They may not even be aware of the code used in an attack – which means they won’t spot it.Īttackers are also finding ways to subvert things such as Wi-Fi routers and poorly secured connected home/office systems to penetrate networks. The complexity of such attacks makes it very difficult for existing anti-virus or anti-malware protections.
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There have even been attempts to subvert device security before products leave the factory.Ī hacker may have designed a one-off piece of malware, most likely in a standard programming language, that has only one function – to subvert security in a computer and download a more malware-infested package in the background – or to gather user data for a couple of weeks before sending it back to its command-and-control server in the middle of the night when no one is watching. These attacks appear frequently, are fixed and then refined. These have interesting names – Roaming Mantis, for example, offered payloads that worked differently on different platforms – phishing for iOS and DNS-hijacking on Android. They seek out vulnerabilities on a component level, and they engage in highly sophisticated phishing attacks that encourage people to click links that download malware to their machines.
The important thing about ZombieLoad is that it shows how as platforms become more secure, attackers are exploring far more sophisticated ways to exploit devices. Traditional computer security models have relied on perimeter protection – things like firewalls, virus checkers, and malware detection.īut those defenses aren’t robust enough to tackle or spot a threat like ZombieLoad. This flaw lets hackers use design weaknesses in Intel chips (back to 2011) to steal data from machines, including Macs.Īpple very quickly shipped security patches to protect against this vulnerability and published a detailed support document that Mac users who handle particularly sensitive data should read.
The nature of cyber attacks is changing. One good illustration of how the nature of these threats are changing comes in the form of the recently-revealed Intel processor vulnerability, ZombieLoad. I’ve also lost count of how many security researchers have said that Apple devices are becoming more liable to being attacked as their market share grows.īoth are right. I’ve lost track of the number of times Mac users have told me Macs don’t need virus protection because the machines are inherently more robust against such attacks. Apple’s devices are far better defended against malware and viruses than other platforms, but does that mean they don’t need anti-virus software? No, yes, and maybe
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