You have to install this yourself.... it is NOT a virus... but maleware.
Not sure exactly how OSX is less secure? Maleware has been around for years for OSX.... just don't install the damn thing!
I don't see why you quoted me to make this point, millerb7, please see autrefois’s first sentence below.
Further, initially requiring user intervention for infection doesn't make software something less than a virus - this malware isn't a virus, as far as I can tell, because it doesn't
reproduce and spread itself to other machines.
The word "virus" was not brought up until you mentioned it...
I agree with justinfreid that this situation is making OS X *LOOK* less secure. It is a threat: even if it is malware that must be user-installed, it is still malware. Mac users are less used to this sort of thing, and this is arguably the most high-profile threat to OS X and it's coming right before a major conference.
I wonder if Steve will address security in his keynote to try to show Apple is being active in protecting against malware (daily automatic updates could be spun to be a positive thing). The fact that they do seem to be on top of this one, unlike other holes that would at times go unpatched for months, makes things at least seem more secure.
What kind of logic is this?
Thanks autrefois, and hope this answers your question angrynstupid.
Since I was posting from my phone and wasn't sure of the exact syntax for italics, I didn't emphasize
look, and it was the appearance of a growing flaw that I thought could potentially cause problems, however small, so close to the release of Lion.
Apple's quick reaction and change to daily updates indicates to me that they see this type of infection as a growing problem and not a one off, never to return issue. Being forced to devote resources to another cat and mouse situation, the other being jailbreaking of iOS, is what might sap a lot of the OS X team's resources going forward.
But, I understand how Apple PR could spin this the other way and claim that Lion is in fact more secure and point to how this cat, Lion, can crush any mouse it finds.
I have a lot of confidence in Cupertino, and I'm looking forward to 10.7, but I don't think suggesting that an escalating anti-malware arms race would look bad should be scoffed at (how I interpreted my 30 or so thumbs down for the post): Apple Inc. isn't perfect and the growing popularity of OS X lends itself, at the very least, to it being a more interesting playground for malware authors.
