Esser was basically told that detecting weaknesses in a user’s device could lead to “potentially inaccurate and misleading diagnostic functionality for iOS devices.”

A quick overview of the new System and Security Info app

Security has always been a top priority for Apple and its ecosystem, especially as of late. Tim Cook has made it clear that maintaining encryption and tight security protocols are here to stay. Users that are equally as concerned about protecting their personal information have had few options in actually monitoring their security however. A new app called System and Security Info from security firm SektionEins aims to help with that.

What you need to know about the AceDeceiver trojan that’s affecting some iOS devices

Stock, non-jailbroken iOS devices appear to be vulnerable to a new security threat; a trojan known as AceDeceiver, which can be installed on an iOS device without the user’s knowledge and without the help of an enterprise certificate. Once installed, it will spread malware and unwanted software to the user’s device.

AceDeceiver only seems to be affecting those located in China at this point in time, but because that could change on the fly, you need to know how to protect yourself so similar threats don’t affect users across the globe in the future.