New Forms of Ransomware and Spyware Targeting Mac Computers

New forms of ransomware and spyware specifically designed to attack Mac computers have surfaced. MacRansom and MacSpy were uncovered on the dark web earlier this week, according to reports.

MacRansom is a ransomware as a service play. Users can set their own ransom demand, among other details, and profits are split with the ransomware creators. There’s even a FAQ page that details who the program is for, how it works, who gets the payment, and more.

According to researchers, this ransomware strain uses a less sophisticated encryption than the common ransomware variants, but this can cause a bigger problem for victims. They noted the ransomware does a poor job of handling decryption keys to restore data, which makes it harder for users to recover their files. The MacSpy spyware, on the other hand, can log which keys are pressed by users, take screenshots, and even tap a machine’s microphone.

To learn more about the ransomware attack and what is required to avoid it, check out Fortinet’s rundown.