(Huffington Post) - Following numerous reports on Mac malware like the Flashback and Sabpabtrojans, new research released bycomputer security firm Sophos gives Mac users yet another reason why they should outfit their devices with anti-virus software as soon as possible.
According to Sophos, one in five Macs currently harbor malware made for Windows. While not necessarily harmful to Macs — unless, that is, a user is running Windows on his or her device — this type of malware can still be easily spread to other computers.
In their analysis of 100,000 Macs running free anti-virus software, Sophos researchers also found that one in 36, or 2.7 percent, of Macs are carrying Mac OS X malware.
As senior Sophos technology consultant Graham Cluley points out, fake anti-virus attacks and the infamous Flashback trojan (dubbed “Flshplyr” on Sophos’ chart) are what most affect Mac computers. Mac malware can travel quickly from device to device through USB drives, emails, website downloads, or even through “a silent drive-by installation where the user doesn’t realise their Mac’s security has been subverted,” writes Cluley.
The Mac Flashback trojan made headlines in early April after Russian IT-security solutions vendor Dr. Web reported that it had spread to hundreds of thousands of Mac machines. At its peak, the malware hit 600,000 Macs.
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