Man in the Browser financial malware

[dark knight]

So i just watched BBC Click, an episode about 'man in the browser' financial malware. Basically the advice was to realise if your bank's website suddenly asks for an unusual amount of information like whole passwords etc.

For some years now i have not bothered with anti-virus on my macs (x5). I have even queried the forums and people have generally advised that as long as you stay away from dubious sites and never give permission to an odd looking program to run then you should be fine.

Does anyone have advice on different browsers or mac-specific software that will actually help the user. My experience with AV software on PCs is that they tend to be significantly slower after installation and then you have to keep 'scanning' and 'updating' and of course 'paying'

For anyone who does not know, the 'Man in the Browser' is a specific type of malware that somehow resides within the browser, acting as a malicious layer between you and your browser. It is capable of changing both the information you enter and information being displayed to you.

 

[thankins]

So i just watched BBC Click, an episode about 'man in the browser' financial malware. Basically the advice was to realise if your bank's website suddenly asks for an unusual amount of information like whole passwords etc.

For some years now i have not bothered with anti-virus on my macs (x5). I have even queried the forums and people have generally advised that as long as you stay away from dubious sites and never give permission to an odd looking program to run then you should be fine.

Does anyone have advice on different browsers or mac-specific software that will actually help the user. My experience with AV software on PCs is that they tend to be significantly slower after installation and then you have to keep 'scanning' and 'updating' and of course 'paying'

For anyone who does not know, the 'Man in the Browser' is a specific type of malware that somehow resides within the browser, acting as a malicious layer between you and your browser. It is capable of changing both the information you enter and information being displayed to you.

The MitB explit has been arond since late 2008. I don't think you have to worry about it on the Mac since Safari and even IE (for Windows) block the attack APIs that calls the extenstion.

Remember news channels like to blow up stories - remember Y2K and how much they covered it.

 

[GGJstudios]

For anyone who does not know, the 'Man in the Browser' is a specific type of malware that somehow resides within the browser, acting as a malicious layer between you and your browser. It is capable of changing both the information you enter and information being displayed to you.

As shown here, all the examples of this threat are on Windows. As shown here, you are protected by using Mac OS X.

Reducing or eliminating the risk of malware infection by using alternative operating systems - for example Mac OS X or Linux ...

You don't need any 3rd party antivirus app to keep your Mac malware-free. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​

 

[dark knight]

thanks for the advice
*feels a little bit smug for using OS X

 

[GGJstudios]

thanks for the advice
*feels a little bit smug for using OS X

No need to be smug. It still pays to be vigilant and practice safe computing. The Mac OS X malware environment can change at any time. Also, the greatest threat still lies with the fleshy part between the keyboard and the chair (PEBKAC).

 

[saberahul]

No need to be smug. It still pays to be vigilant and practice safe computing. The Mac OS X malware environment can change at any time. Also, the greatest threat still lies with the fleshy part between the keyboard and the chair (PEBKAC).

I remember from an older topic where Sim suggested you use TextExpander, since you use your old posts for the same questions. Well, I found DashExpander for free on the MAS which does the same thing. Might be helpful

 

[GGJstudios]

I remember from an older topic where Sim suggested you use TextExpander, since you use your old posts for the same questions. Well, I found DashExpander for free on the MAS which does the same thing. Might be helpful

Thanks for the tip. I'm currently using the trial of Typinator, which seems to be doing well so far. The only problem with DashExpander is I still run 10.5.8 on my primary Mac, so no MAS for me. I also see it's only for Lion. I'll keep it in mind, though! Thanks again!

 

[saberahul]

Thanks for the tip. I'm currently using the trial of Typinator, which seems to be doing well so far. The only problem with DashExpander is I still run 10.5.8 on my primary Mac, so no MAS for me. I'll keep it in mind, though! Thanks again!

Oh OK. Glad I could help!