The Top 5 Cyber Threats To Apple Devices You Need To Know

 

In all of the blogs that I have written (and it has been at least a thousand or so), all of my content, when it came to Cybersecurity, dealt with the Windows environment.  I never talked about Apple or anything like that. But now, as Cyberattacker has pretty much saturated infiltrating Windows based systems, their eyes are now on Apple based technologies, primarily the macOS and the iOS.  So what are some of the top threats you may be asking???

Well, here is a sampling:

1)     The LockBit:

This has been primarily a malware that has targeted Windows based systems for the last several years, and has literally wreaked havoc upon Corporate America.  While the good news is that this strain has not become prevalent yet for the macOS or iOS, the fear is that it is going to happen very soon.  Cyber based research labs have been experimenting with it, and so far, all the malware does is just encrypt certain files. But as the sophistication of it evolves over time, it could be used for a widescale Ransomware attack on Apple based devices. More information about this malware can be seen at the link below:

https://www.darkreading.com/remote-workforce/researchers-discover-first-ever-major-ransomware-targeting-macos

2)     The XCSSET:

So far, this has been a very dangerous strain, targeting mostly macOS based systems.  It was discovered back in 2020, and some of the havoc it can wreak are as follows:

*Hijack information and data from the Safari web browser;

*Launch SQL Injection attacks;

*Take over all sorts of apps;

*Take unauthorized screen shots;

*Data exfiltration to a remote source;

*Encrypting the entire hard drive.

More information can be seen at the link below:

https://www.sentinelone.com/blog/xcsset-malware-update-macos-threat-actors-prepare-for-life-without-python/

3)     The AMOS:

This is an acronym that stands for the “Atomic macOS Stealer”.  The main purpose of this strain of malware is to simply steal data, and from there, wither sell it on the Dark Web or make it publicly available in an extortion style attack.  It is also used to be the backbone of “Malware as a Service”, in which a Cyberattacker can hire a third party on the Dark Web to launch a Ransomware like attack.  It has also been known to steal and hijack browser cookies, and even heist data that is submitted on contact forms.  More details about this can be seen here:

https://www.sentinelone.com/blog/atomic-stealer-threat-actor-spawns-second-variant-of-macos-malware-sold-on-telegram/

4)     The MacStealer:

This is a much more dangerous variant, as it can steal just about every bit of confidential information and data from an end user, including credit card information.  It can not only take over the Firefox and Chrome web browsers, but it affects all versions of the macOS.  It is also used heavily in Phishing attacks, and sends typically sends attachments with the following poisoned extensions:

*.txt

*.doc

*.PDF

*.xls

*.ppt

*.zip

Further details can be seen at the link below:

https://www.uptycs.com/blog/macstealer-command-and-control-c2-malware

5)     The Rust Bucket:

This is actually a division of the notorious Lazarus Group.  They have developed malware that has targeted primarily the financial sector.  But now, they are using the same mechanics of this strain to specifically target macOS systems.  It was first discovered in this environment just this year, in April.  What is unique about this kind of malware is that the Cyberattacker can remotely control the malware from an entirely different system, thus masking their tracks.  From here, this strain can engage in all forms of data exfiltration, and send it back to the hacker, which can be used for later nefarious purposes, such as launching ID Theft attacks.  What makes this even more dangerous is that it can be used for Social Engineering attacks as well.  More information on this specific piece of malware can be seen at the link below:

https://www.jamf.com/blog/bluenoroff-apt-targets-macos-rustbucket-malware/

My Thoughts On This:

It is important to keep in mind that while Cyberattacker is now shifting their focus onto Apple technology, the overall structure of both the macOS and the iOS platforms are actually still pretty resilient.  For example, as far as I know, it is still rather difficult to “jailbreak” an iOS device (but keep in mind that even if you are successful in doing this, you will totally void out the warranty and any tech support that you may have for your device).

As another plus, Apple also probably has the most stringent requirements for mobile app developers before they can upload anything to the Apple Store, when compared to Google.  The company makes app developers to thoroughly test out their source code before it can even be considered for submission.

But be on the lookout for any updates and/or patches from Apple!!!