MacOS Users Report More Cyber Threats Than Windows Users

Kaspersky’s latest survey highlights a protection gap between macOS and Windows-based devices. While macOS has long been regarded as the more secure operating system, 12 percent of its users reported malware infections compared with 9percent of Windows users. Moreover, only 35percent of macOS owners install dedicated security software, versus 42 percent of Windows users.

 According to Kaspersky’s latest global survey, Windows users report a higher adoption rate for most security measures, while macOS users show a modest advantage in a few privacy‑focused actions. At the same time, during the past year macOS users reported higher percentages than Windows users for a number of cybersecurity incidents.

The largest gap in cybersecurity approaches appears in the habit of not opening suspicious emails or links, with 62 percent of Windows users following this practice compared to 51 percent of macOS users. What’s more, when it comes to cybersecurity software installation, macOS users are also lagging behind. While among Windows users 42 percent reported using digital‑life‑protection software, for macOS this rate is only 35percent, what Kaspersky security experts call a worryingly low figure.

It is noteworthy that 12 percent of macOS respondents said they fell victim to phishing (fake emails, websites or messages) over the past year compared with 9percent of Windows users. Moreover, during this period macOS users faced more scams and investment frauds (16 percent vs 13 percent), privacy violations (11 percent vs 8 percent) and thefts of personal data (12 percent vs 7 percent).

To counter these specific threats, robust anti-malware and anti-phishing protection is essential. Malware authors put a lot of effort into developing new, more powerful and stealthier versions of stealers, spies and other classes of malicious payloads, while relying on phishing techniques that allows them to get access to user’s data.