I just watched my local news channel and they were talking about this new blacworm virus that destroys word documents, powerpoints and all that good stuff. They showed a bunch of people using laptops and other windows machines. All of a sudden for 2 seconds they showed a guy using an ibook!? Does this mean if I open an e-mail with my mac that has this blackworm virus that it'll still affect me?
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Blackworm virus...affects macs!?
- Thread starter WillMak
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WillMak said:
My guess- No. Some schmuck putting together clips of people using computers probably didn't realize that it was a mac he had just stuck in with the rest of the windows computers. I highly doubt everyone showed was actually an infected user.
I don't think there's anything to worry about. The virus is most likely to effect windows. The news channel probably just used random archived footage of people using computers as part of the story.
I remember a year ago one of the major newspapers in my city did a special on this killer virus that was attacking Windows computers, had them all in a panic. The image on the very front page for the article was an iMac G4. Guess the macs just look better.
OK gang, I'm gonna call you out on this.
1) There ARE MS Macro-language viruses that can and do infect Macs running MS Word and Excel. Because MS Office allows applications to run macros and executable scripts, it is entirely possible to exploit this cross-platform, non OS specific vector for viruses and worms.
2) To reply "I don't think so" and "Hah, not on a Mac" without checking out the real facts is irresponsible forum behaviour. If you don't know, then shaddap. One day, the answer is going to be Yes it can be destructive on a Mac.
3) The real answer, from the Symantec Anti Virus database on the Blackmal worm (which is what I assume the news clip was about) is that it is written in Visual Basic and uses Windows Media Player but Macs, DOS and Linux are not affected. Macs with Office have Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and WMP, but not the full Visual Basic.
So it was potentially a threat, but did not prove to affect Macs.
1) There ARE MS Macro-language viruses that can and do infect Macs running MS Word and Excel. Because MS Office allows applications to run macros and executable scripts, it is entirely possible to exploit this cross-platform, non OS specific vector for viruses and worms.
2) To reply "I don't think so" and "Hah, not on a Mac" without checking out the real facts is irresponsible forum behaviour. If you don't know, then shaddap. One day, the answer is going to be Yes it can be destructive on a Mac.
3) The real answer, from the Symantec Anti Virus database on the Blackmal worm (which is what I assume the news clip was about) is that it is written in Visual Basic and uses Windows Media Player but Macs, DOS and Linux are not affected. Macs with Office have Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and WMP, but not the full Visual Basic.
So it was potentially a threat, but did not prove to affect Macs.
CanadaRAM said:
You're right about the threat. I've done programming in VBA and it's quite capable of causing a mess without caring about the operating system. There is only one reason not to worry on the Mac OS X version of Office--an Access VBA virus--since there is no Access for Mac OS X.
That beast swept through my parent company last week. Their virus definitions were only 10 days old. It's still a mess from what I understand. I can't wait until there is a good alternative to Office for the Mac so I can get rid of all things Microsoft. Their stuff is just plain dangerous.CanadaRAM said:
myshoeshurt said:
Yes, we have a sign by our front door that says "Never miss a good chance to shutup". Truly wise words!
Is it really THAT hard to write secure code?
Ahhh college days... one of my term papers was wiped out by the Melissa macro virus. I think I was running Mac OS 8 or 8.5. 
CanadaRAM said:
Exactly... complacency is the biggest threat to our current happy more or less secure state on OS X. Let's not get into the habit of just dismissing everything as 'it won't affect us'...
surely if we all disabled all macros in our MS office documents then we'd be all safe and sound (as far as VBA viruses are concerned). does anyone know how to completely turn them off? i don't mean 'macro virus protection' because some viruses might be able to bypass that
The only people who try to tell you that there are destructive viruses written for Mac OS X are those trying to sell anti-virus software for Mac OS X.
I read that more than a milllion windows users switched to Mac last year, I was one of this million. As Mac grows market share the threat for viruses WILL increase. The best protection Mac has against viruses is that a virus written for Mac wouldn't infect enough comps to make it worth the programmers time. That will change as more people catch on to the mediocrity that Microsoft has shoved their throats for years.thegreatluke said:The only people who try to tell you that there are destructive viruses written for Mac OS X are those trying to sell anti-virus software for Mac OS X.
well i'm sure what's wrong with my powerbook, but i tried to open a powerpoint for my girlfriend, b/c it wouldn't open on her pc. i got the file to open, but when i opened it again, powerpoint closed by itself, and kept doing that. i finally got it to work with keynote. any ideas? now i can't open anything with powerpoint
dsnort said:
Nope, sorry. I can't believe someone is starting this tired old argument again. There are zero viruses for OS X. With all the publicity that that gets, don't you think at least one virus writer would be inclined to write a Mac virus if for no other reason that to be the first to do it? The reason there are no Mac viruses is because it's a very secure, UNIX based OS. The low marketshare numbers certainly don't hurt, but they're not the reason for the absence of viruses. If you don't believe me, please tell me why previous Mac OSs had viruses, all the way up through OS 9. They had similarly small marketshares.
I'm not saying the Mac is 100% immune, or that Mac users shouldn't be careful. However, even if the Mac were to reach 90+% marketshare like Windows, I don't think we would see near the problems with viruses and malware that Windows has. OS X is just a lot smarter about security.
Another thing to remeber
Just because our Macs can not be infected doesnt' mean that our Email isn't a carrier.
If someone sends you an email that is infected and for some reason you send it to your grandmother or aunt because it is cute, they will be infected.
SO, quit forwarding all of those "CUTE" emails because you think someone will enjoy it.
Just because our Macs can not be infected doesnt' mean that our Email isn't a carrier.
If someone sends you an email that is infected and for some reason you send it to your grandmother or aunt because it is cute, they will be infected.
SO, quit forwarding all of those "CUTE" emails because you think someone will enjoy it.
mduser63 said:
Check this out. Maybe the day is close at hand.
http://macuser.pcpro.co.uk/?news/news_story.php?id=82979