Virus on a Mac? They are apparently already here

[klex]

This article claims that there exist more than 100 malware targeting the mac.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c79b814e-a364-11dc-b229-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

 

[0007776]

it's telling me you have to register to read the article. however there are still at most one that has been released into the wild. I'm guessing this is talking about flaws that theoretically could be exploited.

 

[klex]

No, they are claiming the existence of actual malware:

Over the past few months, however, the number of malicious programmes has increased, according to a report published this week by F-Secure, an internet security company.

“Over the past two years, we had found one or two pieces of malware targeting Macs,” said Patrik Runald, an F-Secure security researcher. “Since October, we’ve found 100-150 variants.”

I don't know why you have to register to read the article, I didn't. You can google Financial Times, and there's a link on their home page to the article

 

[CashGap]

I read it somewhere.

Main points:

- Roughly 500,000 exploits out there
- Apple market share is 10%
- (Not stated... you'd expect 50,000 Mac exploits)
- About 100 Mac exploits known
- (Weakly explained) The Mac exploits involve tricking the user into doing something stupid, rather than exploiting a software flaw.

From this they attempted to fan the spark into a panic that Mac exploits will soon be rampant. They dramatically underreported two things: the known Mac exploits go after the stupidity of users in general, rather than a flaw in the software. And the exploits are miniscule compared to the installed base, reflecting superior robustness in the OS vs. Windows.

 

[Slumbercub]

The FT should really stick to writing about what they know. Long, exceeding dull articles about interest rates and the stock market no doubt.

 

[kkat69]

The FT should really stick to writing about what they know. Long, exceeding dull articles about interest rates and the stock market no doubt.

In addition to that people including FT should read up on the Definition of "Virus", "Malware", "Spyware", and "Trojan" they are all different beasts.

The topic of this thread is a farce.

 

[bartelby]

Maybe I'm just too cynical but when an internet security company starts saying this kind of stuff I just think it's trying to drum up trade.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

In addition to that people including FT should read up on the Definition of "Virus", "Malware", "Spyware", and "Trojan" they are all different beasts.

The topic of this thread is a farce.

but at the same time people like you need to also understand the common definition of "Virus" includes all of the above in it.

Now I going to guess most of them are trojans/malware. We all knew or should of known once that first one was made and started working the numbers would grow exceptionally. Using and modifing older ones to make new more powerful ones.

Now will we ever see a true virus on a mac. I doute it but that is because their are hardly any more true viruses made any more. The latest number I saw was it is around 2% of all new "virus" are true viruses.

 

[HLdan]

Maybe I'm just too cynical but when an internet security company starts saying this kind of stuff I just think it's trying to drum up trade.

Agreed. Symatec has been furious that sales have been next to nothing for their useless anti-virus for the Mac so they make these public statements as a scare tactic to create sales.

Funny, I have been using the Mac for 10 years and Symantec is the only company I know that has next to nothing in sales to the Macintosh crowd yet they continue to develop the software. Every other company jumps ship on the Mac when sales drop. Go figure.

At any rate, this post is waste of time. I don't know why some of the poster seem to want to create virus threads. Let it go and if and when that time comes we will cross that bridge then. Just enjoy the fact that there are no known viruses and spyware on the Mac.

 

[Silencio]

Funny, I have been using the Mac for 10 years and Symantec is the only company I know that has next to nothing in sales to the Macintosh crowd yet they continue to develop the software. Every other company jumps ship on the Mac when sales drop. Go figure.

They do still sell significant numbers of licenses for NAV for Mac OS X to businesses, education, and other institutional networks where antivirus protection is mandated by IT policy, even on Macs.

I use Sophos at my clients who want cross-platform antivirus. Good central management, good Mac OS X client, stable and fast. About all it detects on Macs right now are Word macro viruses and the odd Windows virus transmitted by spammers. But even Sophos engages in the "Mac malware" FUD game every now and again -- it is of course in their best interest to do so.

 

[psonice]

Unless you're stupid enough to download and install something from a dodgy site, and give it your admin password, there's nothing really out there that should worry you at the moment. If you're one of the people who will do anything for free porn though, even prepared to give up your password for it, start worrying!

That doesn't mean there is nothing to worry about on the horizon though. There are plenty of exploits for OSX, and lots of people who believe that the OS is super secure and they don't have to worry about it. That and the rising market share make OSX a very tempting target these days. In the last week, the first 'dual platform' exploit was demonstrated that can load up malware on either windows or OSX from a single piece of code. I think it's using a flaw in quicktime, but it'd have to be opened from a mail link.

Anyway, use a bit of caution (turn on that firewall, turn on a second firewall in your router if you have one too, be very careful which web sites you visit and what you click on, and don't open any emails you're not sure about) and all should be well. (i.e. think like a PC user!)

We have a lot of macs at work, with virus scanners running on them. The only infections so far have been MS Office files.. typical! I won't open any joke emails with office document attachments these days because of the flaws in them, and the viruses that spread in them. Some actually rely on you forwarding the joke on to friends to spread.