Over 600,000 Macs Infected With Flashback Malware

[exfileme]

There's a Flashback botnet consisting of 600,000 Apple Macs, some of which reside in Apple's hometown.

Over 600,000 Macs Infected With Flashback Malware : Read more

 

[Guest]

looks like mac os is not so secure after all

 

[v3nom777]

Does anybody even need to comment?

 

[alikum]

[citation][nom]v3nom777[/nom]Does anybody even need to comment?[/citation]
I guess the comment section is better off left clear for Apple fanboys to have their say or rebuttal

 

[JOSHSKORN]

This comment should take care of my thoughts on this one: ROFLMAO!!

 

[JOSHSKORN]

I thought MACs don't get viruses. Or that's what I was told. Oh well. Now I guess I can say this: ROFLMAO!!

 

[glarimore]

Once market share of a piece of software/OS gets to the point where it's profitable for malware producers to make malware for it, they will. The only reason that we've seen so much malware on PCs in the past is that most computers have been PCs.

This was bound to happen eventually.

 

[Delengowski]

Oh how I wish I still had facebook, there are some people I know that I would to post this on their wall. About time all those fanboys who swear mac can't get virus start to stfu.

 

[joytech22]

Problem, Apple?

Seems a few people started to take on those claims and look what happened?

 

[rattyuk]

Here's the thing. Anyone bothered to do anything more than reprint this Russian company's PR?

 

[aznguy0028]

I would also like to add in my piece of intellectual thought for this conversation: LULZ, problem... macs?

 

[Vladislaus]

Why does America has such a high percentage of infected Macs when compared to other countries?

 

[archilochus]

If you believe the article, the trojan in question was disguised as an installer application for Adobe Flash. No OS can protect users from themselves in all situations.

 

[Pinhedd]

[citation][nom]rattyuk[/nom]Here's the thing. Anyone bothered to do anything more than reprint this Russian company's PR?[/citation]

They're not lying. Every time there's a hacking competition the OSX platform is the first to fall

 

[jdw_swb]

But....but......I thought Macs couldn't get viruses.

*They lied to us all*

 

[halcyon]

I have several Macs. Only those really ignorant believe that Macs are less susceptible to malware. I know I'll be checking my Mac's anti-malware implementations to ensure that all is what its expected to be.

 

[Guest]

Ha - I turned FLASH off on my browser - it obliterates the CPUs and starts up all by itself because of some alleged FLASH event, such as passing through a webpage with flash content. Flash, java - all the dogs of the internet...and now carriers for viruses.

 

[Guest]

Macs can get a virus. They don't because most of the viruses out there are for Windows. Also as Apple said there are a TON of defenses built-in to the OS that HELP prevent viruses. There is NO computer in the entire world or will ever be that is 100% virus proof. If you believed that Macs cannot get a virus then you are living in a dream world. And if you believed what people told you about Macs never able to contract a virus then you are dumber than the people who told that to you.

And for the record I am an avid apple user, but I'm also realistic. I know Macs can get a virus, and yes it was bound to happen eventually, but I also protect my macbook as much as possible by using an anti-virus and by being smart and using basic (common) sense.

For those who think this is a HUGE deal and that this is something to cut down mac users, GUESS WHAT, this is not the first mac specific virus out there. Nor will it be the last.

 

[darkstar845]

My safari homepage changed to mystart.com all by itself, does that count as malware?

 

[jaquith]

[citation][nom]JOSHSKORN[/nom]This comment should take care of my thoughts on this one: ROFLMAO!![/citation]
You've got to be kidding -- right?!

Compared to the 100's of millions of PC infected with any and or all of the above, Mac's are pretty secure or as secure as any UNIX system with OEM added protection.

Further, you're a moron if you you don't use a good commercial AV on any computer; you're just asking for it.

I have a couple Mac's, a lot more PC's, and a room filled with servers running mostly RHEL. If I were a fool then they all could get infected. Mac's have considerably less problems primary for (2) reasons: 1. More viruses (etc) are written to exploit PC's, 2. UNIX is a tad tougher to 'infect'. Viruses since the 90's have been around for both the Mac's and obviously the PC's.

The day there's a 'perfect PC' around I'll be long dead and buried.

 

[Guest]

It's a rarity to find Mac malware, let alone for it to infect OS X. Exact opposite for Windows. Apple just puts out an OS X update, malware gone. The manual removal instructions for Macs are as simple as can be. Microsoft puts out Microsoft Security Essentials, which doesn't work for tons of malware. its really just Windows dressing. Microsofts MRT (Malicious Software Removal Tool) which gets ran with most Microsoft updates doesn't catch most malware. So your Windows PC gets updated while malware is still present. Your system restore points contain the malware. There is an art to getting rid of malware on Windows. If you go to Geek Squad they'll remove it for $100-200. Geek Squad also teaches computer courses. Is there a course in how to get rid of malware? No, they explicitly state that they will not teach somone how to get rid of malware. It's a racket that the anti-virus purveyors want to bring over to Android and Mac while whole platforms are moving to closed models that do no one any good except for the company. Macs will soon be able to only download apps from the Mac store (Mountain Lion will have option to download from anywhere, but after that?), Windows PCs will only be able to download apps from the Windows Store (Windows 8 on ARM), and Android machines will only be able to download apps from Google Play (No more sideloading, no more Amazon App Store, etc, you'll be forced to root). Linux will have its day. It will be the only open platform with privacy and security built-in. Any malware that penetrates will be easily removed as there are thousands of Linux people monitoring these things. Security scares always benefit someone besides the user; whether that is malware writers, anti-malware purveyors, or even fascist government like the US government is becoming in calling for real-name identified users of the internet. Companies will follow the US govt which is why you're seeing things becoming closed. Apple knows exactly who you are on your iPod, iPhone, or iPad because of Apple ID and if you ever purchased anything from them. Android and Google want real info anyway they can. Windows 8 is a big leap toward big brother. I'll be moving to Linux full-time when this all goes down.

 

[joe nate]

[citation][nom]halcyon[/nom]Only those really ignorant believe that Macs are less susceptible to malware.[/citation]

Problem is a majority of Mac users are ignorant. They tout that they are invulnerable to viruses. Security through obscurity only means that you won't be targeted as much, not that you can defend against something, once attacked. All it takes is one successful attack and you're infected.

The easiest way to get a virus is ignorance, regardless of OS. Even people with the best protections clicking "Yes, I sure would like a free car, I just have to install this to get it? Yes, install please. Am I really sure, my anti-virus says it's a virus, no... There's no way it can be a virus, it's for a free car! Yes, go ahead and install so I can get my free car!!!" Reminds me of that episode of Futurama with the eyePhones.

 

[zloginet]

[citation][nom]Vladislaus[/nom]Why does America has such a high percentage of infected Macs when compared to other countries?[/citation]

We are the only ones stupid enough to buy um... Other countries just seem to work for Apple... Then commit suicide.

 

[A Bad Day]

"Windows and Androids suck, because they always get hacked! Mac rules!"

-Famous last words of an ill-educated Mac user before his/her Social Security, credit card and bank account numbers end up on the black market for sale.


Here's my rule of thumb: No software is ever secure if it can be connected by any I/O ports, or if humans can gain access to it. Just because one software has a small market-share doesn't mean its immune.

 

[nebun]

that's why apple needs to start selling antivirus products in their stores