Malware has already targeted the new M1 Mac processor, with at least two exploits found in the wild. But it’s unlikely to be worse than the malware already infecting Intel Macs.
M1 Mac Malware — The Truth!
Apple’s M1 Macs should in theory be more secure than the machines they replace. They use Apple’s own Apple Silicon chips, which have successfully warded off iOS malware for years. But a large part of the iPhone and iPad’s resilience comes from their operating system. iOS was conceived in a time of malicious attacks, while the Mac was designed in an era before viruses and phishing. Will the M1 chip make any difference? Probably not.
“I’ll give you the honest, direct, and not-so-exciting answer,” Dr. Richard Ford, Chief Technology Officer of security firm Cyren, told Lifewire via email. “There’s no reason to be concerned about M1 Mac Malware, at least not in addition to the malware that now exists for Intel-based Macs.”
There have been two cases of M1-optimized malware studied so far, but neither is anything special. They are simply versions of existing malware, recompiled to run natively on Apple Silicon hardware.
