Are Macs really virus-proof? For years, Apple computer owners have believed that their devices are immune to viruses. This myth may have originated from Apple’s own advertising campaigns, but the truth is that Macs are not impervious to viruses.

Contrary to popular belief, Macs can indeed get viruses. The idea that Macs are immune to viruses has been perpetuated for a long time, and Apple has not explicitly refuted this notion, as it aligns with the company’s branding of providing a clean, seamless, and secure user experience. In fact, the first Apple firmware viruses were discovered in 2015, and by 2020, malware threats on Macs had increased by 400%. In 2021, over 29,000 Macs were affected by a mysterious malware strain, indicating a significant rise in security vulnerabilities for Apple users over the past decade.

The myth of Macs being virus-proof can be traced back to a 2006 Apple advertisement featuring actor Justin Long, where it was claimed that PCs had 114,000 known viruses while Apple had none. However, in 2012, Apple quietly removed these claims from its website and replaced them with the statement that Macs are ‘built to be safe.’

While it is true that Macs did not commonly get viruses until the mid-2010s, this was not solely due to Apple’s exceptional malware protection. Rather, it was largely a result of the sheer number of PCs compared to Macs in the world. In 2013, over 90% of the world’s computers were PCs running on Windows, while Macs accounted for only 8% of the market. Consequently, designing viruses for the larger PC market made more strategic sense. Even today, only 20% of the world uses a Mac.

As the number of Mac users continues to grow, so does the risk of viruses and malware affecting these devices. It is important for Mac users to be aware of the evolving threat landscape and to take proactive measures to protect their devices from potential security breaches.