If you thought the best MacBooks were safe from malware, hackers are firmly targeting Apple computers

While there are many different strains of Mac malware, one strain in particular has made repeated appearances: the Atomic Stealer, an information-stealing malware that is often distributed through pirated apps This time, however, the malware spoofed a popular app with Google ads, tricking unsuspecting users into infecting their Apple computers

According to a blog post by Intego, researchers at the cybersecurity firm are tracking two new Atomic Stealer variants What makes this malware particularly dangerous is that it is designed to steal sensitive data from infected Macs, including stored passwords, cookies, auto-entry text, and even encryption

Here is everything you need to know about this new Atomic Stealer campaign, as well as some tips and tricks to help you avoid infecting your Mac with malware

Just as a company can purchase ad space to make their products appear higher in search results, hackers can also purchase ad space For this reason, we strongly recommend that you do not click on the first search result on Google (or any other search engine) and scroll down to the ads

In this particular campaign, the hackers behind it are using this technique to disguise popular Mac utilities, personal finance apps, digital trading card games and productivity apps

With File Juicer, a utility that extracts embedded files from various types of documents, and the personal finance app Debit & Credit, the hackers behind this campaign use a fake installer called "AppleApp" which is a fake installer called "AppleApp When this installer is opened on a vulnerable Mac, the Atomic Stealer malware infects the system instead of installing the actual program

For the digital trading card game Parallel and the productivity software Notion, both fake apps have installers that spoof the legitimate ones, complete with their names and logos

In investigating the issue, Intego has also confirmed that many of these fake apps are actually malware droppers "designed to obtain and install additional malware These droppers attempt to hide in plain sight before connecting to a malicious website to download additional payloads to the infected computer

To avoid accidentally downloading fake apps that spread malware to your Mac, there are several steps you can take to stay safe

First, it is best to limit your downloads of new software to official app stores, such as the Mac App Store If you need to use a search engine to find a specific program, scroll down past the ads because of the possibility of malicious ads, and instead install the app or program directly from the company's website If you know the web address of a company, you can type that address into your browser's address bar

Macs have built-in anti-malware software called XProtect, but consider investing in a Mac antivirus that is optimized for Apple computers Intego's Mac antivirus products have some clever tricks up their sleeve Intego Mac Internet Security X9 and Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9 can both best scan iPhones and iPads for malware, but only when connected to a Mac with a USB cable

Since Mac users are a profitable target for hackers, it is likely that more malware will target Apple computers in the future Therefore, one should be extra careful online, especially when downloading new apps and software