Apple Macs are the target of LockBit ransomware after Windows and Linux.

If you think Apple is the safest route for a laptop and computer, because we all thought that viruses will have a hard time going into it, well it is not. Security experts have discovered a fresh LockBit ransomware variant that targets Apple Mac products only.

Generally speaking, Linux and Windows computers are the target of LockBit ransomware infections. However, a recently discovered build with the identifier "locker_Apple_M1_64" suggests that macOS infections may be approaching.

According to MalwareHunterTeam, the researchers who first identified the new LockBit ransomware for Mac, PowerPC Macs may also become infected with the new strain.

What does it do, though, exactly? Ransomware typically hijacks a computer, encrypts files, denies users access, and then demands money to decrypt crucial user data. Threats that the user or company files will be released to the public are frequently used to persuade victims to pay the ransom and accede to the attacker's demands.

The Mac ransomware LockBit first surfaced in November 2022, and the MalwareHunterTeam claims that it wasn't confirmed until April 16 of 2023. If it is made available to other criminals as ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS), this may indicate an impending rise in Mac ransomware infections.