{"id":149313,"date":"2023-12-05T11:38:08","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T16:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/?p=149313"},"modified":"2023-12-05T11:38:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T16:38:08","slug":"turtle-ransomware-targets-macos-devices-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/turtle-ransomware-targets-macos-devices-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Turtle Ransomware Targets macOS Devices: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"012c0edcf6b9020707513138a5d69d4a\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px 0 0px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2637046176931122\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- PCT Post Middle Ad Unit -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2637046176931122\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3266914940\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a recent analysis, cybersecurity researcher Patrick Wardle uncovered a new ransomware strain dubbed &#8220;Turtle&#8221; specifically designed to target macOS devices. The malware, written in the Go programming language, encrypts a wide range of file types using AES encryption and appends the &#8220;.TURTLERANSv0&#8221; extension to encrypted files.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A new ransomware strain called &#8220;Turtle&#8221; has been discovered targeting macOS devices.<\/li>\n<li>The malware encrypts files and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key.<\/li>\n<li>While not a highly sophisticated threat,\u00a0Turtle&#8217;s existence highlights the growing threat of ransomware targeting macOS users.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-149315\" src=\"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo.png 3840w, https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo-414x232.png 414w, https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo-215x120.png 215w, https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo-990x557.png 990w, https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo-1320x743.png 1320w, https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/macOS-Logo-150x84.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/>\r\n<div class=\"012c0edcf6b9020707513138a5d69d4a\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px 0 0px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2637046176931122\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- PCT Post Middle Ad Unit -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2637046176931122\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3266914940\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\r\n<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransom Demand and Payment Mechanism<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once the encryption process is complete, Turtle presents a ransom note demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key. The ransom note, displayed in a pop-up window, provides instructions on how to contact the attackers via email to negotiate the ransom payment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Limited Impact Due to Gatekeeper Protection<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite the potential threat posed by Turtle, its impact is likely to be limited due to macOS&#8217;s built-in <a href=\"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/nothings-imessage-app-wasnt-its-only-security-lapse-heres-what-you-need-to-know\/\">security<\/a> feature, Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper checks the digital signatures of applications before allowing them to run, and since Turtle lacks a valid signature, it is likely to be blocked by Gatekeeper unless the user explicitly overrides the security settings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommendations for macOS Users<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While Gatekeeper provides a layer of protection, it is crucial for macOS users to take additional precautions to safeguard their devices from ransomware attacks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regularly back up your data: Regularly backing up your data to an external hard drive or cloud storage ensures you have a copy of your files in case of a ransomware attack.<\/li>\n<li>Enable Gatekeeper: Ensure Gatekeeper is enabled and set to require notarization for all software installations. This will prevent unauthorized applications from running on your system.<\/li>\n<li>Be cautious about opening attachments: Avoid opening suspicious <a href=\"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/gmail-set-to-revolutionize-email-interactions-with-emoji-reactions\/\">email<\/a> attachments or clicking on links from unknown senders, as these could be used to distribute malware.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your software up to date: Regularly update your operating system and applications to install the latest security patches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The emergence of Turtle ransomware serves as a reminder that macOS users are not immune to ransomware attacks. While Gatekeeper provides a degree of protection, it is essential to follow cybersecurity best practices to minimize the risk of infection. Regular backups, cautious online behavior, and up-to-date software are crucial for safeguarding your valuable data.<\/p>\n<div class=\"012c0edcf6b9020707513138a5d69d4a\" data-index=\"3\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px 0 0px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2637046176931122\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- PCT Post End Ad Unit -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2637046176931122\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9468527068\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a recent analysis, cybersecurity researcher Patrick Wardle uncovered a new ransomware strain dubbed &#8220;Turtle&#8221; specifically designed to target macOS devices. The malware, written in the Go programming language, encrypts a wide range of file types using AES encryption and appends the &#8220;.TURTLERANSv0&#8221; extension to encrypted files. Key Highlights A new ransomware strain called &#8220;Turtle&#8221; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":149315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1301,76467],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149313"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149313"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149316,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149313\/revisions\/149316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pc-tablet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}