Did you suddenly start seeing a pop-up in your Safari browser claiming that “Your Norton security software expired today”? The whole message would say something like:
OSX Security Notification: Your Norton security software expired today. Renew now to protect your computer from malwares, viruses, and computer hackers.
“OSX Security Notification” Scam Pop-Up in Safari
The issue is that users like you who have been seeing this message don’t have any Norton software installed on their Mac machines. This is e clear indication of a tech-support scam. More specifically, this behavior is typical for tech support scams which attempt to trick the user into performing certain actions in order to solve an issue. In this case, the action is to renew an alleged security Norton software.
If you are tricked by the pop-up message and you click on its button, you would most certainly download a suspicious program, such as MacKeeper and CleanUp My Mac.
Threat Summary
| Name | "OSX Security Notification" |
| Type | PUP/Rogue Application |
| Short Description | A scam message claiming that a non-existing software should be update for the system to stay protected. |
| Symptoms | A nagging pop-up that says “OSX Security Notification: Your Norton security software expired today. Renew now to protect your computer from malwares, viruses, and computer hackers.” |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installers, Suspicious Sites |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Combo Cleaner
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss "OSX Security Notification". |
Why Do I see the “Your Norton security software expired” Scam Message in Safari?
In most cases, tech support scams such as “OSX Security Notification” stem from various suspicious domains. Such a domain could be Apple.com-mac-optimizing.live. We can’t say for sure what domain is spreading the “OSX Security Notification” scam, as there could be a number of such domains rotating the scam. It is also possible that the pop-up message is triggered by a potentially unwanted program (PUA), or a suspivious website you have recently visited.
It should be noted that even legitimate websites can be compromised to contain malicious code that cause redirects and triggers tech support scam messages and fake virus alerts.
NOTE. Did you know that pop-alerts such as “OSX Security Notification” are often promoting rogue security and system optimization programs? To make things more complicated, rogue programs may be triggering the pop-ups as well, meaning that another distribution channel spreading the scam is a rogue program.
If you have such a rogue product silently installed on your Mac, you have become a “victim” of the so-called bundling method. This method means that legitimate software is installed together with third-party utilities, usually classified as PUAs. The bundling of software is done for monetization purposes, and is mostly popular among developers of adware (ad-supported software).
In this relation, the PUA that may be causing the “OSX Security Notification” pop-up in Safari is most likely ad-supported as well. Adware, which can be anything from a browser add-on or extension to a PUA, compromises commonly used web browsers by tweaking their settings to display plenty of advertisements and collect user data.
To determine the cause of the “OSX Security Notification“, check out the last paragraph of this article for instructions and a possible solution.
Remove “OSX Security Notification” Scam Pop-Up
In order to remove “OSX Security Notification” a.k.a. “Your Norton security software expired” scam message and all files that are causing it to appear in your Safari browser, it is advisable to complete the steps described in the guide below the article. These steps provide both manual and automatic removal instructions that should be able to fix the issue for you.
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Steps to Prepare Before Removal:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
- 1. Scan for Mac Malware
- 2. Uninstall Risky Apps
- 3. Clean Your Browsers
Step 1: Scan for and remove "OSX Security Notification" files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as "OSX Security Notification", the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Quick and Easy Mac Malware Video Removal Guide
Bonus Step: How to Make Your Mac Run Faster?
Mac machines maintain probably the fastest operating system out there. Still, Macs do become slow and sluggish sometimes. The video guide below examines all of the possible problems that may lead to your Mac being slower than usual as well as all of the steps that can help you to speed up your Mac.
Step 2: Uninstall "OSX Security Notification" and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to "OSX Security Notification":
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to "OSX Security Notification". If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to "OSX Security Notification". Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any leftover files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove "OSX Security Notification" via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1. Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2. Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3. Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as "OSX Security Notification". If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3: Remove "OSX Security Notification" – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
"OSX Security Notification"-FAQ
What is "OSX Security Notification" on your Mac?
The "OSX Security Notification" threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down significantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
Can Macs Get Viruses?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get malware. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that almost all of the Apple devices can become infected with a threat.
What Types of Mac Threats Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the types of threats that can currently infect your Mac can be rogue antivirus programs, adware or hijackers (PUPs), Trojan horses, ransomware and crypto-miner malware.
What To Do If I Have a Mac Virus, Like "OSX Security Notification"?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One recommended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you.
There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to Secure My Data from "OSX Security Notification"?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our MacOS Virus section, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
About the "OSX Security Notification" Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this "OSX Security Notification" how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific macOS issue.
How did we conduct the research on "OSX Security Notification"?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of Mac threats, especially adware and potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).
Furthermore, the research behind the "OSX Security Notification" threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.