Cyber-security threats from Russia are on the rise, but the developer of a Mac utility called CleanMyMac X has a solution to keep users safe. Russian hackers and cyber-criminals have been blamed for a large number of attacks on Western interests over the past several years, and things have only gone from bad to worse since the strike on Ukraine.
In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany’s information technology authorities warned that antivirus software from Russian cyber-security firm Kaspersky could be used to spy on users. That was followed a few days later by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adding Kaspersky Lab to its list of national security threats.
While Kaspersky Lab has been singled out by Western security agencies, many other apps have also come under scrutiny for possible malware infestations that could violate the privacy and security of users. To protect users from potential Russian malware, Mac tune-up app CleanMyMac X has added a category called ‘Suspicious Apps‘ to its uninstaller module. The feature allows the program to identify and remove apps originating from Russia and Belarus to protect users from potential cyber threats. To get rid of Russian and Belarusian apps on a Mac, download and install the latest version of CleanMyMac X from the official website. After opening the app, select the Uninstaller option from the left sidebar and then select the Suspicious category from the side menu. Doing so will initiate a scan that will identify apps from Russian and Belarusian developers. Once those apps are listed, users can review and uninstall them individually or en masse.
Russia Forces App Developers To Share User Data
According to CleanMyMac X developer MacPaw, Russian apps could prove to be a problem in the current situation due to Moscow legally forcing all app developers and online services in the country to store user data on Russian servers that can be accessed by the country’s government without a court order. With the current Belarusian regime depending heavily on Russia’s support, the developer believes that Belarusian apps and services could be similarly compromised.
Of course, just because an app comes from a Russian developer doesn’t mean it will have some form of malware. However, it could be a real possibility in the current geopolitical scenario. Conversely, there’s plenty of spyware and malware originating from other parts of the world, and these are just as dangerous as any that might be originating from Russia or Belarus. CleanMyMac X offers a novel way to clean out potential spyware from a Mac and it should help users deal with one less security threat when cyber-crime is on the rise.
