The “nobleman” theme continues to be the trend in the cybercrime ecosystem that exploits Mac computers via a massive web traffic redistribution scheme. The Search Baron browser hijacker, which splashed onto the scene in July 2019, has been superseded by Search Marquis culprit. Both act in a similar fashion, forwarding the victims to Bing in the long run. Here’s a full security report on this new infection.

Malicious actors are becoming growingly proficient in masquerading harmful software as must-have benign utilities for everyday use. Such rogue apps are among the top threats for Mac computers these days, with samples like Smart Mac Booster splashing onto the landscape and wreaking quite a bit of havoc. Get the lowdown on how this wicked scheme works and what to do if the contamination has occurred.

While some cyber gangs employ phishing emails to defraud users of money and data, others set up sites that report inexistent problems with the visitors’ computers to hoodwink them into following untoward recommendations. For instance, the Pornographic Virus Alert from Apple scam popups occur on web pages controlled by crooks who are trying to dupe Mac users into contacting fake tech support.

There is a competition going on between Microsoft and Apple – that’s common knowledge. However, this doesn’t mean that products by either company are off limits to the aficionados of the benign “rival”. Lots of Mac users opt for popular Microsoft products, such as Office and Skype. The Microsoft AutoUpdate service keeps these tools up to date. Cybercrooks may abuse it, though. Here’s how.

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.

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.