Macs are certainly not the most likely to suffer from the violence of malware, but when a new program of its kind is spotted, it is often quite sophisticated. This is the case of “Gimmick“, recently described in detail by cybersecurity researchers working for the company Volexity. We learn that the machines still running under Big Sur are potential targets to watch, especially for those who officiate in Asia.
Among the capabilities of this virus, the most worrying is probably the one that imitates applications already installed by the user while taking control of their personal data. Google Drive, in particular, can be spied on discreetly and serve as a basis for downloading corrupt files. Note that computers running Windows are also affected.
What risks?
Concretely, ending up in the nets of Gimmick means jeopardizing a good number of files saved in the Mac. And if some are used to also save their work on the cloud in order to protect themselves, this is therefore not the best solution here since the software also manages to access the content of this kind of platform.
Volexity also specifies that the virus is also capable ofexecute lines of code remotely, in other words, a total takeover of the operating system cannot be ruled out. A real danger not only for potential individuals but also and above all for companies that process the private information of their customers, subject to the GDPR on a European scale.
Three tips to protect yourself
To avoid dealing with Gimmick, several solutions are recommended, including the use of a good antivirus. Many of them have a suite for Mac, but the most famous in the field remains Intego, which has long remained exclusive to the Apple platform. Then, it will be a matter of carrying out regular disk scans looking for malware. This can be done manually, but automating it is more practical in the long run.
Of course, even before downloading this type of shield, caution is still in order and it is better simply not to trust unknown sources when installing files online. Gatekeeper already takes care of this work, but it happens that some sometimes override it by lacking precaution.
