How to remove DazzleSpy from Mac

While the macOS platform has been known to be more secure than its competitors, that in no way means that it’s perfect. In fact, as the number of Mac users continues to grow, so does the number of viruses and malware attacks targeting these computers. But while it’s one thing to have a virus that slows your computer down or serves you a bunch of pop-up ads, it’s a whole other thing when you’re dealing with spyware and cyber espionage.

This article will attempt to explain what the DazzleSpy malware is and what you can do to remove it quickly and easily. I have several options for you, so keep on reading!

What is DazzleSpy?

DazzleSpy malware is a more sophisticated and nefarious piece of software usually categorized as spyware. It’s specifically been linked to a few Chinese websites with political leanings, but it’s hard to tell if the viruses have a specific political motivation behind them. What we do know is that it’s a nasty code, and you don’t want to play around or procrastinate with it on your computer.

How can a Mac get infected with DazzleSpy spyware?

DazzleSpy leverages one of two exploits. One directly in Safari and another in macOS. Apple has since released software updates that are designed to fix these vulnerabilities.

The unfortunate but totally truthful response to this is that all it takes to have your Mac infected is visiting the wrong website. The code on the site runs a script designed to sink its teeth into one of these two vulnerabilities in the platform.

How will DazzleSpy malware harm Mac?

Once your computer has been infected by DazzleSpy, you’ll notice a drastic change in your Mac’s behavior. It will slow down to a glacial pace and then make everything that will make you feel that it’s almost unusable.

The downside to that is it’s not even the worst part. When you’re dealing with spyware like DazzleSpy, you have to assume everything is at risk. DazzleSpy will pull every piece of identifying info, such as your computer’s MAC address or the Wi-FI network. The hacker will be able to see the user’s screen as they’re using it, get their passwords, and search through all of the user’s files.

How to avoid installation of DazzleSpy spyware on Mac?

The best thing you can do to try and protect your Mac against DazzleSpy is to keep your Mac up-to-date. Spyware preys on an exploit found both in Safari and macOS. In relation to both of these vulnerabilities, Apple has released plenty of sufficient software updates to help correct and mitigate this risk. So, never ignore timely software updates, even if you are too busy.

How to remove DazzleSpy from Mac automatically with CMM

If you think you have DazzleSpy on your computer or just want to check to make sure you don’t have any other malware, it only takes a few steps.

For the purposes we seek to achieve in this article, I’m going to use an app called CleanMyMax X. It’s designed to help you check your Mac for any malicious software. This, in turn, helps make your computer run faster, too.

After you download CleanMyMac X and get it installed, you’ll want to follow these steps:

1. Open CleanMyMac X.
2. Click Malware Removal from the side
3. Then, click the Scan button.

It’s really that simple. Once the scan is finished, CleanMyMac X will show you everything it found – if anything – and then you’ll just click the Remove button to get rid of it all.

Manual steps to remove DazzleSpy

If you prefer to get rid of DazzleSpy manually, then you’ll be able to follow a few steps. Just keep in mind that it’s definitely not as quick or easy as doing it automatically with CleanMyMac X.

You’ll need to search through your hard drive to see if you can find any files associated with DazzleSpy. Here are the steps to help you try and remove anything related to DazzleSpy:

1. Open Finder and click Go > Go to Folder…
2. In the search box, type: ~/Library.
3. Then, open the Application Support folder.
4. Delete any files you see related to DazzleSpy.
5. Click the Back arrow in the Finder window.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 but go to Caches, Preferences, and Saved Application State.

How to prevent infecting a Mac with spyware

Prevention of getting infected is always easier than its removal. Obviously, keeping your Mac up-to-date and installing any security patches Apple releases is a great start. If you are too busy, you have the option of installing any updates automatically when you do not use your Mac.

But another incredibly helpful thing is to regularly scan your Mac with an app like CleanMyMac X. At least if you do accidentally download an infected file, it won’t be able to do too much damage before the next time you scan again. You can either follow the steps I described above to complete a regular scan or enable background scanning. Here’s how to enable it:

1. Open CleanMyMac X Menu by clicking the iMac icon in the menu bar.
2. Navigate to Preferences (the gear icon) > Protection.
3. Select the checkbox next to “Look for threats in the background.”

Anytime your Mac is infected with malware, it can be scary. But if your computer gets infected by spyware, then that’s a whole other level of scary. Hopefully, after reading this article, though, you’re less afraid and feel more empowered with what to do when and if this happens to you.