A Brazilian security researcher has produced a proof-of-concept for ransomware to target Mac operating systems (Mac OS X) and the attack method has been confirmed by Symantec.

What should be worrying for Apple is that the researcher Rafael Salema Marques wrote his exploit code in two days and said it was a doddle. He told Motherboard  that the point of writing the code was to show people that despite what the Tame Apple Press tells people Mac malware was a reality.

In reality, 2015 has seen the most Mac-focused malware yet of any year, according to a report from security companies Bit9 and Carbon Black. Researchers at MalwareBytes did discover a piece of malware that targeted users of Mac OS X's Safari web browser, but it didn't actually encrypt files stored on the system: instead, it created annoying pop-ups, demanding a user pay to have them removed.

Mabouia cryptographically seals a users files and the victim is given a unique identification code. Files are decrypted by logging onto the hacker's website, entering the code, and then sending the hacker a fee. In the case of Mabouia, the deadline for payment is set at 72 hours; if a victim doesn't pay before then, the encryption key for the files is destroyed, meaning they are likely lost forever.

Marques said that Mac users were seen has having piles of cash and little in the way of sense,  because they have to fuel their addiction to buying whatever the company tells them.

“They have money, because the Mac is an expensive thing,” he said.

Marques told Apple about his malware, but did not receive a response, perhaps they are praying to the ghost of Steve Jobs to make the problem go away.