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I just clean installed my MacOS Catalina on my MacBook due to virus on my PC that I worried got on my MacBook via usb file transfer.

I did an internet recovery to reinstall MacOS Catalina with my home WiFi network, with password protected. However, since my Pc was had a virus, I was worried that my IP addresss and home WiFi network has been compromised, can I still trust that the installation was not tempered with? Or should I perhaps reinstall it again using mobile network? Since I have heard that mobile data are much more secure than WiFi network.

Ecotistician
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However, since my Pc was had a virus, I was worried that my IP addresss and home WiFi network has been compromised,

I suggest you to reset your WiFi, try to check the authenticity of firmware cross-checking hash(if present) in the admin panel to the documentation provided with the product to ensure installation of wifi firmware is not tampered and then update the firmware later, change all your default WiFi password (admin login and WPA2) to complex long custom ones. Make use of mac address whitelisting on wireless router and allow only limited number of users on it. It will be added benefit if you consider educating yourself on how in general evil twin works or other general techniques to avoid giving up your secure password.

can I still trust that the installation was not tempered with?

I am pretty sure that the installation of MAC is done after establishing secure connection to system. MAC OS is not easy to play around on the fly. Tampering should be difficult if not impossible on the connection which is established from WiFi to machine. Installation is susceptible to corruption and can break easily.

should I perhaps reinstall it again using mobile network? Since I have heard that mobile data are much more secure than WiFi network.

Please check if the installation is clean and free from the virus detected earlier or any virus in general. This should suffice to ensure safe environment to operate and continue using current installation

Arpit Rohela
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It is probably fine.

However, since my Pc was had a virus, I was worried that my IP addresss and home WiFi network has been compromised, can I still trust that the installation was not tempered with?

The connection to the Apple servers is likely secure and encrypted. I could not find a reference to it in their documentation but it would be standard practice. Even if someone had your IP and had compromised your router, they would not be able to man-in-the-middle that connection.

If you have a MacBook that is a 2018 model or newer, your machine has Apple's T2 Security Chip which allows Secure boot by default to ensure that the OS itself is not compromised. It will not boot if a root kit was installed.

should I perhaps reinstall it again using mobile network? Since I have heard that mobile data are much more secure than WiFi network.

I would say it's not necessary in this case as that connection made to Apple's servers should be secure. Recovery over mobile would also likely be in excess of 7GB of mobile data.

But you are correct. It would be a lot more difficult to compromise a mobile network.

Kyle Fennell
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