FUD Alert: should fanboys be worried about the great Mac Hack Attack?

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by Davey Winder

Friday, 25 July 2008

Page 1 of 3 ! Mac malware vulnerabilities have become more criminally minded, Mac malware is not just proof of concept, Mac malware will shake Mac users of impenetrable computing misconceptions and Mac malware feeds off Mac users who do not learn from their mistakes. Hard hitting comments that warn of an impending wave of Mac attacks, but does reality match the hyperbole? For the longest time, security researchers and security vendors, often the former working for the latter, have been warning that the Mac is about to become the next big target for those who would do your data harm. This is not altogether hard to understand when you consider the sheer volume of Apple kit that is being shifted right now. Related stories Why Pod when you can Plum? Giving identity thieves and hackers the big finger – protect yourself! Google Gears up Safari support Whoops! iPhone passcode bypass a cinch Sack us and we will leave with your data, say IT Admins With 2,496,000 Macs shipped, along with 11,011,000 iPods and 717,000 iPhones - and that is just in the last quarter - the criminals that steal data, identities and computing resources would be daft to ignore the Mac market. One thing, it has to be said, that computer criminals are most certainly not is daft. A report in The Times suggests that daft users, specifically those making the transition from Windows-based computers, are helping to drive what it refers to as an "upsurge in malware written specifically for Apple users." Which sounds like a worrying trend and one that should shake Mac users to their boots. Especially when coupled to the revelation from Sophos that two new Mac malware Trojans have emerged recently. The most troublesome of the two being OSX/Hovdy-A which exploits a Mac OS Remote Desktop Agent flaw to disable system logging, disable system updates, disable security software, open firewall ports, install a keylogger and attempt to obtain root access amongst other things. Or at least it does all these things in the relative safety of the security research labs, as there are no reports of OSX/Hovdy-A or any other Mac malware actually being successful out there in the wild, as security vendors like to refer to the real world we all inhabit. What does senior security technology consultant Graham Cluley have to say about the Mac malware threat? Read his views on the next page... CONTINUES << First page <   1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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