'Ciscod will damage your computer' Error
The 'Ciscod will damage your computer' Error is a false positive that Mac's XProtect feature may show to some users. Typically, this issue occurs after applying a system update, and it may catch many users by surprise. Needless to say, the warning sounds very serious. XProtect rarely says that something will damage your computer unless there is something shady about it. Of course, not every security tool is perfect, and the same applies to your Mac's XProtect.
Ciscod is a legitimate component, part of the Cisco AnyConnect software suite. In fact, we have already published a post about a similar error that users of this software suite may experience – the 'Vpnagentd Will Damage Your Computer' Mac Error. The good news is that both instances of this error message are not a reason to worry. Both Vpnagentd and CIscod are legit and safe.
Why am I seeing the 'Ciscod will damage your computer' Error?
The reason why this happens is because of an issue with the security certificate that this component uses. After applying a system update, it is possible to experience issues like the one in question. XProtect is on high alert, because it deems Ciscod's certificate as illegitimate or expired. Thankfully, there is an easy fix to this – apply the latest update to the Cisco AnyConnect software suite. Typically, this resolves the issue immediately.
Of course, you should keep in mind that there is a minor chance that criminals might be masking malware as legitimate utilities. If you are not using Cisco AnyConnect and see this message, then it is a good idea to run an antivirus scan. This will help you identify and remove any intrusive software that may be running on your Mac. But, overall, the 'Ciscod will damage your computer' Error is not something to worry about – apply the latest Cisco AnyConnect updates, and you should be all set.
