Powering your business with Apple devices because of their reputable security and privacy features? You may be surprised to learn that while Apple devices are typically perceived as safer than Windows-based PCs, they are far from impervious to cyber attacks. In fact, companies such as Sony have been successfully breached by threat actors while using these products.
There are many ways hackers breach MacOS security defenses, and it’s crucial that your company’s cybersecurity infrastructure be tested, especially if it uses Apple products.
Keep reading to learn what you should look for in a penetration testing company that specializes in testing Apple products for enterprises.
Why Choose a Penetration Testing Company for Your Mac Environment?
Apple products today — including Macs — are supported by extensive security features, such as:
- Apple’s integrated antivirus XProtect
- The Secure Enclave features, including encryption
- Gatekeeper, which first asks you for permission before running third-party software on your Mac
While these may create more obstacles for threat actors, those who are determined will find a way to hack Apple products. Here are some ways threat actors successfully hack Macs.
3 Types of Cyber Attacks Seen on Mac Systems
Ransomware
Ransomware denies the user access to programs or files on their device in return for a payment. There are several forms of ransomware, and Mac systems are susceptible to these attacks, just as Windows-based PCs are.
Cryptojacking
Threat actors can mine cryptocurrency on your Mac via cryptojacking. This can cause your MacBook to run very slowly while the threat actor profits.
Trojan Horse
Hidden in software, a Trojan is a malware that achieves many different purposes for threat actors. A Trojan can infiltrate your system and allow the threat actor access to it, or a Trojan can help facilitate other cyber threats, including viruses or worms.
Choosing a Penetration Testing Company for Your Mac Environment
When hiring a pentesting company for your Apple-based operations, be sure to look for a partner with the following pentest services and qualities.
1. Has Previous Mac Environment Experience
While there are qualified penetration testers who are quite confident working with Macs, not all are. Some pentesters focus exclusively on Windows-based environments, rarely or never touching Apple products. Others “cut their teeth” with the Windows-based PCs and have only recently transitioned to testing in a Mac environment.
For this reason, when evaluating penetration testing companies, we recommend you ask not only about their experience in breaching corporate systems but also for examples of work they’ve done in Mac-based office settings, specifically.
2. Crafts Custom Tests for Your Organization
Some cybersecurity experts coin themselves “pentesters” but are really far from it. While the use of automated tools or mass phishing attacks is indeed a part of most pentesting processes, they’re merely initial steps in gaining access to Mac environments.
A thorough pentest will include several crucial phases, and the right pentester will use more than one type of pentest to assess your security posture. When questioning possible penetration testing companies, ask them about some of the tactics they use when staging and executing attacks as well as the exact penetration test steps they take each phase. They should bring tests specifically tests for your organization.
3. Provides a Detailed Report of Prioritized Security Fixes
While screening pentesting companies, inquire about the results of the test. How do they detail their findings? You want your takeaways to be tangible, actionable steps that’ll help your security team to remediate the findings shared in the report.
Look for a company that’s willing to disclose what’s typically included in their pentesting report — or better yet, provide you with a sanitized, branded report so you’ll know exactly what you’ll be paying for. With these insights, you’ll be able to introduce your team to better security awareness training, make critical fixes, and harden your cyber defenses.
Keep Up With the Latest Cyber Threats
If your operations utilize Apple products, how confident are you that they would stand up to a threat actor without causing your business significant damage?
The truth is, there is no real way to know without putting your systems to the test against an elite penetration testing company, such as Mitnick Security Consulting and The Global Ghost Team™.
Explore our Pentesting Services and see how The Global Ghost Team™ can maximize your Mac security posture.
