For many years, it was quite a source of pride to be a Mac user. Apple customers liked the image they held as truly sophisticated users, deeply involved in specialties like photography, publishing, and music. There was even a series of Apple commercials that personified this divide with a hip young man portraying Mac and a square older man representing PC’s.

The ads likely helped move a lot of Apple machines based on the reliable advertising technique known as ‘snob appeal,’ whereby consumers buy a good or service based on a belief that they are somehow better than ordinary customers by having that good or service.

Ironically, though, the ads may have helped do more than bring more people to the Apple cool kids’ party. During the elitist era of less widespread Mac use, hackers seldom targeted these machines because any given effort at data theft would only reach a limited number of users. Apple hacking simply wasn’t worth the effort.

As more and more consumers made the change, the underground took notice and began going after Macs as an emerging market. But it wasn’t just sheer numbers of users that brought Mac into the crosshairs, it was the characteristics of those users. What has resulted is a hacking environment that has proven very threatening for workplace Macs and necessitates a heightened level of monitoring and management.
Here’s what has brought the malicious user to the Apple world.

Virus Alert

A Larger Number of Less­Savvy Users

In general, workplace users are more cautious. When they are involved in high­stakes work­­everything from exclusive publications to pre­release music­­their users know to lock up machines both physically and electronically. Home users are generally sloppier with laptops and tablets, using the same device for everything from social media to online shopping.

They click recklessly on links and ads, download apps without reading EULA’s, and hop on every unsecured wi­fi network they can find.

Their lack of effort in covering their tracks is a strong draw for hackers. Add to that the prevalence of iPhones and their use of cloud storage and one can quickly see the “cache cow” that hackers have found in Apple technology.

Operating On Less­Savvy Systems

Office networks typically include extensive security hardware designed to protect datafrom loss and outside access. It is typically well­monitored and kept thoroughly up to date.

This strong fortification of workplace systems makes them inherently stronger in resisting viruses, malware, and other hacking. Most home use of computers is through simple wi­fi routers with no security whatsoever.Many home users don’t even activate passwords on their wi­fi. They view infected content online and on social media, opening all kinds of opportunities for hackers. As a result, the more widespread use of Apple products in homes

They view infected content online and on social media, opening all kinds of opportunities for hackers. As a result, the more widespread use of Apple products in homes is giving hackers not just more targets to choose from, but also much softer targets for their work.

Removing those infections is critical. Only a few threats can be destructive immediately upon their arrival. Most of them spend weeks quietly mining through the machine, watching for secure information and exploiting personal details. The best antivirus for

Mac not only removes trojans, viruses, and other malware, it also secures Facebook and other social media accounts, bringing today’s most common computer uses into the secure zone.

Creeping Sloppiness

It’s human nature to become gradually less cautious over time as long as nothing bad happens. Workers who are aboard Mac technology all day at work are now coming home to the same equipment, and their casual ways at home are starting to invade their work habits. Additionally, they are using personal devices to deal with work emails, files, and social media via the Cloud, giving hackers a sort of barely­locked back door to the office.

While Mac­using businesses can’t control the damage done by the average consumer’s bad habits, they can still increase their alertness and be reminded of the changing security environment. The implications for the workplace are simple. Emphasize continued vigilance by your employees, reminding them that the Mac is more accessible to hackers now. Make sure they secure their home devices and networks, and point out the hazards of making things too easy for hackers.

The implications for the workplace are simple. Emphasize continued vigilance by your employees, reminding them that the Mac is more accessible to hackers now. Make sure they secure their home devices and networks, and point out the hazards of making things too easy for hackers.