Macransom Bitcoin ransomware attacks Apple users and can be purchased on the dark web

Golden Finance News - Cybersecurity experts warn that new Bitcoin ransomware targeting Apple systems can be sold on the dark web.

The Macransom Bitcoin ransomware can be purchased on the dark web, leading to concerns that the virus has the potential to spread rapidly.

Remember the recent Bitcoin ransomware Wannacry that infected thousands of businesses across about 100 countries, including a devastating attack on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), which attracted international attention.

Last week, Fortinet researchers revealed another Bitcoin ransomware targeting Apple systems, Macransom. Once an Apple system is infected with this virus, Macransom will encrypt the contents of the user's computer and threaten to delete it. If the user pays a ransom of 0.25 Bitcoin, they will be freed from this restriction. Although Macransom is not as sophisticated as Wannacry, it can be purchased on the dark web, which has led to concerns that the virus will spread rapidly.

Macransom can be purchased in conjunction with other malware such as Macspy, which is also a Trojan that should be of great concern to members of the Bitcoin community. Macspy allows hackers to monitor infected computers, capture passwords and other private information entered via the keyboard, and even record audio. Macspy also claims to be untraceable due to its use of Onion routers to mask communications.

(Wannacry Bitcoin ransomware, which has attracted international attention, image source: Golden Finance)

These viruses targeting Apple highlight the need for Mac users to exercise caution online. Although most malware targets Windows systems, Fortinet security experts Rommel Joven and Wayne Chin Yick Low said in a recent interview that Apple products are not actually more secure than Windows systems. "Many Mac OS users may think that their computers are not affected by attacks like the Bitcoin ransomware Wannacry, and think that their systems are inherently 'safe.' It is true that Mac OS users are less likely to be attacked or infected by malware than Windows users, but this has nothing to do with the level of vulnerabilities in the operating system."

Bitcoin has driven rapid innovation and diversity in many industries. Unfortunately, ransomware has become one of the attempts to benefit from Bitcoin technology. Ransomware existed before Bitcoin, and Bitcoin's anonymity technology has made it more difficult for police to enforce the law.

Despite the potential damage that Bitcoin ransomware can cause, such threats are often easily circumvented by implementing strict cybersecurity policies.