Flashback trojan captures over half a million Macs

**666wrathchild666** · 04-05-12 at 10:35 AM

Apple just lost the only reason for getting a Mac.

Adeno · 04-05-12 at 11:00 AM

I really wonder why game companies decide to skip Macintosh when making games. Although I grew up using IBM/PCs so it really has become something that is deeply a part of me when it comes to technology, I'm pretty sure I'd be able to adapt to the Mac when necessary. Still, if you were to make me choose between a PC and a Mac, I'd still choose PC 100% of the time just because almost every game released doesn't have a Mac version.

Mac's mistake in my opinion is that they don't even seem to be campaigning for game companies to also make versions of their games for the Mac. It's like the Mac is already happy to have the existence of being solely for graphics/video editing and social media networking. I'm pretty sure if Mac suddenly gained the support of game companies they wouldn't be so looked down upon by a lot of people, especially gamers. "So what if Mac can do graphical/video editing? Any PC can do that and play games as well!" is what a lot of people say and rightfully so.

**Spacebunny** · 04-05-12 at 11:31 AM

Lol..

Quote:

It wasn't a matter of Apple's great coding that Macs had no viruses.
It's the fact that no one gave a rat's ass about Macs to bother making a virus.

So, true.. The same goes for Linux (on Suse you can still login as root)
Security through minority seems to be working for Mac and Linux/Unix

Quote:

Apple just lost the only reason for getting a Mac.

Lol..

“In 2010, there were 2.1 million different pieces of malware targeting Windows machines.
At the end of 2010, there were 5000 pieces of malware targeting the Mac. and the volume was increasing at a rate of 10% per month”

Sadly.. Android and IoS are also getting popular..
In the last seven months of 2011 alone, malware targeting the Android platform rose
3,325 percent...to 13,302 samples

info:

Code: Select All

http://www.juniper.net/us/en/local/pdf/additional-resources/jnpr-2011-mobile-threats-report.pdf

Quote:

Linux is the only solution I think ...

.

If you really wish a to be virus free..
Get a liveBoot disk for example OpenBSD and run it.. (readonly medium)
Or install a OS no-one overheard of like Beos

-

**Spacebunny** · 04-27-12 at 09:46 AM

*Update..

Quote:

Ouch. Eugene Kaspersky, founder of the security software firm Kaspersky, accused Apple of having missed the boat on computer security.

Speaking at the Info Security 2012 conference, Kaspersky noted that Apple is «10 years behind Microsoft» as far as software security is concerned. This may come as a surprise to those who watched Apple's 2006 ad that claimed that there were 114,000 known viruses for Windows in 2005, «but not for Macs». It has always been one of Apple's most prominent claims of advantages over Windows that Microsoft-based PCs are just more vulnerable than Macs.

Of course, Apple may have to eat its words as the Apple platform gains popularity and turns into a much more attractive target for hackers. Kaspersky noted that his company is lately seeing an increase in malware: “Cyber criminals have now recognised that Mac is an interesting area,” Kaspersky was quoted in an article published by Forbes. “Now we have more, it’s not just Flashback or Flashfake. Welcome to Microsoft’s world, Mac. It’s full of malware.”

Apple has frequently been cricticized for its inconsistent and rather rare and secretive patch cycle, but Kaspersky believes that the company may be facing the same problems «Microsoft had ten or 12 years ago.» He stated that Apple may will «have to make changes in terms of the cycle of updates and so on and will be forced to invest more into their security audits for the software.”

obscured021 · 04-28-12 at 03:31 PM

There was always malware for mac this is nothing new, but at the end of the day if you get a virus it's your fault not the computers. I have 400-ish imac's 12 xservers and a few mac mini/MBP and MP that I look after in work so far no issus with any malware on my machines. I guess malware is on the rise for osx as there are more mac's out there.

**Scyence** · 04-28-12 at 09:07 PM

*Sigh* In such a topic, the Mac-Bashing Faction was bound to show up..

Btw this virus is only so wide-spread because most of the Mac Users don't have any kind of anti-malware program.. I sincerely hope this will lead to a u-turn in the community and apple themselves concerning security issues.

So long,
MBP'12 awaiting PC User

/btw if you have no idea about Macs, do like I did, get a book on Macs and form your own opinion instead of flaming "because everybody else is".

04-05-12 at 11:31 AM	#17
Spacebunny Novice Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 236	Lol.. Quote: It wasn't a matter of Apple's great coding that Macs had no viruses. It's the fact that no one gave a rat's ass about Macs to bother making a virus. So, true.. The same goes for Linux (on Suse you can still login as root) Security through minority seems to be working for Mac and Linux/Unix Quote: Apple just lost the only reason for getting a Mac. Lol.. “In 2010, there were 2.1 million different pieces of malware targeting Windows machines. At the end of 2010, there were 5000 pieces of malware targeting the Mac. and the volume was increasing at a rate of 10% per month” Sadly.. Android and IoS are also getting popular.. In the last seven months of 2011 alone, malware targeting the Android platform rose 3,325 percent...to 13,302 samples info: Code: Select All http://www.juniper.net/us/en/local/pdf/additional-resources/jnpr-2011-mobile-threats-report.pdf Quote: Linux is the only solution I think ... . If you really wish a to be virus free.. Get a liveBoot disk for example OpenBSD and run it.. (readonly medium) Or install a OS no-one overheard of like Beos - Last edited by Spacebunny; 04-05-12 at 11:37 AM.

04-28-12 at 09:07 PM	#20
Scyence 聖哭螳螂 Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 261	Sigh In such a topic, the Mac-Bashing Faction was bound to show up.. Btw this virus is only so wide-spread because most of the Mac Users don't have any kind of anti-malware program.. I sincerely hope this will lead to a u-turn in the community and apple themselves concerning security issues. So long, MBP'12 awaiting PC User /btw if you have no idea about Macs, do like I did, get a book on Macs and form your own opinion instead of flaming "because everybody else is". Last edited by Scyence; 04-28-12 at 09:11 PM.

04-05-12 at 10:35 AM	#15
666wrathchild666 Elite Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: USA Posts: 1,544	Apple just lost the only reason for getting a Mac.

04-05-12 at 11:00 AM	#16
Adeno Master Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 1,216	I really wonder why game companies decide to skip Macintosh when making games. Although I grew up using IBM/PCs so it really has become something that is deeply a part of me when it comes to technology, I'm pretty sure I'd be able to adapt to the Mac when necessary. Still, if you were to make me choose between a PC and a Mac, I'd still choose PC 100% of the time just because almost every game released doesn't have a Mac version. Mac's mistake in my opinion is that they don't even seem to be campaigning for game companies to also make versions of their games for the Mac. It's like the Mac is already happy to have the existence of being solely for graphics/video editing and social media networking. I'm pretty sure if Mac suddenly gained the support of game companies they wouldn't be so looked down upon by a lot of people, especially gamers. "So what if Mac can do graphical/video editing? Any PC can do that and play games as well!" is what a lot of people say and rightfully so.

04-27-12 at 09:46 AM	#18
Spacebunny Novice Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 236	*Update.. Quote: Ouch. Eugene Kaspersky, founder of the security software firm Kaspersky, accused Apple of having missed the boat on computer security. Speaking at the Info Security 2012 conference, Kaspersky noted that Apple is «10 years behind Microsoft» as far as software security is concerned. This may come as a surprise to those who watched Apple's 2006 ad that claimed that there were 114,000 known viruses for Windows in 2005, «but not for Macs». It has always been one of Apple's most prominent claims of advantages over Windows that Microsoft-based PCs are just more vulnerable than Macs. Of course, Apple may have to eat its words as the Apple platform gains popularity and turns into a much more attractive target for hackers. Kaspersky noted that his company is lately seeing an increase in malware: “Cyber criminals have now recognised that Mac is an interesting area,” Kaspersky was quoted in an article published by Forbes. “Now we have more, it’s not just Flashback or Flashfake. Welcome to Microsoft’s world, Mac. It’s full of malware.” Apple has frequently been cricticized for its inconsistent and rather rare and secretive patch cycle, but Kaspersky believes that the company may be facing the same problems «Microsoft had ten or 12 years ago.» He stated that Apple may will «have to make changes in terms of the cycle of updates and so on and will be forced to invest more into their security audits for the software.”

04-28-12 at 03:31 PM	#19
obscured021 Novice Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 247	There was always malware for mac this is nothing new, but at the end of the day if you get a virus it's your fault not the computers. I have 400-ish imac's 12 xservers and a few mac mini/MBP and MP that I look after in work so far no issus with any malware on my machines. I guess malware is on the rise for osx as there are more mac's out there.