Malware on Macs - It's Here

Ever heard that MacBooks can’t get viruses? That may have been true, but not anymore.

Everyone that works with the Windows environment has probably experienced a virus or some sort of malware at some point. However, it was almost unheard of for a Mac computer to get a virus.

When a friend contacted me about a virus, I became nervous when I found out it was a Mac.

I have been interested in computers for years, and working in IT (Information Technology) for three years now. I own a small computer repair and consulting business, as well as working at a free help desk at Penn State DuBois. I have never personally experienced working a Mac with a virus – until August.

A student and friend came to me, asking me to look at her computer. She stated she was on a website needed to complete a homework assignment, and suddenly her computer was experiencing pop-ups. She stated it had never happened before. When I walked into the room, I became extremely nervous when I saw it was a Mac.

I approached the situation with a similar “attack” as I would with a Windows computer. I installed an anti-virus. In this case, I installed Symantec because it is offered free to Penn State Students. After Symantec was installed and the virus definitions were updated, I ran a scan. The scan immediately picked up files. I used their interface to delete the files and ran a scan again. The scan came back clean and I turned the computer back over, letting her know that if it still acted up, to let me know.

It was not even a day before she told me she was still experiencing pop-ups. I picked up the computer and started doing some research. Most of my normal anti-virus tools are not made to work with anything but Windows. I was in completely unknown territory.

I was pleased to find that my favorite tool, Malwarebytes, had as recently July released a version for Mac. After installing in on the computer and running an updated scan, I removed the adware that was still on the computer and responsible for the pop-ups. The computer has since been running normally!

What to do to Protect your Mac from Malware without Paying Big

1. Anti-Virus – Your computers defense against downloading malware. You should always have one on your computer, of any like. I recommend:

• AVG AntiVirus for Mac

• Avast Free Mac Security

• Symantec (free for Penn State Students)

2. Tools if You’ve Become Infected – If you’re just now installing an anti-virus or a virus has gotten past yours, I first recommend using your anti-virus to run a scan. Make sure your virus definitions are up to date, easily checked on your anti-virus's main screen. If it persists, I recommend:

• MalwareBytes Anti-Malware for Mac

3. If a Virus Persists – If you continue to have issues after using an anti-virus and Malwarebytes, I recommend that you take your computer to a professional. 

Thank you for reading, 

Manda!