The security firms FireEye and Symantec have projected that cybercriminals will increase their cyber-attacks on Apple devices in 2016, based on the doubling of iOS malware this year and the increased security vulnerabilities of Mac computers. However, the number of hack attacks on Apple products including iPhones, iPads, and Macs is still fewer than those on Microsoft's Windows OS and Google's Android devices.
Symantec's researcher Dick O'Brien reported that the number of attacks on Apple is on the whole related to increased sales of its devices. That includes its smartwatches, smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
For example, Apple sold a record-breaking 5.7 million Macs during Q4 of this year. However, the number of malware-infected OS X computers was seven times higher during the first three quarters of this year than during all of 2014, according to Cult of Mac.
Symantec reported that several of the Mac infections are the result of "grayware," which is non-malicious apps that do harmful actions such as tracking users', according to Quartz. This year the number of new threats to the Mac OS is 10.
O'Brien pointed out that Windows desktops are attacked much more often than Mac computers. Apple devices are still fairly safe, but users should be careful about security vulnerabilities.
Meanwhile, Android devices are the target of the vast majority of malware attacks, at 96 percent. In addition, last year 17 percent of Android "apps" were in fact malware.
However, FireEye's Chief Technology Officer Bryce Boland shared that cybercriminals are finding new security holes in Apple devices. He also predicted more hack attacks in 2016.
Both Symantec and FireEye projected that Apple Pay could also be the target of hack attacks in 2016. However, there has been no breaking news yet.