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Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=13708		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  Linux_User [ Thu May 19, 2011 12:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
Quote:
Fake security software catches out Apple owners

A fake security program for Apple computers called MACDefender has racked up a significant number of victims.

Hundreds of people who installed the software have turned to Apple's forums for help to remove it.

The program's tactic of peppering screens with pornographic pictures has made many keen to get rid of it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13453497
Author:  steve74 [ Thu May 19, 2011 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
'tis old news.
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Thu May 19, 2011 2:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
clicky
Quote:
Customers calling into Apple for help with removing MAC Defender and its variants are frustrated over two problems - first, they're dealing with this problem on machines that, according to Apple marketing literature, were advertised as being relatively free of viruses and malware compared to "the other guys." Consumer naivety aside, the second problem reinforces said marketing literature - AppleCare support representatives are officially told not to help customers with removal of malware according to the Terms of Service for AppleCare


Quote:
Given the imminent rise of Mac rogueware and malware in the wild, will Apple take the responsible step of informing their customers that they too need to be as proactive as their Windows-using neighbors? Or will they continue to tow the line of their marketing team?
Author:  jonbwfc [ Thu May 19, 2011 3:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
Fundamental point - 50% of mac users are stupider than average. Same as Windows & Linux. You can code as hard and as high as you like, stupidity will always out-evolve you.It's not up to Apple to change it's ad copy (which, IMO, would be a futile act - do you really think people pay that much attention to ad copy anyway?), it's up to us as computer-literate users to educate our family & friends, whatever platform they choose to access digital information on. That's the only thing that will actually help over the whole population.

Oh, as for the 'imminent rise of mac rogueware', First of all.. 'rogueware'? Seriously? Malware was quite stupid a phrase enough thanks. And secondly.

Jon
Author:  paulzolo [ Thu May 19, 2011 4:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
I guess Apple’s instructions not to remove the software is down to legal liability. As soon as someone removes it, Apple can be held accountable for any damage or potential re-infection.

I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Safari>Preferences, click on the General tab, switch off Open “safe” files after downloading.

jonbwfc wrote:
Fundamental point - 50% of mac users are stupider than average. Same as Windows & Linux.


And this is a good argument for closed wall systems, such as iOS - let the consumers use those where they can come to little harm. If you want the free-for-all bundle that is the world of desktop OSes, then with those freedoms come the bigger risks.
Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Thu May 19, 2011 6:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
Macs were never that secure - it was just that with such a tiny proportion of users, there wasn't much point in targetting them. Now that more and more people are using Macs, there'll be more and more viruses. Soon there'll be hotfixes and weekly updates. :lol:
Author:  forquare1 [ Thu May 19, 2011 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
I've never thought that's fair to say. There have always been plenty of people who hate Macs, with Apple saying over the last decade "Macs don't get viruses", you'd have thought that one of these Mac haters would have done something really big, for nothing but the fame...But there hasn't really been anything...

Mac, Linux, UNIX, and Windows can only be so safe. If the user says "yes, do this please", the computer is going to let you do it.
Once upon a time, system changes could only be done using the root user, only a select, knowledgable, few had the root user's password. Today every user has access to pretty much everything...
Author:  Linux_User [ Thu May 19, 2011 7:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
forquare1 wrote:
Today every user has access to pretty much everything...

As it should be! I wouldn't change something on my car unless I knew what I was doing, so why should computers be different?
Author:  forquare1 [ Thu May 19, 2011 8:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
Linux_User wrote:
forquare1 wrote:
Today every user has access to pretty much everything...

As it should be! I wouldn't change something on my car unless I knew what I was doing, so why should computers be different?


People know not to play with cars, they are difficult and expensive. If Tesco did a "5 minute engine replacement" kit, everyone would be doing it...

With computers things have only gotten easier. Users know that pressing "yes", "ok", and "accept" will let them carry on happily, while pressing "no", "cancel", or "decline" will not and that's all they need to know. 99% of the time time it's fine, that game they downloaded installed easily enough and didn't do anything bad, that email from the person they didn't know just wanted to sell them viagra but they didn't want it so deleted it, but what about that anti-virus program Aunty Gene sent them? That must be safe. So they go ahead and click "yes" and "accept" and boom! Virus. It's all just point and click.
People tend not to fiddle with the innards of their computers because it's not so easy, much like performing fairly simple stuff on a car.
Author:  tombolt [ Thu May 19, 2011 10:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
paulzolo wrote:
I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Safari>Preferences, click on the General tab, switch off Open “safe” files after downloading.


This needs more interaction than that. All that does unzip a package. You then have to run the package from your downloads folder, say yes to it being a download from the Internet, then enter your admin password.
Author:  forquare1 [ Fri May 20, 2011 7:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
paulzolo wrote:
I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Apple Menu>Shut Down, click on OK.
;)
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Fri May 20, 2011 7:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
tombolt wrote:
paulzolo wrote:
I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Safari>Preferences, click on the General tab, switch off Open “safe” files after downloading.


This needs more interaction than that. All that does unzip a package. You then have to run the package from your downloads folder, say yes to it being a download from the Internet, then enter your admin password.

Yes it is more down to stupidity of the user rather than a virus.
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri May 20, 2011 3:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
tombolt wrote:
paulzolo wrote:
I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Safari>Preferences, click on the General tab, switch off Open “safe” files after downloading.


This needs more interaction than that. All that does unzip a package. You then have to run the package from your downloads folder, say yes to it being a download from the Internet, then enter your admin password.


Apparently, it auto runs.

Quote:
If the "Open 'safe' files after downloading" option is turned on in Safari, the installer will be unzipped and run. Since the installer requires a user password, it won't install without user interaction. However, inexperienced users may be fooled into thinking the software is legitimate.


http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/ ... umbers.ars
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri May 20, 2011 3:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
forquare1 wrote:
paulzolo wrote:
I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Apple Menu>Shut Down, click on OK. The fire up the RISC PC and carry on
;)

:P
Author:  forquare1 [ Fri May 20, 2011 3:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fake security software catches out Apple Mac owners
paulzolo wrote:
forquare1 wrote:
paulzolo wrote:
I know this is a social engineering project by the Malware folk, so technically not a virus. The best precaution is to go to Apple Menu>Shut Down, click on OK. The fire up the RISC PC and carry on
;)

:P

:lol:
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