The Malwarebytes 2020 State of Malware Report revealed an incredible fact: for the first time ever, the number of threats per endpoint was greater for Macs than Windows PCs.
The study by Malwarebytes Labs (link opens in new window) measured the number of threats such as malware, spyware and ransomware per endpoint (a term for devices such as desktops, laptops and mobile phones). They detected 11 threats per endpoint in 2019, up from 4.8 threats per endpoint in 2018. Not only is this a massive increase in threats over the space of a year, it is almost double the number of threats per endpoint detected on Windows PCs in 2019 (5.8 threats per endpoint).
Historically Macs have been considered to be more secure than Windows. One of the main reasons for this is that Macs had a much smaller market share than Windows, so targeting Windows was more lucrative to cyber criminals. However, the increasing popularity of Macs over the last decade or so has meant that Macs are no longer a niche market and they now represent an increasingly attractive target to cyber criminals.
Regardless of whether you have a Mac or Windows PC, the strategies for protecting yourself are still the same:
- Set up Internet security software on all devices including mobile phones with a VPN if using WiFi hotspots.
- Use strong passwords on all of your accounts, and better yet use a password manager.
- Implement multi-factor authentication on websites and apps where possible. Install an authenticator such as Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator.
- Automate patching of your operating system and other software.
- Back up your data on a regular basis in various locations (cloud, onsite and remotely).
If you have any security concerns or would like assistance in implementing any security measures, please contact us today.