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This definition of virus is actually referred to as worm. A virus just attaches iself to a host (binary, document,...) to spread, like 30 years ago viruses spr
by kerng 6y ago
This definition of virus is actually referred to as worm.
A virus just attaches iself to a host (binary, document,...) to spread, like 30 years ago viruses spread via floppy disk which required a lot of manual doing.
A worm is what activley spreads by itself.
Both viruses or worms (malware so to speak) can be introduced to environments as trojans.
I think when someone says virus these days, including news, they just mean any kind of malware and it seems okay to me.
The important part is to start talking more about malware on macOS, as it seems a blind spot for many organizations.
- sandworm101 6y ago>> to start talking more about malware on macOS We had this debate in my office today. Imho malware is any software that the user/owner of a system doesn't want running. Others were of the opinion that "malware" doesn't include software for which someone, perhaps other than the user, has a legitimate use. So surveillance software isn't malware because it can be installed on a target device legitimately. So too most bloatware, stuff I call malware but many large corporations do not.
- Toutouxc 6y ago> talking more about malware on macOS That's also why it's important to make the distinction between the "naked-cheerleaders.jpg.exe" kind of malware, the "visited a website" or "opened a PDF" kind and finally the "had a machine online" kind. Because AFAIK the second kind of malware is very rare on macOS and the third kind is literally nonexistent. And some people rely on that (including me).
- saurik 6y agoSo, I appreciate you might consider this separate, but I would for most purposes include the various iMessage exploits in that last category (so: rare, but not unheard of).