Study finds organizations have a significant gap in security on macOS endpoints
A study by Picus Security reveals macOS endpoints prevent only 23% of cyberattacks, with rising malware threats and weak security practices, emphasizing the need for enhanced security measures in organizations.
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A recent study by Picus Security highlights significant security gaps in macOS endpoints within organizations. The annual Blue Report, which analyzed 136 million simulated cyberattacks from January to June 2024, found that macOS systems only prevented 23% of attacks, compared to 62% for Windows and 65% for Linux. This vulnerability is partly attributed to a misconception that Macs are immune to malware, despite a 50% increase in malware targeting macOS since early 2023. The report suggests that organizations are not allocating sufficient resources to secure macOS systems, leading to misconfigurations in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems. Additional findings indicate that 25% of companies use easily guessable passwords, and organizations only prevent 9% of data exfiltration techniques, which are critical in ransomware attacks. Notably, only 17% of organizations can defend against the BlackByte ransomware group, with similar low prevention rates for other ransomware threats. The report emphasizes the need for security teams to validate and enhance their macOS security measures to address these vulnerabilities effectively.
- Organizations face significant security gaps in macOS endpoints, with only 23% of attacks prevented.
- A misconception persists that macOS systems are immune to malware, despite rising threats.
- Many organizations use weak passwords, making them vulnerable to attacks.
- Only 9% of data exfiltration techniques are effectively prevented by organizations.
- Low prevention rates against major ransomware groups highlight the need for improved security measures.
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3 commentsIf MACOS has pf as a firewall easy enough to fix. I never used a MAC, but since many items came from BSD, it should have a decent firewall built in.
Does not sound right to me.
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