However, the hard truth is Mac is not immune to malware, period. Yes, macOS is relatively secure compared to other operating systems, making it difficult for spyware to infiltrate your Mac device. But I’d be lying, claiming that knowing that plenty of malware attacks were made on various scales in recent years. I wish I could give you the good news by saying that your Mac is bulletproof and 100% malware protected. Meaning, it can secretly get access to your: Spyware has one distinctive trait among all kinds of malware: it operates without your consent or knowledge. By doing that, the keylogger can gain access to personal data such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information. KeyloggersĪ keylogger is a piece of code, usually installed without the user’s knowledge or permission, that tracks what keys are pressed. That information can then be used to display adware or any other reason the hacker chooses. Cookie trackersĬookie trackers are similar to adware in that they are used to track your browsing habits and web searches. Once you’ve done that, they will access your data, which could harm your Mac. Trojans are files that look legitimate, like software updates or movies, and they’re designed to fool users into downloading them. It’s very frustrating and hugely inconvenient, though it’s unlikely to do real damage to you or your Mac.Īs you can see, it executes commands to 'download offers' that a user will see on their computer. It’s also the most obvious because the information gathered by the spyware is used to display adverts or pop-up windows.

AdwareĪdware is probably the most common type of spyware. Spyware is malicious code that finds its way onto your computer and then sucks up personal data - that could be personal information about you, financial details, keystrokes, web browsing habits, or even images from your webcam. On the other hand, using spyware to access information about you is unlawful. However, while Facebook providing access to your data to third parties may be undesirable and possibly unethical, it’s not illegal.

The controversy over Cambridge Analytica accessing the Facebook profiles of tens of millions of users has made the importance of our private data headline news. Thankfully, though, it’s still relatively rare for Macs to be infected with spyware, and when it happens, it’s not too difficult to get rid of it. There have been plenty of incidents of malware harming Macs in recent years. One of the best things about macOS is that it’s incredibly secure and gets far fewer viruses than other operating systems. But to help you do it all by yourself, we’ve gathered our best ideas and solutions below.įeatures described in this article refer to the MacPaw site version of CleanMyMac X. So here’s a tip for you: Download CleanMyMac to quickly solve some of the issues mentioned in this article.

Best mac spyware removal