6 ms·

The Mac Defender malware is pretty harmless. It downloads as a zip file, and users must manually click through the entire installer just to get it installed.

The Mac Defender malware is pretty harmless. It downloads as a zip file, and users must manually click through the entire installer just to get it installed. How many Windows viruses are delivered as a setup.exe where you have to click next about 3 times and enter your admin password just to install it? As usual anti-mac trolls love to jump on the bandwagon and bash the platform with one of the best security track records running.

lotusleaf1987 15y ago
"[Bott] cited an internal document titled "About 'Mac Defender' Malware," which was last updated on May 16 and says that the trojan, which surfaced earlier this month and masquerades as legitimate security software for the OS X platform" I find it ironic that Bott's fear mongering is leading the naive to download shady anti-virus software that is actually adware. These articles are really just contributing to the problem by misinforming people. Ed Bott is the equivalent of Glen Beck.
- innes 15y ago
  Ed 'Glen Beck' Bott is apparently more influential amongst non-technical Mac users than anyone might have expected!
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
Niten 15y ago
Most Windows viruses these days have the exact same attack vector, simply tricking the user into installing them. All we're seeing here is that: (1) Despite the marketing, the Mac is not magically immune to these things any more than Windows is, and (2) now that OS X has obtained a reasonable market share it's finally become worth attacking. Neither of these things should be surprising to anyone, and hopefully the antimalware situation on OS X will improve before progressively more insidious Mac viruses are released.
- jonhohle 15y ago
  > and hopefully the antimalware situation on OS X will improve before progressively I don't think antimalware is anything I'd ever want to run on a computer I control. Unfortunately, I think we're being pushed into a world where all applications are vetted and purchased through a trusted marketplace, eliminating this vector.
  - Niten 15y ago
    > I don't think antimalware is anything I'd ever want to run on a computer I control. Why not? I mean this as an honest question. EDIT: If you're concerned about performance or system resources, try a PC with MSE sometime, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how unobtrusive good antimalware can be.
    - danssig 15y ago
      Have you ever ran a windows machine without all this stupid virus/malware software running? It's dramatically faster. Anti-malware/virus software was a stupid road to go down, the proper solution is to have better security on the machine.
      - JonoW 15y ago
        I run MSE, I barely notice it speed wise, and haven't had any malware or viruses. On your comment: > the proper solution is to have better security on the machine. Strongly disagree; if you look at this MacDefender issue, there is no flaw in OSX that is causing infection, users are installing it on their own accord. But what anti-malware/virus software can do here is warn or prevent the user from installing this in the first place, as it should detect the virus/malware signature. This is why you need it even if the underlying OS is secure, to try protect users from themselves.
        danssig 15y ago
        >I run MSE, I barely notice it speed wise, and haven't had any malware or viruses. I run several things on both Windows and Mac. The Mac version feels a lot faster. If I shut off all the virus stuff the windows stuff is still slower but not as dramatic. It depends on what the code does, obviously. Any disk or network read/writes take a hit so if you're doing a lot of those it really adds up. >Strongly disagree; if you look at this MacDefender issue, there is no flaw in OSX that is causing infection, users are installing it on their own accord. The solution to this is what Apple has already started doing: provide just one place for these kinds of people to get software. Just buy it in the App store. That is the proper approach to "protect users from themselves", not put a 20-30% performance penalty on all Macs.
sliverstorm 15y ago
... the platform with one of the best security track records running. Have you forgotten that Darwin is by and large derived from BSD? Apple is standing on the shoulders of giants with this one.

lotusleaf1987 15y ago

"[Bott] cited an internal document titled "About 'Mac Defender' Malware," which was last updated on May 16 and says that the trojan, which surfaced earlier this month and masquerades as legitimate security software for the OS X platform" I find it ironic that Bott's fear mongering is leading the naive to download shady anti-virus software that is actually adware. These articles are really just contributing to the problem by misinforming people. Ed Bott is the equivalent of Glen Beck.

innes 15y ago
Ed 'Glen Beck' Bott is apparently more influential amongst non-technical Mac users than anyone might have expected!

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

Niten 15y ago

Most Windows viruses these days have the exact same attack vector, simply tricking the user into installing them. All we're seeing here is that: (1) Despite the marketing, the Mac is not magically immune to these things any more than Windows is, and (2) now that OS X has obtained a reasonable market share it's finally become worth attacking. Neither of these things should be surprising to anyone, and hopefully the antimalware situation on OS X will improve before progressively more insidious Mac viruses are released.

jonhohle 15y ago
> and hopefully the antimalware situation on OS X will improve before progressively I don't think antimalware is anything I'd ever want to run on a computer I control. Unfortunately, I think we're being pushed into a world where all applications are vetted and purchased through a trusted marketplace, eliminating this vector.
- Niten 15y ago
  > I don't think antimalware is anything I'd ever want to run on a computer I control. Why not? I mean this as an honest question. EDIT: If you're concerned about performance or system resources, try a PC with MSE sometime, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how unobtrusive good antimalware can be.
  - danssig 15y ago
    Have you ever ran a windows machine without all this stupid virus/malware software running? It's dramatically faster. Anti-malware/virus software was a stupid road to go down, the proper solution is to have better security on the machine.
    - JonoW 15y ago
      I run MSE, I barely notice it speed wise, and haven't had any malware or viruses. On your comment: > the proper solution is to have better security on the machine. Strongly disagree; if you look at this MacDefender issue, there is no flaw in OSX that is causing infection, users are installing it on their own accord. But what anti-malware/virus software can do here is warn or prevent the user from installing this in the first place, as it should detect the virus/malware signature. This is why you need it even if the underlying OS is secure, to try protect users from themselves.
      - danssig 15y ago
        >I run MSE, I barely notice it speed wise, and haven't had any malware or viruses. I run several things on both Windows and Mac. The Mac version feels a lot faster. If I shut off all the virus stuff the windows stuff is still slower but not as dramatic. It depends on what the code does, obviously. Any disk or network read/writes take a hit so if you're doing a lot of those it really adds up. >Strongly disagree; if you look at this MacDefender issue, there is no flaw in OSX that is causing infection, users are installing it on their own accord. The solution to this is what Apple has already started doing: provide just one place for these kinds of people to get software. Just buy it in the App store. That is the proper approach to "protect users from themselves", not put a 20-30% performance penalty on all Macs.

sliverstorm 15y ago

... the platform with one of the best security track records running. Have you forgotten that Darwin is by and large derived from BSD? Apple is standing on the shoulders of giants with this one.