Possible malware?

[jwhite878]

Hi everyone. In the past week or so, both Gmail and Hotmail (which I rarely use anymore) have had me change my password due to security reasons. I find it an odd coincidence, and am wondering if it is possible a virus or something similar made its way onto my computer (Macbook Pro, running Lion 10.7.3). Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[miles01110]

It likely has nothing to do with your Mac. Someone is probably trying to reset your GMail and Hotmail accounts with the "I forgot my password" links.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

There is a lot of hotmail spam going around at the moment due to a flaw in hotmail which made it easy to get in to someone elses account. So I suspect its connected with that and nothing to do with malware at all.

 

[GGJstudios]

In the past week or so, both Gmail and Hotmail (which I rarely use anymore) have had me change my password due to security reasons. I find it an odd coincidence, and am wondering if it is possible a virus or something similar made its way onto my computer (Macbook Pro, running Lion 10.7.3). Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

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. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). 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​

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. Disable Java in your browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox). This will protect you from malware that exploits Java in your browser, including the recent Flashback trojan. Leave Java disabled until you visit a trusted site that requires it, then re-enable only for the duration of your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Change your DNS servers to OpenDNS servers by reading this.
   
   
5. Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
   
   
6. Never let someone else have access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
7. Don't open files that you receive from unknown or untrusted sources.
   
   
8. For added security, make sure all network, email, financial and other important passwords are long and complex, including upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
   
   
9. Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.

That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any Mac OS X malware that has ever been released into the wild. You don't need any 3rd party software to keep your Mac secure.