With patch management playing such a crucial role in ongoing system protection, there is no end to the tools available to small, medium, or large organizations to help ensure that their systems are current. SEE: Don’t be the weak link that brings us all down: Keep your OS patched and up to date (TechRepublic) While this does not include zero-day exploits, the overwhelming number of Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVEs) patched in any given update can easily be dozens of tiny, seemingly insignificant holes that are patched against exploit– often for services that may not even be readily in use on a particular system, but that spread infection nonetheless. OS updates ensure that clients and servers will be patched against known vulnerabilities. By applying multiple security applications as a layered solution, this provides comprehensive protection on several fronts to minimize the threat of a potential outbreak in accordance with best practices. With that said, safeguards are merely that–the risk associated with malware infections is always present, as risk can’t be fully eliminated. Consideration must also be given to complying with industry-specific regulations that may exist. One thing is certain, regardless of what OS you’re working on, the approach to data security is not a one-size-fits-all solution it can and will vary based on the organization’s needs and resources. SEE: Cybersecurity spotlight: The ransomware battle (Tech Pro Research) Though still not as explosive as the Windows market share, in less than a year, Macs have gone from not having any major malware infections to having several ransomware threats the threats got progressively more sophisticated, even employing signed digital certificates to facilitate in compromising a device. As Apple continues to grow market share for computers and servers, the potential number of targets goes up and has caught the attention of threat actors looking to cash in.

Apple even highlighted this lack of threat as a selling point in commercials and marketing for earlier versions of OS X.Īnd yet for the last few years, we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of threats aimed squarely at macOS users. For years, Apple users reveled in the knowledge that their OS of choice was impervious to viral infection. Malware is somewhat of an anomaly on Macs.

Ransomware on apple computers