Mac Computers Affected by Silver Sparrow Malware
We all have come to know, or at least many of us, that Mac computers were immune to viruses and similar strategies. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
As cybercrime has become more and more relevant in the last years, and bad actors have seen an “opportunity” during the last several months, cyber-attacks have increased almost exponentially around the world.
This time, Mac users have been targeted with malware now known as Silver Sparrow, as per a recent article by cybersecurity firm Red Canary.
Who might be affected?
Even if affected computers are small compared to others, it strongly calls our attention to how this came to be for 3 reasons:
- These bad guys found a way to infect this type of computer, which before it was considered safe from this kind of threat.
- The malware is hidden within the infected machine, waiting for something to trigger.
- It targets Apple’s new M1 chips.
The article highlights that “according to data provided by Malwarebytes, Silver Sparrow had infected 29,139 macOS endpoints across 153 countries as of February 17, including high volumes of detection in the United States (25,331 detected), the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany”.
What is the end-goal?
This is the most puzzling part of the malware: the “payload” is not known yet. The guess is some sort of Adware, but it is a guess. Studies continue.
Conclusion
For now, the safe way to go about this is to ensure your systems are being monitored, you run the appropriate anti-virus, and use cleaning tools where needed. Keep your IT Department informed!
Keep your data secure. Our Tech Team stands ready to monitor and resolve any situations. Contact us today.
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