OREANDA-NEWS. According to the Consumer Security Risk Survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International, Apple users responded to have encountered cyber threats almost as often as the users of other platforms. The survey showed that 24 percent of Apple desktop users and 10 percent of Apple laptop users encountered malware during the year, whereas the number of affected PC owners is slightly higher at 32 percent. 

Although security experts have not, thus far, found as much harmful software for OS X as they have for other platforms like Windows, malware does still aim to attack Mac devices. Malware such as ransomware was reportedly faced by 13 percent of Mac users compared to 9 percent of Windows users. There is a similar situation with threats targeting financial data: these incidents were reported by 51 percent of OS X users and 43 percent of Windows users.

In addition the survey results showcased that Mac users are generally less aware of Internet threats than Windows users. For example, 39 percent of MacBook owners have never or hardly heard of ransomware, and 30 percent do not know about dangerous malicious programs that can exploit vulnerabilities in software. By comparison, among all respondents 33 percent know almost nothing about ransomware and 28 percent are unaware of exploits.

The survey shows that half of Mac users still neglect the need for Internet security solutions on their devices: only 47 percent of MacBook and 59 percent of Apple desktop computers are protected. Moreover, when Apple users do choose a security solution, price is a top priority (41%), followed by 36 percent who consider the quality of malware detection most important and 33 percent who take into account the impact the solution has on the performance of the device. As a comparison, Windows users put malware detection efficiency at the top (47%), the cost of the solution closely behind (42%), followed by the ability of the solution to combat web threats (31%).

“OS X users have long lived in isolation from the dangers of the Internet so they may feel almost invulnerable, but as cyber threats today are expanding their areas of operation ever more widely, it is important to be prepared for them. In this regard, Kaspersky Lab strongly recommends Mac users not only to install security solutions but remember the rules of safe behavior on the Web", said Vladimir Zapolyansky, Vice-President, Product and Technology Marketing, Kaspersky Lab.

Kaspersky Lab’s flagship solutions for consumers, Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device, are designed to safeguard the users of different operating systems – including OS X – against cyber threats. They provide a reliable defense against malware, including ransomware, and protect against financial risks with the innovative Safe Money technology.