Security News Apple Users Under Malware Fire as Microsoft Improves Windows Security

[frogboy]

Microsoft has struggled to make Windows more secure, and it looks like all these efforts are paying off, as the number of malware infections aimed at its operating system dropped substantially last year, according to a new research.

At the same time, macOS and Linux have been targeted more often, with Apple systems recording three times more attacks than in the previous years, security institute AV-TESTreveals.

Specifically, the number of malware programs targeting Windows increased by just 10 percent, while the number of forms of malware specifically created for Windows systems dropped by 13 percent.

While Windows remains the most widely attacked operating system, with 7 out of 10 new forms of malware aimed at Microsoft’s platform, Apple and Linux devices also recorded three times more attacks, the research shows.

The top Windows malware last year was Allaple, which has been active since at least 2006, followed by Virut, Ramnit, and Virlock. Despite ransomware attacks exploding this year with WannaCry and Petya, ransomware accounted for only 0.94 percent of all malware aimed at Windows last year, with viruses and worms leading the charts with 37.60 percent and 25.44 percent, respectively.

Full Article. Apple Users Under Malware Fire as Microsoft Improves Windows Security

 

[Windows Defender Shill]

Good for Apple

 

[orthonovum]

Microsoft may be trying.. but they are missing several easy things like allowing DLLs to run with system level privs from directories outside of the system directory, they don't even acknowledge that they need to fix this when something like that is disclosed to them

IMHO Linux and Macs (BSD) are just as vulnerable as Windows but the user base is smaller and so phishing type of things are less likely to stick there

 

[mlnevese]

It may become a really serious problem as most Mac users still believe the legend that Macs are immune to malware in general. At least during all the time I had and used a Mac I never suffered this delusion. I always had some security software running.