"Get a Mac" (1 Viewer)

[pete]

It looks as though Apple's Mac OS X users have seen their first significant outbreak of malware, with Dr Web researchers claiming that more than 600,000 Macs have been botted by the drive-by Trojan, BackDoor.Flashback.39. Since Macs make up only a small percentage of the PC market (60 million Macs vs 1.3 billion PCs), this would be roughly equivalent to the Conficker outbreak, according to F-Secure's chief research officer Mikko Hypponen.

Flashback's success has been assisted by the culture of denial that -- with Apple's encouragement -- exists in the Mac market. Most Mac users don't use anti-virus software because they believe that their machines are impervious to malware. This outbreak could make the Apple ecosystem more secure by encouraging more Mac users to defend their systems.

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/jacks-...e-flourishes-in-a-culture-of-denial-10025828/

 

[Umfufu]

This sort of thing seems inevitable.
My understanding was that part of the "Macs never get viruses" thing was that they had such a small market share that hackers didn't waste their time on them.

The more the market share goes up, the more viruses will come.
I thought Macs were still a niche product until I went to NYC a couple of years ago.

FUCKING EVERYWHERE!

 

[shower another shower]

It's only taken about 30 years.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Good enough for the cunts.

 

[steve albino]

There are only three subjects on thumped; Everything posted boils down to one of the three.
For fuck's sake is this another mac vs pc thread?
Really, is it?
You should all be fucking ashamed.
except for the dude who used "cunt" in his post.
carry on.

 

[ann post]

There are only three subjects on the internet; Everything posted boils down to one of the three.
For fuck's sake is this another mac vs pc thread?
Really, is it?
You should all be fucking ashamed.
except for the dude who used "cunt" in his post.
carry on.

fixed.

 

[steve albino]

doffs hat to AnnPost

 

[Diddles]

I was only saying to HMD the other night that I accidently clicked on an obvious virus link and he was all 'macs can't get viruses' etc. But I've had lots of problems on the mac the last couple of days and he's just assuming I'm stupid and/or drunk. I admit to being drunk for the last few hours , but I'm not a complete fucking banana when it comes to using a computer, I know when there's something amiss.

 

[pete]

wevs

 

[Diddles]

wevs

wevs yourself

 

[steve albino]

wevs

the shortest vocally possible form of "whatever". a shortening of "whatevs". often spelled "w'evs". retarded younger brother of "w'ever"

I think the important word here is "retarded".

N'est pas monsieur Thumped?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Evs

 

[GO]

Why cant we all just learn to live in harmony?


If the rich folk wanna pay top dollah for their 'puterz..thats all good.Commerce is positive.

I'm currently researching building a hackintosh...or at least a hackintosh partition.SoI can see what all the fuss is about.You gotta keep an open mind.Thats the way forward.

 

[steve albino]

Why cant we all just learn to live in harmony?

Because that would be dull and uninspiring.

Narky, grumpy, overly-sarcastic frustrated pricks trawling the internet
-now that there is your way forward.

I bet if enough people agree with me on this thread you'll feel pressured into changing your mind.

Glove.

Thrown.

 

[Theseus Mock]

Apple apologist here, it's true this seems to be the first large-scale but this article seems to be a bit sensationalist (as everything on the internet is becoming these days).

If Flashback finds that its target Mac is running certain geeky programs -- Little Snitch, Packet Peeper, Xcode, some anti-virus software -- it deletes itself.

So a Mac user running 'some anti-virus software' is seen as geeky?

Apple should also improve its processes so that it writes more secure software, as Microsoft did a decade ago.

Yeah, Microsoft software is really secure, how many viruses were identified for Windows over the last few years? Millions I'm guessing. You think Apple would prefer that users install virus-scanning software? No way, apple hates third parties unless they invite them to the party (like the deep twitter integration that launched in iOS5). The next release of OS X (10.8) features a new thing called "Gatekeeper" which offers 3 levels of protection. 1) Only those apps from the App Store can run. 2) App Store & Signed apps can run 3) All apps can run. By default option (2) will be enabled, this means that Apple can revoke the certificates of any rogue applications at the flick of a switch. If something like this was available now, they'd definitely have been able to stop that Java exploit in its tracks. Apple are well aware of potential on-coming attacks given its growing popularity & I don't think they're sitting back in lax mode.

 

[magicbastarder]

the primary, and overriding, reason that there are more viruses on PCs is quite simple. there are considerably more PCs than macs.
anyone who tries to argue otherwise is obviously a bit touched.

 

[magicbastarder]

and the main reason apple are introducing the gatekeeper feature (speaking as someone who has just heard about it) is obviously nothing to do with security and everything to do with revenue.

 

[GO]

Because that would be dull and uninspiring.

Narky, grumpy, overly-sarcastic frustrated pricks trawling the internet
-now that there is your way forward.

I bet if enough people agree with me on this thread you'll feel pressured into changing your mind.

Glove.

Thrown.

Yeah,Macs are for fags.

Get a fucking grip you nancyboys.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Hipster virus.

 

[Theseus Mock]

the primary, and overriding, reason that there are more viruses on PCs is quite simple. there are considerably more PCs than macs.
anyone who tries to argue otherwise is obviously a bit touched.

Agree completely, it's the primary reason that you go after the masses (PC in this case) but look at iOS. The most recent figures I can find say 350 million devices (iPad & iPhone) have been sold. The iPad alone sold more devices than all PC manufacturers sold *combined* in the last quarter. Where the iOS exploits? From last August: Android malware up 76 percent, nonexistent on iOS Apple's sandboxing of apps & their insistence on vetting each iOS app before it goes live is the only fool proof way of preventing bad software from getting on users devices.

and the main reason apple are introducing the gatekeeper feature (speaking as someone who has just heard about it) is obviously nothing to do with security and everything to do with revenue.

I would say Apple will generate some extra revenue from small developers developers having to jump to the App Store to distribute their applications (which isn't a bad thing IMHO) but the majority of the big software players (your Microsofts, Adobes, etc) will get free certificates allowing their signed apps to run. Gatekeeper is pretty much a UAC equivalent from Windows but executed in a better way. The ability to revoke application certificates of any apps turned bad (hence preventing them to run) will be a powerful tool in their security arsenal.