100% malware detection at 1.7% CPU: how ThreatDown stops Mac info stealers

For a long time, Mac security lived in a comfortable gray area. macOS earned a reputation as the “safer” desktop platform. Fewer threats. Less malware. Built-in protections that handled most of the risk. For many organizations, that belief shaped how Macs were treated inside the environment. Security mattered, but it rarely felt urgent.

That assumption no longer holds.

Macs sit at the center of modern work. Developers, designers, executives, and engineers rely on them daily. They access cloud applications, manage credentials, and move sensitive data across SaaS platforms. Attackers noticed. They followed adoption, not operating systems.

The result is a Mac threat landscape that looks quite different from just a short time ago.

From adware to credential theft: how Mac threats shifted

As recently as 2023’s ThreatDown State of Malware report, the macOS landscape was dominated by adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) with browser hijackers like OSX.Genio topping the detection charts. Genio made money in the old-fashioned way: intercepting web searches and injecting intrusive ads. It was stubborn and hard to remove, but it wasn’t hunting for your corporate credentials.

Compared to Windows environments, credential-stealing and data-exfiltration malware played a far smaller role in macOS threat activity during that period. That distribution shaped how many security teams assessed Mac risk, often prioritizing Windows endpoints where credential theft and lateral movement presented clearer danger.

That balance shifted as the nature of enterprise access changed.

A new class of macOS malware moved into focus: information stealers. These threats prioritize access rather than disruption. Their purpose centers on credentials and identity artifacts that grant entry to systems beyond the endpoint itself.

This shift followed broader changes in how organizations operate. As work moved into SaaS platforms, traditional network boundaries lost relevance. Access decisions increasingly depended on identity and authentication rather than location. Credentials and session tokens carried greater value than the devices that stored them.

At the same time, macOS adoption expanded across enterprise environments. Macs became common among developers, designers, and executives, users with broad access and elevated trust. That combination made macOS a practical target for credential-focused attacks. Information stealers emerged to meet that opportunity. Their design aligns with where access now lives and how organizations operate.

ThreatDown’s 2025 State of Malware Report shows that this shift did not plateau. By 2025, information stealers and other credential-focused threats feature far more prominently across observed macOS activity, confirming that access-driven attacks are no longer emerging patterns. They define the current threat landscape.

AMOS and Poseidon: the info stealers defining Mac security

Atomic Stealer, also known as AMOS, marked a clear turning point for macOS threats. It introduced capabilities long associated with Windows malware into the macOS ecosystem, including credential harvesting, browser data extraction, cryptocurrency theft, and access to popular password managers.

AMOS also reflected a shift in how macOS malware gets built and distributed. It operates as malware-as-a-service, with affiliates paying roughly $1,000 per month for access to a web-based management console and regular feature updates. That model lowered barriers for participation and accelerated adoption. As a result, AMOS moved quickly from a niche threat to one of the most prevalent info stealers observed on macOS.

Poseidon followed soon after. Launched in mid-2024, this AMOS spinoff gained traction at a pace that caught many defenders off guard. Within months, Poseidon accounted for roughly 70% of observed macOS info stealer activity. The concerning part: Poseidon didn’t displace AMOS. It grew the pie. AMOS detections remained steady while Poseidon added an entirely new layer of threat volume.

Together, these families illustrate how quickly the macOS threat landscape evolved. Tooling improved. Distribution scaled. Attack volume increased without replacing earlier threats. Info stealers established themselves as a durable part of the macOS ecosystem rather than a short-lived spike.

How ThreatDown stops credential-focused Mac attacks

Info stealers changed what effective Mac protection needs to deliver. Coverage now determines whether attackers succeed or fail. ThreatDown’s Mac endpoint protection addresses this threat environment directly and targets the credential-focused attacks active across macOS systems.

Info stealers move fast. Once executed, they can collect browser passwords, authentication cookies, VPN configurations, and cryptocurrency wallet data in seconds. A successful attack exposes credentials that attackers can then sell or use to gain access to corporate systems.

This threat environment requires Mac protection that holds up under real pressure. ThreatDown delivers detection depth and performance that keeps organizations protected as macOS attacks continue to evolve and mature.

100% detection across the Objective-See malware repository

ThreatDown delivers 100% detection coverage against the Objective-See malware repository, a third-party collection maintained by independent macOS security researchers. The repository aggregates real macOS malware samples observed in active campaigns, including the information stealers driving current attack activity.

This level of coverage matters because info stealer families evolve quickly. Affiliates introduce new variants, builders add features, and distribution techniques change.

Full coverage across a third-party macOS malware repository shows how ThreatDown performs against real threats observed outside its own research environment. That validation provides confidence that detection holds up as attacker tooling and tactics continue to advance.

Always-on protection at 1.7% CPU

Runtime performance determines whether endpoint protection remains active over time. Tools that consume noticeable system resources change behavior. Teams introduce exceptions. Users push back. Coverage weakens as friction accumulates.

ThreatDown treats runtime efficiency as a core requirement for Mac protection. Continuous defense only works when it operates without disrupting everyday activity.

In testing, ThreatDown’s real-time protection operates at approximately 1.7% CPU usage. This measurement reflects always-on protection, not scan activity. Lower runtime impact preserves usability and helps ensure protection remains consistently enabled across macOS environments.

Fast scans when teams need answers

Scan performance addresses a different moment. When security teams investigate suspicious behavior or verify system integrity, they need visibility without delay. Long scan times slow response and disrupt users.

ThreatDown delivers scan performance that matches or exceeds market alternatives while minimizing disruption. Scheduled scans run quietly in the background. On-demand scans complete quickly when teams need answers.

This separation matters. Efficient runtime protection keeps defenses active every day. Fast scan performance supports investigation and response when incidents require deeper inspection. Together, they enable security operations to function without friction across large Mac deployments.

Detection that evolves with attacker tooling

Attackers do not stand still: Malware families evolve, tooling improves, and distribution adapts as defenses change.

ThreatDown’s Mac protection aligns detection, runtime efficiency, and operational performance with the way macOS threats operate today. Coverage focuses on credential-focused attacks such as AMOS and Poseidon, along with the variants that continue to emerge as these families mature.

That alignment ensures protection remains effective as attacker tactics change, not only at a single point in time, but as the macOS threat landscape continues to develop.

What Mac security needs now

macOS faces the same class of credential-focused attacks that security teams have long associated with Windows environments.

That reality raises the bar for Mac endpoint security. Coverage needs to catch active threats. Runtime protection needs to stay enabled without disrupting work. Security teams need confidence that protection holds up under real attack conditions, not just in theory.

ThreatDown’s Mac endpoint protection addresses these requirements directly. Detection coverage, performance efficiency, and operational readiness work together to protect macOS environments against the threats currently active across the platform. As Mac attacks continue to mature, security teams need protection built to operate at that level.