Russian hackers pay 43 cents per hijacked Mac
To put that number in perspective, a hacker would have to compromise 233 Macs just to earn $100. That’s a vivid reminder of the old biker joke that ends with the punch line, Biker: “$232 and 25 cents! Which one of those cheapskates gave you a quarter?” Girlfriend: “Well, they all did.”
Computerworld reports that not only are Russian hackers targeting Windows with fake security software but they’ve started going after Macs, as well. Sadly, the rest of us aren’t worth very much to those paying bounties for each Apple-branded computer enslaved to spammers and scareware merchants — a lousy 43 cents is all our Macs are worth.
“Mac users are not immune to the scareware threat,” said Sophos researcher Dmitry Samosseiko in the research paper he released at the conference. “In fact, there are ‘codec-partnerka’ [Ed—A hacker collective] dedicated to the sale and promotion of fake Mac software.”
Specifically, Samosseiko said hackers were using bogus video players and codec update downloads to infect users, an attack vector which lures the gullible with promise of “free” porn.
Another likely attack vector tempts victims with the promise of free (and definitely illegal) software downloads of Apple and Adobe software, a.k.a. warez, including Snow Leopard and Photoshop CS4, respectively.
Caveat emptor!
All of these attack vectors require the user to install the malware. That is, they get taken in by a confidence scam, download and install malware, and get victimized by their own gullibility or greed, thinking that they’ve installed a necessary video update, antivirus application or, as noted above, a “free” copy of some desirable warez.
Thereupon, as always, the take away here is not to download warez, avoid dodgy porn sites (i.e. 99 percent of all porn sites), be nice to small animals and get some (free) antivirus software, run it and keep it fresh…
What’s your take?
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September 26th, 2009
Welcome to the two edged sword of increasing market share. The more people use Macs, the more popular they become with scam-scum. The greater the risk of running into potential malware.