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Half a million Mac computers 'infected with malware'
Source: BBC News
More than half a million Apple computers have been infected with the Flashback Trojan, according to a Russian anti-virus firm.
An investigation by Dr Web suggests that about 600,000 Macs have installed the malware - potentially allowing them to be hijacked and used as a 'botnet'.
It says that more than half that number are based in the US.
Apple has released a security update, but users who have not installed the patch remain exposed.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17623422
Another link:
Flashback Trojan Hits 550,000 Macs
Analysis of a recent Java flaw exploited by the Flashback Trojan reveals that more than 550,000 Macs were affected in the U.S. and abroad, according to anti-virus vendor Doctor Web.
'This once again refutes claims by some experts that there are no cyber-threats to Mac OS X,' Doctor Web said in a Tuesday blog post.
I own several Macs, so I'm not gloating. For years, the mantra has been that Macs were immune from the sort of malware, spyware, and whatnot that made owners of computers running Windows pull their hair out. I guess that's changing. That's the price of market share. Can Ubuntu be far behind? At least no one's writing viruses for the Palm OS. I hope.
To keep things in perspective, half a million computers is probably how many computers running Windows are infected in an afternoon.
Affected Mac owners, as the veteran of attacks by spyware that Spyware Search and Destroy cannot remove, I feel your pain.
68 replies
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...it's possible malware will be forthcoming. I have an HP Touchpad running both WebOS and Android 4.0, and I have Lookout Security loaded for both.
They're selling for around $250 now for the 32GB model - I highly recommend getting one.
my machine is clean.
As the Beatles sang in Penny Lane: "It's a clean machine" 
Malware's name is... MacOS! Thank you! I'll be here all week.
Just kidding my Mac-loving brethren.
Doctor Web—the Russian anti-virus vendor. I've been using Win 7 on a PC for years now, for security I use Microsoft Security Suite which is free on their website. The software scans everything incoming and occasionally finds a virus which it quarantines and eliminates. It behooves MS to protects their users and they are serious about eliminating viruses attacking their OS. Dr. Web? Not so much. 
I imagine your user name prevented you from reading it... 
Oh how many times have I heard the line "that Macs dont get viruses." from Mac users.
If only they knew that Mac's are as susceptable to viruses as Windows, but were only spared due to the very small marketshare they had. Virus writers wrote for the OS with the largest marketshare, Windows.
It has to be noted that the Mac OS is one of the LEAST secure OS's out there, as proven in one hacking contest after another, year after year.
Apple's Mac OS X is less secure than Windows
Analysis Exploding the marketing myth
IF YOU BELIEVE Apple's marketing then you would think that the expensive fruity machines are more secure than PCs.
After all, most of the viruses out there are designed for the PC and Apple users hardly suffer from the problem. But this line of reasoning does not influence corporate IT managers who, were it true, would be trying to stave off hackers by installing shedloads of Apple gear.
However that's not the case. Most tell us that even if Apple gear was half the price it's just security by obscurity. A determined hacker who wanted to get into corporate systems would be though it like a knife through butter.
Tyler Reguly, a senior security research engineer with Ncircle told the newnewinternet that if you take a look at the two platforms, and the mindsets of the companies behind them, then the Windows PC wins hands down. He said that the Mac ships with more exploitable vulnerabilities already on a system when it is delivered. Further, Eric Johanson, a security researcher pointed out that the Mac OS X has far more published vulnerabilities per user than Windows.
more here
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/analysis/1590073/apple-mac-os-x-secure-windows
Analysis Exploding the marketing myth
IF YOU BELIEVE Apple's marketing then you would think that the expensive fruity machines are more secure than PCs.
After all, most of the viruses out there are designed for the PC and Apple users hardly suffer from the problem. But this line of reasoning does not influence corporate IT managers who, were it true, would be trying to stave off hackers by installing shedloads of Apple gear.
However that's not the case. Most tell us that even if Apple gear was half the price it's just security by obscurity. A determined hacker who wanted to get into corporate systems would be though it like a knife through butter.
Tyler Reguly, a senior security research engineer with Ncircle told the newnewinternet that if you take a look at the two platforms, and the mindsets of the companies behind them, then the Windows PC wins hands down. He said that the Mac ships with more exploitable vulnerabilities already on a system when it is delivered. Further, Eric Johanson, a security researcher pointed out that the Mac OS X has far more published vulnerabilities per user than Windows.
more here
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/analysis/1590073/apple-mac-os-x-secure-windows
and more
Researchers: Macs are less secure than Windows PCs
http://blogs.computerworld.com/researchers_macs_are_less_secure_than_windows_pcs
Pwn2Own Winner: ‘Mac OS X is Less Secure Than Windows’
Charlie Miller's Safari web browser exploit, which won him a new Mac laptop at last week's Pwn2Own competition, once again ignited the discussion about Mac OS X security. In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Mr. Miller, who uses a MacBook on a daily basis and who used to work at the National Security Agency, said: "Any security expert knows that Mac OS X is less secure than Windows."
He continued: "The question is which is SAFER. Because Mac OS X is still relatively rare, it is actually a little safer. But it has nothing to do with it being more secure, but rather, that bad guys are entirely focused on Windows at the moment due to the overwhelming market share Windows has. At this time, I still don't recommend anti-virus for Mac OS X users, because there simply isn't much malware for that platform. However, if Mac OS X market share ever goes up, there will be a landslide of exploits and malware."
When asked if Mac users should be worried, he responded: "They should definitely be a little worried." However, there's a perception among many computer users that Mac OS X is inherently secure while Windows isn't, which Mr. Miller said is wrong: "Everything you could do on a Windows machine: turn it into a 'bot,' send spam, perform DDOS [distributed denial of service], etc. can be done from a compromised Mac.
more here
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/pwn2own_winner_mac_os_x_is_less_secure_than_windows/
Charlie Miller's Safari web browser exploit, which won him a new Mac laptop at last week's Pwn2Own competition, once again ignited the discussion about Mac OS X security. In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Mr. Miller, who uses a MacBook on a daily basis and who used to work at the National Security Agency, said: "Any security expert knows that Mac OS X is less secure than Windows."
He continued: "The question is which is SAFER. Because Mac OS X is still relatively rare, it is actually a little safer. But it has nothing to do with it being more secure, but rather, that bad guys are entirely focused on Windows at the moment due to the overwhelming market share Windows has. At this time, I still don't recommend anti-virus for Mac OS X users, because there simply isn't much malware for that platform. However, if Mac OS X market share ever goes up, there will be a landslide of exploits and malware."
When asked if Mac users should be worried, he responded: "They should definitely be a little worried." However, there's a perception among many computer users that Mac OS X is inherently secure while Windows isn't, which Mr. Miller said is wrong: "Everything you could do on a Windows machine: turn it into a 'bot,' send spam, perform DDOS [distributed denial of service], etc. can be done from a compromised Mac.
more here
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/pwn2own_winner_mac_os_x_is_less_secure_than_windows/
Sadly most Apple owners are happy to buy into the Apple cult and continue parroting the laughable claim that Mac OS is more secure than Windows! its less secure.
PS:
Furthermore Apple products are the ONLY known consumer electronics products that transmits to anyone within range the unique identifiers of the past three wireless access points the user has logged into.
This makes the iPhone and other wifi-enabled Apple devices(like laptops) the LEAST secure amongst comparable products.
Check this link
Loose-lipped iPhones top the list of smartphones exploited by hacker
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/03/loose-lipped-iphones-top-the-list-of-smartphones-exploited-by-hacker.ars?clicked=related_right
As a security professional who gets paid to hack into high-value networks, Mark Wuergler often gets a boost when his targets use smartphones, especially when the device happens to be an iPhone that regularly connects to Wi-Fi networks.
That's because the iPhone is the only smartphone he knows of that transmits to anyone within range the unique identifiers of the past three wireless access points the user has logged into. He can then use off-the-shelf hardware to passively retrieve the routers' MAC (media access control) addresses and look them up in databases such as Google Location Services and the Wireless Geographic Logging Engine. By allowing him to pinpoint the precise location of the wireless network, iPhones give him a quick leg-up when performing reconnaissance on prospective marks.
..
..
The exposure of MAC addresses extends not only to iPhones, but to all Apple devices with Wi-Fi capabilities, he said. It means that whenever the wireless features are enabled and not connected to a network—for instance, during a brief encounter at a Starbucks—they broadcast the unique identifiers, and it's trivial for anyone nearby to record them.
Apple did not respond to our requests for comment for this article.
Wanna see what a hacker can get from your Iphone or other Wifi Enabled Apple products? Check this pic out
[IMG]
[/IMG]
(right click on image, select view image to view higher resolution version)
Everytime I hear an Apple user make the claim that "Mac is more secure than Windows" , i laugh at them...inside. The same way I laugh at evolution/global warming deniers. Both religiously believe in myths with no facts to back them up.
I explicitly said "most".
However saying stuff like "I stopped reading after I read Russian" sounds very much like stereotyping.
PS: Furthermore I'm yet to see Russian companies make fun of their competitors using false advertising...remember the I'm a Mac commercials?
yep!
You know what's one of the best lines I hear from Mac users AFTER one gets through their initial "Macs dont get viruses" firewall?
"Well even if they are less secure, they are more "safe" "!
After all, no wonder...a recent study found this
Apple triggers 'religious' reaction in fans' brains, report says
Next time Grandma asks why you're going to the mall on Sunday morning instead of church, tell her you're going to Apple Chapel.
For Apple fans, the brand triggers a reaction in the brain that's not unlike that of religious devotees, according to a BBC documentary series that cites neurological research.
The neuroscientists ran a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test on an Apple fanatic and discovered that images of the technology company's gadgets lit up the same parts of the brain as images of a deity do for religious people, the report says.
more here
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-19/tech/apple.religion_1_apple-store-apple-employees-brains?_s=PM:TECH
I have relegated these folks to the same cultist group-segment....where they will be at ease with the evolution/global warming deniers.
