Thursday, February 5, 2009

Mac Malware

Last week, panic news were all over. I received emails and instant messages regarding the new security alert which attacked the Mac OS. Surprising indeed. Considering the increasing popularity of Apple products, hackers ("crackers") now found another target and another lucrative field! Congratulations!

The malware is reported to be incorporated in some torrent file (iWork 09). iWork is Apple's counterpart for Microsoft's Office. And there have been people who download iWork from torrent sites instead of buying a legit licensed copy.

The Trojan horse, called
OSX.Trojan.iServices.A, is launched as soon as the installation for iWork begins. Installation process sometimes require password and hence, authentication is given as well to the Trojan's action. Once installed, the Trojan will then alert a remote server which then gives the go signal to the "cybercriminal" to do some various actions on the infected Mac.

As a Mac user, I admit that I recklessly brush aside security issues. I even brag around that I don't have to worry about viruses the same way Windows users have to. But now, I came to realize that it is not far from happening that what Windows is experiencing now when it comes to security issues may happen to the Mac community as well.

But still, at the back of my mind, I thought: Wouldn't it be possible that Apple itself put out such a crazy malware on the loose, just so people would buy their original legit software?

The point is, time has come for Mac users to succumb to the paranoia of infection and to the burdensome task of virus prevention. Boooo!

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