No platform is completely invulnerable and from time to time, new security flaws and malwares are discovered. So far many of them seem to target Windows-based operating systems, but recently a new malware called Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor has been discovered and it seems to be targeting Mac users.The malware was discovered by Bitdefender Labs could potentially provide attacks with a backdoor to your Mac computer. It is also disguised as a relatively simple drag-and-drop file converter. According to Tiberius Axinte, the Technical Leader at Bitdefender Labs, “This type of malware is particularly dangerous as it’s hard to detect and offers the attacker full control of the compromised system.”
Axinte goes on to provide some examples of the bad things that could happen should attacks gain backdoor access. “For instance, someone can lock you out of your laptop, threaten to blackmail you to restore your private files or transform your laptop into a botnet to attack other devices. The possibilities are endless.”
So how does one protect themselves from it? Simple, download apps only from the Mac App Store. This is because the app has not been signed by Apple, meaning if you change your security settings to only allow apps from the Mac App Store, you should be safe.