Security News > 2021 > May > Apple Exec Calls Level of Mac Malware ‘Unacceptable’

Apple is using the growing threat of malware on its Mac platform as a defense in a lawsuit that could force the company to open up new channels of applications for its mobile iOS platform.

In testimony in a California court Wednesday, Apple head of software engineering, Craig Federighi called the level of malware threat against the Mac platform one that the company finds "Unacceptable" and continue to defend against with restrictive application-distribution platforms, according to a published report on CNET. Federighi's comments were made as Apple executives begin testifying in a court case Epic Games-the maker of the hugely popular Fortnite-have brought against the tech giant for what Epic views as restrictive policies on the iOS App Store.

While all of the software on an Apple machine was more or less vetted by Apple and could only be used on computers sold by the company, the use of Windows on different hardware platforms-and its general ubiquity as a PC platform-made it a more open playing field for attackers.

Now the malware threat landscape has changed-particularly with the explosion of the iPhone, iPad and mobile devices in general-and Apple is now under attack, Federighi said.

"It's an endless game of whack-a-mole," Federighi said of the Apple malware problem, according to the report.

A week before that, Apple patched a zero-day vulnerability in its MacOS that can bypass critical anti-malware capabilities and which a variant of the notorious Mac threat Shlayer adware dropper already had been exploiting for several months.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/apple-mac-malware-unacceptable/166340/