It may be hard to tell a pseudo Mac optimization tool from a genuine one these days. Light-fingered vendors have gotten good enough at software design to evoke customer trust while providing dummy services. This is the case with the TuneupMyMac app to an extent. It infiltrates Macs without asking for authorization and then inflates the system with fake error reports.

MacKeeper is a system utility that claims to improve the performance of Mac computers by cleaning up junk files, freeing memory, and removing malicious software. It also purports to safeguard user data through encryption and backup features. However, there are a few things about this app that raise red flags. These include a controversially aggressive marketing strategy and scare tactics being employed to peddle subscriptions.

The Internet is first and foremost an inexhaustible source of data, everything else coming next on the list of benefits. No wonder the niche of web search enhancement tools is a prolific one. Many of these applications actually make it easier to find information, but others wreak havoc with user experience while pretending to be useful. The Search Pulse app for Mac is in the latter category.

There are Mac apps that deliver unconditional value for the customer without any hidden caveats, and there are ones that only pretend to be useful in one way or another. The good news is, the former prevail over the latter. The bad news, though, is that when faced with the dubious kind of software, such as 1 Click PDF, the user is in trouble because of the irritating effects ensuing from the attack and considerable risks to their privacy.

Malvertising, or malicious advertising, is in vogue with Mac virus peddlers these days. Such a technique allows them to deliver bad code by taking advantage of human credulity rather than using top-notch infiltration methods. For instance, the TaskFresh virus campaign starts with tricky bundling, continues with annoying popup alerts, and moves into a fake Mac scanning stage to convince the victim into buying its license.

Identity theft is a big scourge of the modern Internet. Cybercriminals are particularly fond of this offending vector because they needn’t create malicious code to pull it off. In most cases, all it takes is a phishing email that tries to dupe the recipients into disclosing their sensitive credentials. This is what the iforgot.apple.com scam is like. Read more to find out how to act if confronted with this intricate fraud and what additional risks may stem from it.