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5 Awesome Ways to Enhance Cybersecurity For Your Mac

Most small businesses haven’t taken the necessary steps to implement cybersecurity. According to research, just two percent of small businesses have a legitimate cybersecurity plan in place, perhaps thinking they are too small for criminals to target them. Few companies have implemented anti-malware software.

For certain companies using macOS products, there is a flawed belief their Mac is immune to attack. However, these companies couldn’t be more wrong. For criminals, small businesses and Mac owners are easy targets. Lax cybersecurity means easy money.

Recent reports show cyberthreats like data breaches and ransomware using hijacked computers. These threats start with a malware attack, and small businesses without cybersecurity or anti-malware software for their Mac computers will quickly become a victim.

The Danger of Malware to Mac

Malware is a piece of software that infects a computer and can be used to conduct criminal activities.

Malware has been used to break into computers to steal data and files, putting customers’ and employees’ private data at risk. Ransomware, which locks users out of a computer system until a ransom is paid, is another use of malware. Cryptocurrency miners will link computers together to mine for bitcoins, or worse, use the computer for DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks.

The critical component to success, for criminals, is infecting as many computers as possible. This makes small businesses with networked computers an easy and profitable target.

While Mac computers have strong security in place, they are still susceptible to attack. Malwarebytes, a leading cybersecurity software company has already identified four critical threats to Mac users in 2018. These same experts believe the threat to Mac is growing.

One of these threats called OSX.CreativeUpdate is particularly dangerous. This piece of malware was discovered after someone hacked the MacUpdate website. The hackers replaced popular Mac apps, such as Firefox, with their malicious links. When users downloaded the malware infused apps from MacUpdate, the apps would install malware on the system and then open the original app. This covered up the infected malware on the system. Ultimate, this malware would use the computer’s CPU to mine cryptocurrency called Monero, which slows down and harms the computer.

It’s imperative for small businesses to take cybersecurity seriously and protect their Mac and Apple products from attack. Malware is a legitimate threat that can rapidly drain profit and productivity from the company, making it difficult for the small business to recover.

Implementing cybersecurity doesn’t have to be overly expensive or time-consuming for your small business. Global Resources LLC recommend looking at a few simple tips to get started:

Train employees in cybersecurity

Most malware attacks target trusting employees who haven’t been trained in cybersecurity (the most common form of this is known as “phishing”). This is when a hacker acts like a legitimate entity in order to extract personal information. For example, a hacker might send an email that looks exactly like Apple asking the person to update their email password. Once the hacker has obtained the user’s personal information, he/she can gain access to their email which can lead to gaining access to personal accounts such as banking. As a small business owner, take time to teach employees how to avoid suspicious websites and to check links before clicking on them.

Update your OS and patch software

Establish a schedule for updating your software and loading the latest security patches to stay ahead of criminals. This is necessary because outdated computers will have security holes that make them more prone to cyber attacks than those that have been updated.

Implement anti-malware software

For additional protection, implement anti-malware software for all systems.

Limit access

Generally speaking, cybersecurity can be breached by something as simple as a stolen password. You can reduce risk by limiting access to important files to only a few employees.

Implement formal security policies

Creating a formal security policy and enforcing its rules is critical to keeping cybercriminals away from your system. You can do this by fostering a culture of cautious behavior while online and have regular meetings to educate employees on new threats. Many companies, for example, enforce strict password policies to keep passwords complex and regularly changed for critical systems.

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