85,589

[Fish2006]

It is impossible for those viruses to attack Mac OS. There are no Mac OS viruses to worry about, that I've heard of anyway. The dudes who write viruses don't bother aiming them at Mac computers; they create them for Windows PCs almost exclusively. The Mac is immune to Windows viruses by its very design. It doesn't run Windows software and therefore can 't react to Windows viruses. You don't need antivirus software to protect your computer against Windows viruses. And you do not need to protect your computer against Mac OS X viruses, because there relly aren't any. I don't think they even sell Virus software for Macs.

That's what I hear anyway...

:thumbs:

Actually, the virii that work on unix also work on Macs, since the Mac OS is really a variant of unix under the hood. As well, the more popular Macs become - and they are becoming more popular, the more they are a virus target.

Windows has historically been a target because of it's wide installed base. Vista - the latest version, makes it near impossible for virii to run easily (and unfortunatley, a lot of other things too, like device drivers for legacy hardware - a whole different issue). XP is pretty secure too after SP1. Anything up to and including Windows ME, however (released in 2000), is bad, bad, bad.

[homedawg]

Now I'm scared! lmao.

Cheers :beerbang:

Happy computing...with whatever you use :thumbs:

I might just try 1 of them apples???

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Now I'm scared! lmao.

Cheers :beerbang:

Happy computing...with whatever you use :thumbs:

[homedawg]

spyware.... keyloggers... trojans.... trackin' cookies.... etc.....


IMO, mac users, are at a bigger risk now!:thumbs:


So, if Mac OS X has a series of vulnerabilities, does that mean Mac users who believe their computers are completely safe and without need of security precautions are wrong? Yes. Like any operating system, Mac OS X has its share of exploitable weaknesses.

Does it mean that the Mac is completely unsecured and is as likely to suffer the level of threats that Windows does? No. There will probably never be the same breadth of effort to target Mac OS X as there is with Windows. As such, there will probably always be some security by obscurity. But that doesn’t mean that there will remain as small a number of actual threats as there are today. Apple’s move to Intel hardware will make it easier to write or convert the existing payloads of malicious code to targets Mac OS X.

Because of the differences between Mac OS X and Windows, it is somewhat easier to secure a Mac than it is to secure Windows and to maintain that security. This means that although Mac users will likely continue to enjoy more security, they do need to know that they are not immune to threats and should be concerned with ensuring that they protect their computers

[homedawg]

JML, I was just gettin' ready to leave this alone... but ya got me thinking....


I started this thread about spybot!!!

[homedawg]

:ohman: GL JML :beerbang:

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Macs no longer immune to viruses, experts say
SAN FRANCISCO - Benjamin Daines was browsing the Web when he clicked on a series of links that promised pictures of an unreleased update to his computer’s operating system.

Instead, a window opened on the screen and strange commands ran as if the machine was under the control of someone — or something — else. Daines was the victim of a computer virus.

Such headaches are hardly unusual on PCs running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system. Daines, however, was using a Mac — an Apple Computer Inc. machine often touted as being immune to such risks.

He and at least one other person who clicked on the links were infected by what security experts call the first-ever virus for Mac OS X, the operating system that has shipped with every Mac sold since 2001 and has survived virtually unscathed from the onslaught of malware unleashed on the Internet in recent years.

“It just shows people that no matter what kind of computer you use you are still open to some level of attack,” said Daines, a 29-year-old British chemical engineer who once considered Macs invulnerable to such attacks.

Apple’s iconic status, growing market share and adoption of same microprocessors used in machines running Windows are making Macs a bigger target, some experts warn.

Apple’s most recent wake-up call came last week, as a Southern California researcher reported seven new vulnerabilities. Tom Ferris said malicious Web sites can exploit the holes without a user’s knowledge, potentially allowing a criminal to execute code remotely and gain access to passwords and other sensitive information.

Ferris said he warned Apple of the vulnerabilities in January and February and that the company has yet to patch the holes, prompting him to compare the Cupertino-based computer maker to Microsoft three years ago, when the world’s largest software company was criticized for being slow to respond to weaknesses in its products.


“They didn’t know how to deal with security, and I think Apple is in the same situation now,” said Ferris, himself a Mac user.

:beer2:

Mac Attack a Load of Crap
WIRED

Is the sky falling in on our smug little Mac universe?

On Tuesday, there was news of a security hole in Apple's Safari web browser that allows a system to be compromised by merely visiting a website. And last week, the first worm to pose a serious threat to Mac OS X, Leap-A or Oompa Loompa, raised its ugly little head.

These security woes prompted a rant from one of our editors in a daily story meeting.

Mac security-threat stories are annoying, he said, because they play off misconceptions -- held with a fervor bordering on the religious -- that the Mac platform is inherently more secure than Windows. Not so, he insisted. Microsoft has done some stupid things that exposed its customers to unnecessary risks compared to Mac users. But all systems are theoretically vulnerable, so it's inevitable that the Mac citadel will eventually be breached.

The Mac has had no viruses to date, he said, primarily because of its small market share. It's got a superior track record compared to Windows, but it's not invulnerable; rather, no one has bothered to spend much time trying to attack it. Now that hackers are taking more notice, life will get harder for Mac owners. He suggested I tackle this "wake up call" in this column.

Naturally, I agreed. "You're right," I said. "The Mac is sure to become a target now it is becoming more popular, and by definition, no system is 100 percent secure."

So, imagine his reaction when he sees this:

I'm not going to be running any anti-virus software anytime soon, just as I haven't run it for many years.

Also, I'm not going to turn off any preferences that make my daily computing habits any less convenient (the browser takeover is protected against by disabling the "Open safe files after downloading" preference in Safari).

The smuggest of smug Mac users is right: the platform is more secure, and these new security threats are no more threatening that a paraplegic kitten.

The Leap-A malware was a poorly-programmed Trojan horse that relied on "social engineering," or trickery to perform its nasty function. There's a simple way to protect against this kind of threat -- common sense -- and in testament to this, a lot of people didn't fall for it.

I'm not going to catch a virus this way any more than I'm going to send money to the honorable Dr. Mobuntu, head of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

When it comes to Leap-A, I'll continue practicing the same common-sense precautions I take when using a Windows machine, like not opening any "nude pictures" of Britney Spears I get in e-mail.

As for the Safari hole, it's a vulnerability, not an exploit, and there are probably dozens of these in OS X, maybe more.

The same is true of Windows and other platforms -- there are dozens of potential ways in, according to the SANS Institute, but a vulnerability does not an exploit make.

These Mac security holes are a storm in a teacup. They've inspired hundreds of stories in the press and even the national network news, but if they were Windows holes, no one would have blinked.

That's because holes in Windows are routine, business as usual, while it now appears the Mac is under attack thanks to Apple's brand-new high profile. But this isn't the case.

Last month, there were four "massive" virus attacks on Windows, according to Commtouch, an antispam and antivirus vendor. Indeed, viruses are now so aggressive, they routinely outpace attempts by antivirus companies to distribute protective signatures.

This state of affairs is now so common, I hadn't noticed -- and I work for a technology news site. "Virulent computer virus infects millions worldwide, other non-news at 11."

These Mac "threats" are only news because of their novelty, not the threat level they pose.

I'm so confident in my Mac's security, here's my IP address in case any hackers want to take potshots at my machine....

Just kidding. I'm not that dumb.

:beer2:

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

lol...nice search...Yeah...I remember reading about that a couple years ago...it was small, inconsiQential, and proven to be nothing big I think. I believe it was also more of a browser issue (Safari), and I think they fiXed it...but I don't use Safari anyway...It mighta been something...but very small compared to the millions of PC viruses...

I just have my personal eXperience, and I haven't had one problem in 10 years :thumbs: knock on wood...lol

[homedawg]

It is impossible for those viruses to attack Mac OS. There are no Mac OS viruses to worry about, that I've heard of anyway. The dudes who write viruses don't bother aiming them at Mac computers; they create them for Windows PCs almost exclusively. The Mac is immune to Windows viruses by its very design. It doesn't run Windows software and therefore can 't react to Windows viruses. You don't need antivirus software to protect your computer against Windows viruses. And you do not need to protect your computer against Mac OS X viruses, because there relly aren't any. I don't think they even sell Virus software for Macs.

That's what I hear anyway...

:thumbs:

Macs no longer immune to viruses, experts say
SAN FRANCISCO - Benjamin Daines was browsing the Web when he clicked on a series of links that promised pictures of an unreleased update to his computer’s operating system.

Instead, a window opened on the screen and strange commands ran as if the machine was under the control of someone — or something — else. Daines was the victim of a computer virus.

Such headaches are hardly unusual on PCs running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system. Daines, however, was using a Mac — an Apple Computer Inc. machine often touted as being immune to such risks.

He and at least one other person who clicked on the links were infected by what security experts call the first-ever virus for Mac OS X, the operating system that has shipped with every Mac sold since 2001 and has survived virtually unscathed from the onslaught of malware unleashed on the Internet in recent years.

“It just shows people that no matter what kind of computer you use you are still open to some level of attack,” said Daines, a 29-year-old British chemical engineer who once considered Macs invulnerable to such attacks.

Apple’s iconic status, growing market share and adoption of same microprocessors used in machines running Windows are making Macs a bigger target, some experts warn.

Apple’s most recent wake-up call came last week, as a Southern California researcher reported seven new vulnerabilities. Tom Ferris said malicious Web sites can exploit the holes without a user’s knowledge, potentially allowing a criminal to execute code remotely and gain access to passwords and other sensitive information.

Ferris said he warned Apple of the vulnerabilities in January and February and that the company has yet to patch the holes, prompting him to compare the Cupertino-based computer maker to Microsoft three years ago, when the world’s largest software company was criticized for being slow to respond to weaknesses in its products.


“They didn’t know how to deal with security, and I think Apple is in the same situation now,” said Ferris, himself a Mac user.

:beer2:

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

It is impossible for those viruses to attack Mac OS. There are no Mac OS viruses to worry about, that I've heard of anyway. The dudes who write viruses don't bother aiming them at Mac computers; they create them for Windows PCs almost exclusively. The Mac is immune to Windows viruses by its very design. It doesn't run Windows software and therefore can 't react to Windows viruses. You don't need antivirus software to protect your computer against Windows viruses. And you do not need to protect your computer against Mac OS X viruses, because there relly aren't any. I don't think they even sell Virus software for Macs.

That's what I hear anyway...

:thumbs:

[homedawg]

lmao.
The Viruses you speak of attack the windows operating system.
Haven't had one in the 10 years I have owned a Mac.
BFS that.

how do ya know??? have ya checked your hdd???? :beer2: BTW, I was BFS'n the fact that you think your mac is immune!!!!!!!!! :thumbs:

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

:laughing: BULL****IN****!!!!!! :thumbs:

lmao.
The Viruses you speak of attack the windows operating system.
Haven't had one in the 10 years I have owned a Mac.
BFS that.

[NathanUK]

I love spybot search and destroy.

If you dont have it on your computer. You should get it. Highly recommended.

I agree wholeheartedly.

[homedawg]

Or buy a Mac, and never worry about any viruses, ever. :beer2:

:laughing: BULL****IN****!!!!!! :thumbs:

[Underdog88]

Or buy a Mac, and never worry about any viruses, ever. :beer2:

:thumbs: