Use Hazel Script to Automatically Check Downloads on Mac
Over the weekend , a nasty but small ransomware was found in the Transmission BitTorrent client . One way to avoid this type of malware infection is to check the checksums of everything you download. Blogger Jacob Salmela has created a script for Mac file manager Hazel that automatically checks downloads.
Many developers publish checksums or hashes along with their download links so you can ensure that the software you download is legitimate. Checksum is a mathematical calculation of a file. If the file has been modified, the checksum will be different from the one posted by the developer. This means that you can usually check the validity of the uploaded file by comparing the two numbers. You can do this check very easily on your Mac with a few terminal commands , but the Salmela Hazel script will automatically clean up your downloads folder for you. After you set it up, Hazel will create a popup for you to compare the numbers. This simplifies a little this simple precaution – checksum validation. Head over to Salmela’s website for a complete guide.
Prevent Ransomware by Automatically Determining the Checksum of Downloaded Files | Jacob Salmela