If you have a Mac and haven't upgraded to the new High Sierra OS, your system may be vulnerable to threats like Thunderstrike, a malware attack that enters through your computer's Thunderbolt port.
The company analyzed 73,324 Mac computers and found that, on average, 4.2% were not running the correct firmware, leaving the systems vulnerable to cyberattacks. Fortunately for consumers, the vulnerabilities are not considered to be as dangerous for home users, according to a publication – but you should still make sure your computer is running the correct firmware.
Although Apple released security updates to protect against Thunderstrike attacks, researchers found that, for some reason, the critical updates were not applied in all cases.
In the most extreme cases, researchers found that 43% of systems for one particular model, the 21.5-inch iMac from late 2015, were running the wrong firmware. The company called the size of the discrepancy between the firmware versions they expected to find and those they found “staggering,” since the latest version should have been installed automatically with other operating system updates.
Duo is now releasing security tools to help users check if they're running a version of the firmware with any known vulnerabilities. The company recommends updating to the latest version of Apple's macOS. Apple said in a statement to Ars Technica that its latest version, macOS High Sierra, automatically validates Mac software on a weekly basis — so if you're concerned about vulnerabilities, you should install the new operating system as soon as possible.
For users with older computers that can't update, however, Duo recommends considering buying a new one. Like any other system, however, even High Sierra has its own vulnerabilities. One researcher has already discovered a way to steal users' passwords on the new operating system, and more are likely to emerge in the future. So keep your software updated to the latest versions if you want to protect your computer.
