I have heard of more Mac viruses being released. I was just wondering how much damage can they actually do. With Windows, as long as you are on an Administrator account, a virus can do pretty much whatever it wants can't it? But even on an Administrator account on Mac OS X, it asks you for authorisation every time you want to do anything with system files.
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How much damage can Mac viruses do?
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The trojans will only be effective if you give it your admin password, if you don't they will do nothing. They are usually disguised as an active x control or video codec, often on porn sites. Rule 1) don't give your password to porn sites.
Typically they will be keyloggers, and probably connect silently to an IRC server to await instructions. They wont damage your data, but they will steal it.
Typically they will be keyloggers, and probably connect silently to an IRC server to await instructions. They wont damage your data, but they will steal it.
THERE ARE NO VIRUSES on OSX.
Trojans require user to install it. Trojans are not viruses.
Giz Explains: Why OS X Shrugs Off Viruses Better Than Windows
http://i.gizmodo.com/5101337/giz-explains-why-os-x-shrugs-off-viruses-better-than-windows
The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/
The Unavoidable Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/...-apple-wont-inherit-microsofts-malware-crown/
How to check for Trojans
http://www.macworld.com/article/60823/2007/10/trojanhorse.html
Market Share Myth
http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/i...uter_virus_record_straig&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Trojans require user to install it. Trojans are not viruses.
Giz Explains: Why OS X Shrugs Off Viruses Better Than Windows
http://i.gizmodo.com/5101337/giz-explains-why-os-x-shrugs-off-viruses-better-than-windows
The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/
The Unavoidable Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/...-apple-wont-inherit-microsofts-malware-crown/
How to check for Trojans
http://www.macworld.com/article/60823/2007/10/trojanhorse.html
Market Share Myth
http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/i...uter_virus_record_straig&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Theoretically? As much as the programmer made it do, theoretically it could wipe your hard drive, theoretically so could a windows virus on a windows machine. There is no financial gain in that though, so they don't do that. Virus's are designed to be as unobtrusive as possible so the user doesn't get rid of them.
But as has been said before there are literally 0 mac virus's outside of os9 and a couple of MS word macro virus's.
There would be unbelievable kudos in the black hat / mac hating world for the first person to be able to write one, and there have been $50k prizes offered, no one has managed yet.
Trojan/Virus -- Potato/Potato -- Tomato/Tomato
Many mac users will argue that mac's are better than pc's because "there are no viruses for a mac". Then when someone points out that are a few threats like OSX/Leap-A or OSX?Oompa-A the mac users will replay that "trojans are not viruses" as a way of downplaying the potential threat. A trojan may not self replicate but it can still reap havoc on your computer by deleting files, destroying information, giving access to your computer, compromising personal information, etc. However, technically it's not a virus but it can be just as bad as a virus.
Don't install anything on your mac unless you know that the files you downloaded are safe.
Cheers.
Many mac users will argue that mac's are better than pc's because "there are no viruses for a mac". Then when someone points out that are a few threats like OSX/Leap-A or OSX?Oompa-A the mac users will replay that "trojans are not viruses" as a way of downplaying the potential threat. A trojan may not self replicate but it can still reap havoc on your computer by deleting files, destroying information, giving access to your computer, compromising personal information, etc. However, technically it's not a virus but it can be just as bad as a virus.
Don't install anything on your mac unless you know that the files you downloaded are safe.
Cheers.
Doesn't matter though, it doesn't make OS X insecure. A trojan in no more than a standard application which happens to be hidden or disguised, and does something nasty.
I don't think it's good to answer questions about viruses on Macs with "you don't need antivirus software on Macs because there are no viruses."
If somebody is asking whether or not they need AV software, they aren't the most technical of users with regards to computer security, so it's probably a good idea for them to run something like iAntiVirus to helped detect any trojans they might find.
Any application running under your user account can read and modify any files that you (the user) can. That includes everything in your home directory, as well as the "Applications" directory (if you're running as an administrator).
Just because you haven't given it root privileges doesn't mean that malicious software can't do damage -- it definitely can.
