Mac OSX malware increases in risk factor.

[Bob Hubbard]

Trailrunner7 writes "Crimeware kits have become a ubiquitous part of the malware scene in the last few years, but they have mainly been confined to the Windows platform. Now, reports are surfacing that the first such kit targeting Apple's Mac OS X operating system has appeared. The kit is being compared to the Zeus kit, which has been one of the more popular and pervasive crimeware kits for several years now. A report by CSIS, a Danish security firm, said that the OS X kit uses a template that's quite similar to the Zeus construction and has the ability to steal forms from Firefox." Mac users are also being targeted by a new piece of scareware called MAC Defender.

From Slashdot.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

To check for and remove MAC Defender crap
http://osxdaily.com/2011/05/02/macdefender-malware-mac-protect-and-remove/

 

[delaford321]

I don't know why anyone bothers making malware for macs when less than 10% of people that use computers, use macs.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Growing market share basically. I'm still not worried, but in time I expect OSX to need a more robust shielding system. So far though, the only viruses I see come my way are PC based email ones and PC targeting malware, all easily filtered or ineffective.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Macs have malware issues and virus issues and all sorts of issues. The reason you do not see it as much as PCs is, as stated, there just are not that many of them out there by comparison and I shall add to that there are just not that many of them out there being used at an enterprise level as there are PCs by comparison to make them a target of any worth.

If Macs become more prevalent at the enterprise level for things that are outside of the art type stuff then you will see a much bigger problem

 

[Bob Hubbard]

OS9 had lots of issues.
OSX has a track record of being pretty secure. The number of virus's specifically written targeting OSX is under 100. By comparison, PC's have over 300,000.
In checking the logs for the scanner on our servers, I've yet to see a mac virus/worm/etc show up.
Everything of course has holes.
Excellent article on it all
http://www.macworld.com/article/156744/2010/12/2011_viruses.html

Now me, I do this:
Server site email checks.
Firewall
Firefox with ad blocker, javascript blocker, and malware filter.
OSX security features.
Sophos Anti Virus scanner - free edition (Id run Vipre but it doesn't come in a Mac flavor)

I also don't play farmville, or fill out polls, or click whenever someone says I can see celebrity **** or Osama's vented skull on Facebook. Haven't been compromised yet, and I know a lot of folks here who have been.