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Macs are on the attack by viruses and worms

by jackmrk
16 replies
Macs are on the attack map...
Look here: More Malware Targeting Users of Pirated Software for Mac

I'd expect lots Mac users get hit really bad since they are not
accustomed to dealing with worms and viruses.

I am checking it out with the 1000+ IT (computing) infrastructure
professionals + 15,000 pros groups I lead on linkedin and will let you know what I find.

But here are several tips:

1. Use an Anti-Virus on your MAC.
2. Use an Anti-Virus on your Windows boot or virtual machine
if you run windows on your MAC machine.
3. Consider buying a package that provides you with MAC and Windows
Anti-Virus on the same license. It massively reduces the price!
4. In some cases if you buy VMware to run Windows under MAC,
you'll get Anti-Virus license for free.

Thing is, up until now I did not get yet good indications for
the commercial Anti-Virus for MAC.
Up until now it looks like the free "ClamAV" antivirus is good, a bit slow and has less features compared to commercial ones, but has good reputation
and stability.

Yours,

Jack.
#attack #macs #viruses #worms
  • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
    Perhaps the first tip should be to not use pirated software?
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    • Profile picture of the author jackmrk
      Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

      Perhaps the first tip should be to not use pirated software?
      Of course one should not download software illegally, but many of the free
      legal games and other materials are prone to host viruses.

      So you got to be cautious anyway.

      Yours,

      Jack.
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  • Profile picture of the author ahuddy
    As OSX becomes a more widely used OS then it will become prone to more and more attacks. Windows is the largest market share thus the hackers/virus programmers go after that since they will see the most results. It's purely a numbers game.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alan Petersen
      When I bought my Mac almost two years now the guy at the store kept saying how I didn't need anti-virus software because it wasn't a PC.

      I was like are you sure and he was so cocky about that. Now that they run intel and they're a lot more popular looks like it's time. I don't run pirated software but looks like Mac viruses are getting more popular.

      Cracks me up a bit how Apple insinuated they didn't have virus problems like on a PC when their was only 172 geeks using mac.

      Now that they run Intel and are a lot more popular they're getting the same problems like a Windows PC.

      I like my Mac and all but I never drank the Apple kool aid like the hardcore mac folks. Same issues popup...my Mac has crashed. I still have to do the equivelent of crl-alt-del which is "force quit"-- from time to time. So same issues here and there. And I had to get a new battery for my MacBook Pro after only 16 months. I guess crappy batteries is an Apple signature like with the iPod.
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      • Profile picture of the author Marhelper
        I agree completely. I have gone through a battery in about 12 months time and I am on my third hard drive. I like the MAC software but the rest can be improved upon.
        As far as the virus and worms, no problem yet but I am sure it is a matter of time.


        Originally Posted by Alan Petersen View Post

        When I bought my Mac almost two years now the guy at the store kept saying how I didn't need anti-virus software because it wasn't a PC.

        I was like are you sure and he was so cocky about that. Now that they run intel and they're a lot more popular looks like it's time. I don't run pirated software but looks like Mac viruses are getting more popular.

        Cracks me up a bit how Apple insinuated they didn't have virus problems like on a PC when their was only 172 geeks using mac.

        Now that they run Intel and are a lot more popular they're getting the same problems like a Windows PC.

        I like my Mac and all but I never drank the Apple kool aid like the hardcore mac folks. Same issues popup...my Mac has crashed. I still have to do the equivelent of crl-alt-del which is "force quit"-- from time to time. So same issues here and there. And I had to get a new battery for my MacBook Pro after only 16 months. I guess crappy batteries is an Apple signature like with the iPod.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeStronghill
    Well, I am a Mac advocate. Yes, the mac might be prone to viruses now, but I have been using a mac for years and have never had a virus. Well, I take that back, way back on an my Mac SE when the hard drive was 20 megs in size, I got a virus. So, if macs are now prone to viruses, that still beats the heck out of PC's that all you have to do is open IE and you get a virus. I work on both platforms and I was so sick of getting viruses for doing nothing more than using IE. Anyway, I am happy with what I work with and the loss of problems. I run about 130 applications on my mac and don't have any issues. (knock on wood, probably since I said this lightning will stike).

    I will check out virus software for my Mac. Great that you brought this subject up. It gets me to thinking.

    Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author imontie
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeff Henshaw
      all you have to do is open IE and you get a virus. I work on both platforms and I was so sick of getting viruses for doing nothing more than using IE
      Firefox, Netscape, Chrome ....... and many more. Why not try them (presupposing that you have not already)?

      IE is certainly not my browser of choice - even with the regular updates.

      Regards,
      Jeff.
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      • Profile picture of the author snidge
        Originally Posted by Jeff Henshaw View Post

        Firefox, Netscape, Chrome ....... and many more. Why not try them (presupposing that you have not already)?

        IE is certainly not my browser of choice - even with the regular updates.

        Regards,
        Jeff.

        I have never had this problem or anything even close to it. I use IE for everything and love it. No other browser displays things as clear as IE. I'm really interested in what Google is doing with Chrome, but it's not quite there yet.

        Some of the reasons people give me for switching to other browsers are things like, IE has too many toolbars, or it isn't secure enough without giving any actual facts to back that up. Well the toolbars are obviously the users fault or whoever setup the computer.

        I think that people just got swept up in all of this junk because someone was jealous of big Microsoft. They all have security holes from time to time. Nothing that is going to kill you.

        I find it funny that the only way to sell macs is to try to make Microsoft look bad. It has really become common for people to not have any idea what they are talking about to bash Microsoft while acting like Mac is perfect.

        If Mac had as many users as Microsoft, all of its flaws would start to come out just like we are starting to see.

        One more thing, if a code is even slightly messed up, Firefox will go crazy with confusion while IE puts it together the best it can, usually close to perfect.

        If it's been a while since you have used IE, download it and just browse the net for a bit and you will start to see what I am talking about!
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  • Profile picture of the author jackmrk
    One more remark...

    Having gone through 25 years of computing management and all the operating systems you can find, I can say all of them could
    be exploited that way or the other.

    A smart attacker will go for the mass (Windows, and maybe Mac now)
    in some cases, hence the massive attacks on windows.

    Yours,

    Jack.
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    Virus Free, Fast Computer FOREVER - Tips by a Computer Guru with 30 years of experience
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  • Profile picture of the author Alice Seba
    Mac users - tell Apple not to publish all those cocky commercials and maybe they won't set themselves up to be such a target. ;-)

    Me, still using a PC. No firewall, no anti-virus. Been clean for years...seriously.

    Alice
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    • Profile picture of the author snidge
      Originally Posted by Alice Seba View Post

      Mac users - tell Apple not to publish all those cocky commercials and maybe they won't set themselves up to be such a target. ;-)

      Me, still using a PC. No firewall, no anti-virus. Been clean for years...seriously.

      Alice

      Same here. I have many copies of virus protection programs laying around but I have an expired version of nortans from 4 years ago installed. No firewall.

      Just be smart in what you do online and you shouldn't run into any problems. Of course I will knock on wood, but the last time I got a virus I was just a kid downloading things I shouldn't!
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      • Profile picture of the author dorothydot
        My MacBook has the option to install Windows, but I never did. Isn't it the Windows side that is far more vulnerable to virus attack than the Mac side?

        And I use MacScan for antivirus - it so far has found tons of tracking cookies that it wipes out. That is about it.

        Dot
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  • Profile picture of the author Jon Alexander
    one thing mac has is regular automatic security updates - the apple people try to stay on top of it. Plus, it's built on a robust framework, unlike windows, which was created by geeks on crack with a deadline.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Oilman
    Good. Macs deserve it.
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  • Profile picture of the author alankay
    This is just scaremongering.

    I have never used a virus checker. And don't intend to either.

    The whole concept is stupid. And the anti virus industry is just a big scam - I wouldn't be surprised if Norton was actually a front for the Mafia.

    During the last 5 years I got a virus once on my laptop. Although I could have got a virus checker then I didn't - instead I just backed up important data and reformatted my machine.

    The whole anti virus industry is a nonsense. As long as you take precautions like downloading reputable software, don't look at porn, don't use outlook or any email client on your computer then you will be fine. There are so many things that can be done using online applications these days specifically gmail that prevent virus's from being downloaded from your machine unless you don't know what you're doing.
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    Something to keep in mind - viruses don't just come from visiting dodgy websites or downloading pirate software anymore.

    One worm in recent memory actually polled a list of incrementing IP addresses, and when it found an open IP, obviously used some kind of software exploit to move itself to the new system.

    You didn't actually have to download anything - all you had to do was leave your computer turned on, and connected to the internet.

    This was a few years back now, and operation systems these days all have their own built-in firewalls (though I still have a seperate one on my machine, and have one built in to my wireless router).

    It's only natural that as a certain platform becomes more popular, virus creators will take more interest in it.

    Personally I think it's worth a little prevention, when prevention is so easy and often free.

    cheers
    Sam
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