A Reluctant Spy Mac OS

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1. A Reluctant Spy Mac Os 11
2. A Reluctant Spy Mac Os X

You turn on your MacBook and feel that something is wrong: some files have disappeared, or new files were added. You wonder if someone has been watching your computer.

So, how to tell if someone is remotely accessing your MacBook? You need to check your logs, verify that no new users were created, make sure that remote login, screen sharing, and remote management are disabled, and no spyware is running on your computer.

What is remote access and how is it configured on MacBooks?

There are three ways to access macOS remotely: allow remote logins from another computer, enable Screen Sharing or allow access by using Remote Desktop.

Both ways are legitimate, but if you don’t remember doing any of them you need to know how to turn on and off those possibilities.

Remote login to macOS

Computers that run macOS as an operating system can log in to your Mac using Secure Shell (SSH).

Steps to enable remote login are the following:

1. Go to System Preferences. You can get there by clicking on the apple icon on the left of the top bar. After you clicked on the Apple icon you will see a drop-down menu where you should click on the System Preferences menu item.
2. Find the Sharing folder and double click. Click on the Remote Login checkbox on the left.
3. Now you have the option to allow access either for all users or only specific users.

Once Remote Login is enabled then users with access can use SSH to log in and browse your computer’s contents.

Access to Mac screen using Screen Sharing

If you need help from IT to make changes on your MacBook, or maybe you are collaborating on a project and want to share your screen, you can enable Screen Sharing. Steps to enable as follows:

1. Go to System Preferences.
2. Find the Sharing folder and double click. Click on the Screen Sharing checkbox on the left.
3. Allow access either for all users or only specific users.

Now on another Mac (from which you want to access your Mac), start the Screen Sharing app.

You can start it by clicking Command and Space buttons. In a popup form, type Sharing and hit Enter. Type your computer name. In my case, I had to type in “dev-pros-MacBook-Pro.local”.

A new window will pop up with the shared screen of another computer. Now you can control the screen.

Remote Desktop with Remote Management

Finally, it is possible to login to a computer with macOS by enabling Remote Desktop.

Steps to enable as follows:

1. Go to System Preferences.
2. Find the Sharing folder and double click. Click on the Remote Management check box on the left.
3. Allow access either for all users or only specific users.
4. There will be different Sharing options where you can fine-tune the type of access to allow: observe, change settings, delete, copy, and even restart the computer.

Now you can access this Mac from Apple Remote Desktop – it’s an application you can buy from Apple Store and at the time of writing its cost was $79.99.

If your Mac is being monitored, it will show this image (two rectangles) in the top right-hand corner near your computer time:

When that symbol appears, you will be able to tell if you are being monitored. You can also disconnect the viewer by clicking on the Disconnect option:

You can also click on “Open Sharing Preferences…” which will open the Sharing folder in System Preferences.

Since the question you had was if someone remotely accessing your computer then the chances are that you don’t need any of the sharing capabilities mentioned above.

In this case, check all options on the Sharing folder under System Preferences to make sure that nobody is allowed to access it and turn off (uncheck) all options.

How To Tell If Your Mac Was Hacked

Finding out if screen sharing or remote management were enabled and if your screen was being observed is the first step in knowing whether your Mac was hacked or not.

There are other places to check, and I listed them below.

Pay Attention To Four Signs Of Hacked Macs

If you are reading this post, chances are you noticed something unusual is happening on your Mac.

Sometimes you have a hunch, but you can’t explain it. However, most of those signs can be explained by reasons other than malware or hackers.

So, let’s review the major signs.

Mac suddenly became slow for no apparent reasons

Following are some of the reasons why Mac can be slow:

• There is a virus or other malware
• Not enough disk space on Mac
• New OS was installed
• Hardware failure

Mac is using more Internet than usual

This one is harder to detect now than before.

We used to have limits on how much Internet bandwidth we could use. Today, when many people have unlimited cable data, you may not even know that something is happening.

However, if you are on a limited plan and see a significant increase in data consumption (more than 25% more), it’s time to investigate.

The reasons could be the following:

• Your Mac is being used as a bot by hackers
• There is a virus or other malware
• Your little one grew up and now watching YouTube all day on your computer
• Someone is stealing your Wi-Fi (read more below)

Similar to the previous sign, problems with the Internet could be a sign pointing to a virus or adware affecting the browser.

Or it could be a new browser update. Or maybe the system became unstable.

Programs crashing more often

Did you notice that apps getting stuck and eventually crashing?

Very often, it’s a sign of malware.

Additional reasons for frequent app crashes are the following:

• Lack of memory (RAM)
• Lack of disk space
• Temporary system instability
• Hardware failure
• Unusual pop-ups in the browser

This is something we all have seen. You download an app from the Internet, and it seems like it was legit software. But little did you know a good app was bundled with bloatware.

Usually, the result is that your default search engine gets changed from Google to Yahoo, the home page changes, and there are additional icons in the browser toolbar.

But there could be other issues such as adware.

Adware is trying to redirect you to other sites not related to what you are searching for.

Their goal is to direct traffic to certain sites. More traffic, more money they get. So, they litter your screen with pop-up, hoping that you can click and open the site you don’t want.

New files appear or old files disappear

Malware often creates new files with cryptic names. For instance, ransomware encrypts the files on your disk and renames them. However, there could be more innocent explanations.

For instance, if you can’t find a file, it does not necessarily mean that it was deleted by malware or someone who logged in on your computer remotely. Maybe, you just can’t remember that you deleted the file or the folder. In this case, first, check Trash on Mac.

If you still can’t find what you need, check my post about finding any files. I guarantee, if the file is still on your Mac after reading my post, you will be able to locate it.

Eliminate False Positives From Consideration

While you are maybe suspecting something bad happening on your computer, it very well may be a normal condition.

Things to try before starting panicking:

Reboot

Sometimes glitches in software can make the current state of your system unstable. A reboot is still a remedy for many problems. You can either restart or shutdown and start again. The effect will be the same.

NVRAM/PRAM reset

Macs have a little memory chip where they store some configuration information needed for many Mac peripherals to work. Surprisingly, this area gets corrupt pretty often.

Fortunately, there is a very simple fix – reset NVRAM/PRAM and SMC.

Apple has very good instructions on how to perform these tasks.

What they don’t tell is that you have to reset at 2-3 times in a row for a fix to work. I found out this in the school of hard knocks so that you don’t need to.

Clear some space on disk

Lack of space on your startup disk may cause all kinds of issues: app slowdown, app crashes, high CPU usage, and MacBook overheating. Sometimes this may lead you to suspect that your Mac was hacked.

So, first, check how much storage you have left. And if it is not enough, you can either spend money on getting software that helps to clean your disk or read my article on free cleaning tips:

New operating system

Apple releases a new version of macOS every year. While they do everything they can to produce quality software, bugs still happen.

For instance, after the recent iOS update on my iPhone, my podcast app starts freezing every time I pause. I still didn’t find why it is happening because I am too lazy busy.

In the case of the issue on hand, if you had a recent OS update, take time to investigate if the issues you are noticing are common for the release.

Check for hardware failure

Macs are very dependable, and they can serve for many years.

However, any hardware gradually fails. For example, a failing disk causes unexplained app crashes. Failed RAM will prevent the computer from starting.

There is a good article on the Apple website about running hardware diagnostics. Try and see what it will report.

Check Mac For Keyloggers (Legal And Malware)

For a long time, I thought that all keyloggers could do to record keyboard strokes.

Imagine my shock when I started working on my post about keyloggers.

Suppose you are still suspecting that spyware is running on your machine.

In that case, you can use a third-party application like Little Snitch, which monitors applications, preventing or permitting them to connect to attached networks through advanced rules.

Setting up the rules for Little Snitch, however, could be complicated.

One of the typical spyware applications is a keystroke logger or keylogger. Keyloggers used to be apps that record the letters you type on the keyboard, but they significantly changed in the last few years.

Suffice to say that keyloggers can take screenshots every 30 seconds or even track your chat activity, including the messages sent to you.

I believe that keyloggers are a much greater security threat because they are easier to install and the powerful features they offer.

Check my article about keyloggers here:

Verify If New User Accounts Have Been Added

As we’ve seen already, remote login or sharing options require assigning access roles to the local users.

If your system was hacked, it is very likely that the hacker has added a new user to access it. To find out all users in macOS perform the following steps:

1. Start Terminal app by either going to Applications and then the Utilities folder or clicking Command and Space and typing Terminal in the pop-up window.
2. In the Terminal window type:

On my laptop, it listed macmyths, nobody, root, and daemon. Macmyths is my current user, and the rest are system accounts.

If you see the accounts that you do not recognize then they probably have been created by a hacker.

To find when the last time all user accounts been used, type the following command into the Terminal:

For each account, MacOS will list the times and dates of logins. If the login to any of the accounts happened at an abnormal time, it is possible that a hacker used a legitimate account to log in.

Check The Logs For Possible Access Issues

It may be useful to check the system logs for any possible access issues.

In order to find a system log, click on the Go option in the top menu or simultaneously click Shift, Command, and G. In the “Go to Folder” pop-up type: /var/log and hit Enter.

Now find the system.log file and scan for word sharing.

For instance, I found the following screen sharing log entries:

These were log entries when someone logged in to my system remotely:

Verify Home Wi-Fi Was Not Hacked

Your computer is not the only weak link you have to worry about.

Before the data flows into the system, it goes through the Wi-Fi router. And there are ways for bad guys to read all internet traffic, including emails and online transactions.

Check Which Programs Have Access To Camera And Mic

These are only two emails I received last month:

Email 1: “From a few days ago I’ve received an extortion email from y…[email protected] with threats to publish webcam video’s pictures from my wife and me in our intimate life. There are some things to verify if my computer’s webcam is under external control?”

Email 2: “I suspect my MAC has been compromised (I have a Macbook Pro) and all the software is up to date. I got an email from someone stating that they have recorded items via my MacBook camera. How can I check if this is possible?”

I guess that after reading these emails, you might have at least two questions:

1. Is it possible for someone to record my camera?
2. How can I know if someone recorded me?

First, it is entirely possible to record your camera remotely.

In fact, it’s very easy to do.

If a hacker has access to your Mac, all he needs is to launch a Quick Time Player (or Facetime) and start a new movie recording.

Obviously, there are other apps that can record the camera while being hidden.

If someone is recording you by using a MacBook camera, you will see a green light next to the camera.

In some cases, the green camera lights up even when there is no recording happening, only because a program got access to the device. But, it’s impossible to record without the green indicator off.

However, if you didn’t pay attention at the time of recording (were busy or not close to the computer), you will never be able to tell if you were recorded after the fact definitively.

In the older versions of the Mac operating system, you were able to use the lsof command with the Terminal, like so:

But lately, this command stopped providing anything useful.

So, instead of parsing Apple logs, get MicroSnitch to know whether your camera or microphone is engaged.

This is a very handy mini tool. When started, it appears in the menu bar on your Mac, and its icon changes if either video or audio, or both, become active.

Another cool feature is the Microsnitch log file. If you noticed any suspicious activity, you could check the log for past device activity.

If you want to use it, I suggest allowing it to run on startup. The app is very cheap – $3.99.

You can download it from their site or from Apple App Store.

Another thing to do is to go to System Preferences -> Security and Privacy.

Click on the Privacy tab and check programs under the Camera and Microphone sections. Remove the programs you don’t recognize (you can always add them back if needed).

And lastly, if you suspect that someone is controlling your laptop and if there is a chance that they are watching you thru the webcam, immediately apply a cover on the laptop’s webcam.

You can find my favorite webcam covers here.

Check Which Programs Run On Start

While you have System Preferences open, check one more thing.

Click on the Users and Groups icon, select the user, then click on the Login Items tab.

Remove items you don’t recognize.

Warning: Before removing the application, google it first. You don’t want to break the applications you need, right?

Install And Run Antimalware Program

I recently called Apple Support and complained about the slowness of my MacBook Pro.

I could’ve solved the problem myself, but I just wanted how much would it cost for Apple to perform diagnostics on a 5-year old MacBook.

Since I don’t have AppleCare for my Mac, I thought that they would charge me something.

Spoiler alert: they didn’t charge for anything.

So, when I called, the first thing the Apple advisor made me do is to install the Malwarebytes app.

While Malwarebytes is a solid recommendation for scanning, it is not the best. The same applies to the free version of Avast.

In fact, I stopped recommending it to any Mac user after the test I performed myself recently.

I tested a dozen of antimalware products, and only one detected 100% of 117 malware samples I intentionally downloaded on my MacBook.

So, if you need a recommendation on a good antivirus for Mac, check it here.

Set Up Traps Against Hackers

I found a cool and free tool that can be used to set traps if you think your computer was hacked. It’s called canary tokens.

When a potential hacker opens an email or a document with the token, it triggers an event in a remote location. And then you get an email notification.

What’s next?

Since I started this blog in 2019, I have been getting emails consistently from my readers. The interesting fact is that the majority of emails fall in two categories:

• How to protect my Mac from hackers?
• Which MacBook should I buy?

I have been answering individual emails, but since the number of emails was increasing steadily, I found myself not being able to help everyone. After all, I have a day job, and I have a family to take care of.

So, I decided to write a series of blogs about various security topics and put everything I know in one place, so everyone can find the answers to the questions they are asking.

I grouped all Mac security articles together, and the easiest way to follow them is by clicking the Next button at the bottom of each post.

It will take you some time (about 30 min), but in the end, you will know more about Mac security than most non-technical folks.

Or, you can use the following menu to jump directly to the topic of interest:

I also wrote a whole series of posts on antivirus solutions for Macs:

DON’T PANIC! But be aware that the Internet is riddled with potential threats to the security and well-being of your Mac or iOS device. No computer system is completely immune from possible attack, but Apple’s OS X (being Unix-based) is less vulnerable than most, particularly the latest versions from Lion onwards. The following seeks to offer some guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them. If you have further questions please post in the forum appropriate to your particular hardware or operating system.

There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. (The expression ‘malware’ is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software. Not all malware are viruses.) Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac will NOT be infected by a virus, it may have other security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.

Since the introduction of Snow Leopard, Apple OS X has an anti-malware system built-in known as XProtect but officially called File Quarantine (see here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3662 ), which may alert you to, and prevent installation of, certain forms of malware. Later versions of OS X include further features to protect you, about which here: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11432 and Apple also recommend that you take simple steps to protect your Mac as detailed here: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10580

So what other anti-virus software do I need (or if I am still running Tiger or Leopard) ?

Whilst viruses designed to attack the Microsoft Windows operating system cannot affect Apple OS X, it is possible to pass on a Windows virus, which you may have received but not noticed, to a Windows user, for example through an email attachment. Many use the free ClamXav just to check incoming emails for this reason. Our resident expert Thomas A Reed offers excellent guidance on this subject here: www.thesafemac.com/mmg

Do not install Norton Anti-Virus on a Mac as it can seriously damage your operating system. Norton Anti-Virus is not compatible with Apple OS X.

Do not install MacKeeper or iAnti-Virus: See this User Tip: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3022

FAKE ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE and associated MALWARE (To repeat: the expression ‘malware’ is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software.)

Do not be tricked by 'scareware', such as pop-ups on your browser, that tempts computer users to download fake anti-virus software that may itself be malware.

Once installed, the software may steal data or force people to make a payment to register the fake product. Examples include MacKeeper and iAntivirus, but there are others. Also, beware of MacSweeper and MACDefender* (also goes under the name of MacProtector, MacGuard, MacSecurity or MacShield): These are malware that mislead users by exaggerating reports about spyware, adware or viruses on their computer in an attempt to obtain payment for an application that does nothing that free utilities do not also offer, and in many cases will also mess up your system.

*Malicious software dubbed MACDefender takes aim at users of the Mac OS X operating system by automatically downloading a file through JavaScript. But users must also agree to install the software, leaving the potential threat limited.

*(This malware is not to be confused with MacDefender, the maker of geocaching software including GCStatistic and DTmatrix. The company noted on its site it is not affiliated with the malware.)

Malware spreads through search engines like Google via a method known as 'SEO poisoning.' The sites are designed to game search engine algorithms and show up when users search for certain topics. It is always a good idea to Block Pop-ups in your browser preferences.

TROJANS and RE-DIRECTION TO FAKE WEBSITES

The appearance of Trojans and other malware that can possibly infect a Mac seems to be growing, but is a completely different issue to viruses.

If you allow a Trojan to be installed, the user's DNS records can be modified, redirecting incoming internet traffic through the attacker's servers, where it can be hijacked and injected with malicious websites and pornographic advertisements. The trojan also installs a watchdog process that ensures the victim's (that's you!) DNS records stay modified on a minute-by-minute basis.

Mac users should always obtain their copy of Adobe Flash Player directly from Adobe’s official website and to disable the 'Open 'safe' files after downloading' option in Safari Preferences/General to avoid automatically running files downloaded from the Internet. Also, do not turn on Java in Safari Preferences/Security. Few websites use Java. Javascript is something entirely different and should be left active.

(Adobe is aware of malware posing as its Flash Player and warns users to ignore any updates that didn't originate on its own servers. 'Do not download Flash Player from a site other than adobe.com,' said David Lenoe, Adobe's product security program manager, in an entry on Adobe Product Security Incident Response Team's PSIRT blog. 'This goes for any piece of software (Reader, Windows Media Player, QuickTime, etc). If you get a notice to update, it's a good idea to go directly to the site of the software vendor and download the update directly from the source. If the download is from an unfamiliar URL or an IP address, you should be suspicious.')

Last, but by no means least, using Open DNS is the simplest way of preventing infection in the first place. Open DNS also protects against phishing attacks, re-directs, speeds up your internet connection - see below.

How to get it:

Java can present serious security threats: Users with Intel Macs running Snow Leopard OS 10.6 or later versions of OS X should ensure that they have downloaded and installed all the recent Java updates from Apple, which are designed to prevent infection and also remove any infection already present.

From the introduction of Lion onwards, new Macs do not have either Flash Player nor Java installed.

+++ OTHER ISSUES +++

HOW TO AVOID RE-DIRECTION

Adding Open DNS codes to your Network Preferences should give good results in terms of added security (phishing attacks, re-direction etc) as well as speed-up of your internet connection:

Open System Preferences/Network. Double click on your connection type, or select it in the drop-down menu, and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' add the following two numbers:

208.67.222.222

208.67.220.220

(You can also enter them if you click on Advanced and then DNS)

Sometimes reversing the order of the DNS numbers can be beneficial in cases where there is a long delay before web pages start to load, and then suddenly load at normal speed:

There may be other ways of guarding against Trojans, viruses and general malware affecting the Mac, and alternatives will probably appear in the future. In the meantime the advice is: be careful where you go on the web and what you download!

GENERAL ADVICE ON HOW TO AVOID INFECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE:

1. Avoid going to suspect and untrusted Web sites, especially p'orn'ography sites.

2. Check out what you are downloading. Mac OS X asks you for you administrator password to install applications for a reason! Only download media and applications from well-known and trusted Web sites, i.e. the developers’ own web sites or the Apple App Store. If you think you may have downloaded suspicious files, read the installer packages and make sure they are legit. If you cannot determine if the program you downloaded is infected, do a quick Internet search and see if any other users reported issues after installing a particular program.

3. Use an antivirus program like ClamXav. If you are in the habit of downloading a lot of media and other files, it may be well worth your while to run those files through this AV application.

4. Consider using Mac OS X's built-in Firewalls and other security features.

5. Avoid Peer-to-peer sharing applications. Download torrents (such as the now defunct LimeWire) supplying pirated software, movies etc are hotbeds of potential software issues waiting to happen to your Mac. Everything from changing permissions to downloading trojans and other malicious software can be acquired from using these applications. Similar risks may apply to using Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and similar sites which are prone to malicious hacking (see below): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8420233.stm

It has been estimated that one in six links posted on Facebook pages are connected to malicious software.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12967254

6. Check for security updates from Apple using Software Update and install them!

YOUR PRIVACY ON THE INTERNET and the latest risks to look out for:

There is the potential for having your entire email contact list stolen for use for spamming:

And if you are using iPhone Apps you are also at risk of losing all privacy:

The advent of HTML5 may also be a future threat to internet privacy:

NOTE:Apple's operating systems since Snow Leopard silently update the malware protection built into Mac OS X to protect against a backdoor Trojan Horse that can allow hackers to gain remote control over your treasured iMac or MacBook.

+++++ MORE POTENTIAL ISSUES +++++

PHISHING AND POTENTIAL IDENTITY THEFT:

'Phishing' (also known as 'carding' or 'spoofing') refers to email that attempts to fraudulently acquire personal information from you, such as your account password or credit card information. On the surface, the email may appear to be from a legitimate company or individual, but it's not.

As a general rule, never send credit card information, account passwords, or extensive personal information in an email unless you verify that the recipient is who they claim to be. Many companies have policies that state they will never solicit such information from customers by email, and that includes your bank, credit card company, and Apple.

If you do receive email that you're not sure is valid, here are some tips that can help you determine its legitimacy:

A Reluctant Spy Mac Os 11

Learn how to identify fraudulent 'phishing' email:

How to report phishing scams to Apple:

via email to: reportphishing@apple.com

If you discover that emails are being received by your entire address list which you didn’t send, it is possible that you have been infected by a Botnet. Simply put, a bot – which is short for robot – is an automated computer program that allows outside sources to control computers remotely without the users' knowledge. A botnet is a network of hundreds or thousands of computers infected with botnet malware that communicates covertly with a command-and-control (CnC) server run by a type of cybercriminal called a botmaster. Unbeknownst to the individual users, their computers are linked in a rogue network which the botmaster can utilize for a variety of nefarious purposes.

Detailed information here:

HOW SAFE IS YOUR SMARTPHONE?

Another source of malware, apart from sites like Facebook and Hotmail, is the Android Marketplace: more than 99% of Android phones are potentially leaking data that, if stolen, could be used to get the information they store online.

The data being leaked is typically used to get at web-based services such as Google Calendar.

The open nature of the Android platform is both a boon and a danger, and as Facebook have already discovered it is also a very attractive criminal playground: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12633923

Several pieces of malware have also been found on iPhones, however only devices that had been 'jailbroken' to bypass Apple's security were affected. The company's process of pre-vetting all new applications is believed to have spared its devices from a major attack.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: BE GLAD YOU HAVE A MAC!

Some Windows PCs can be infected with viruses during the manufacturing process in the factories - in other words they can actually be purchased with viruses bundled with the operating system! Several new computers have been found carrying malware installed in the factory, suggests a Microsoft study. One virus called Nitol found by Microsoft steals personal details to help criminals plunder online bank accounts. Microsoft won permission from a US court to tackle the network of hijacked PCs made from Nitol-infected computers.

This does not happen with Apple computers!

OTHER POTENTIAL THREATS YOU MAY BE UNAWARE OF:

In reality of course, there is no such thing as total internet privacy: US and British intelligence agencies have successfully cracked much of the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of people to protect the privacy of their personal data, online transactions and emails: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security

If you have a Facebook account, Facebook is surveilling every single moment you spend there. Moreover, much more importantly, every web page you touch that has a Facebook 'like' button on it which, whether you click the button or not, will report your reading of that page to Facebook.

If the newspaper you read every day has Facebook 'like' buttons or similar services' buttons on those pages, then Facebook or the other service watches you read the newspaper: it knows which stories you read and how long you spent on them.

Every time you tweet a URL, Twitter is shortening the URL for you. But it is also arranging that anybody who clicks on that URL will be monitored by Twitter as they read. You are not only helping people know what's on the web, but also helping Twitter read over everybody's shoulder everything you recommend.

And now ‘smart TVs’ are also adding to your loss of privacy: 'Smart TVs' are bringing PC-style spyware and banner ads to the living room, collecting detailed logs of data that include every time the channel is changed and the names of every media file watched. In the case of sets from LG, data is being sent to the factory unencrypted, even after users attempt to turn the data collection off. Source: http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and. html

Since the issue became public it has emerged that Sony's PlayStation also collects data from every Blu-ray disc that is played.

Additional reading:

'Antivirus Software On Your Mac: Yes or No?'

A Reluctant Spy Mac Os X

Other malware removal tip and malware removal software sites:

Note: if at all possible before trying to remove malware, do abackupof your data. While you may backup the virus as well, you can usually extract document files themselves which are uninfected from the backup in case the virus removal tool was too thorough. ZIP archives, applications, scpt files and .jar files should be considered infected if you don't know their source:

Malwarebytes for Mac — Mac Antivirus Replacement Malwarebytes - note removal of this software itself can be done with Download CCleaner Clean, optimize & tune up your PC, free! (this software also supports removal of system caches, which is NOT recommended).

EasyFind & Find Any File - offer index (no interference from Spotlight) free file searches that allow you to eliminate known malware by file name.

A Reluctant Spy Mac OS