Dive Brief:

• A security researcher revealed additional details Monday about malware named Fruitfly that targeted Mac computers earlier this year, according to Fortune.
• The malware enables hackers to access a computer's files, screens and webcams. Unsuspecting victims have no way to stop the intrusion.
• Apple issued a patch for the vulnerability in January, but researcher Patrick Wardle, a former NSA hacker and current chief security officer at security company Synack, told ZD Net  that several Fruitfly variants have appeared that could attack unprotected Macs. Wardle also said Fruitfly existed for five years before it was discovered.

Dive Insight:

Apple products are traditionally believed to be less vulnerable to malware than Windows-based technology, so the discovery of Fruitfly, and the fact that it’s been around for five years, came as a shock to many Apple believers and showed that Macs can be as vulnerable as other computers.

Apple is not above accepting the fact that its products can contain bugs and vulnerabilities. Last summer, the company launched an invite-only bug bounty program asking researchers to focus on finding exploits in the latest version of iOS or the most recent version of its hardware.

Global malware attacks are becoming increasingly common and expensive. Lloyd's of London recently reported that cyberattacks globally cost businesses about $450 billion last year, surpassing the cost of natural disasters.