When it comes to a trojan, the only way you can become infected is to click install. It’s that simple — bad things only happen if you allow yourself to be fooled. And, here’s how not to get fooled by this latest trojan, which as these things go is fairly sophisticated.
Apple updated OS X’ integrated trojan blocker over the weekend to protect against Trojan Dropper. Now, another trojan, Flashback, has surfaced and this one, whether the irony was intended or not, masquerades as an Adobe Flash Player installer. Again, however, the threat level is believed to be low.
Yes, you can get a “new” PC for under $500 and will find people giving these faux baubles in the rough away at yard sales — you’ll find them sitting next to rusting gas grills and dusty exercise bikes. However, like a kitten or puppy, there’s no such thing as a free PC and cheap is usually just a byword for migraine. Nevertheless, if you’ve got the money, get a Mac.
Once again, the sky is not falling. No sooner had the security analyst griping begun — when does it ever truly end? — than our favorite fruit company released patches. So, Lion and Snow Leopard users come click through and get updated, you really do need to keep your secure socket layers, well, secure.
The line starts here. When it comes to security, everybody loves to kick Apple. Why? Because Cupertino doesn’t communicate their intentions and doesn’t patch an issue until they’re sure it’s licked. With an evolving threat like DigiNotar, don’t worry, everyone will have time to get a few well placed shots.
When MacDefender, a trojan propagated by malicious webpages, spread earlier this year, there were pronouncements of platform doom for the rest of us. Apple then released an OS X update that upgraded their integrated malware blocker and MacDefender quickly faded to black. This time, a trojan that masquerades as a Flash plugin installer, won’t get as much traction.
The “Back to Mac” sub current, computers really don’t rate a “theme” from Apple these days, trickles on with the introduction of a highly desirable service that’s been available to iPhone users for over two years. However, for the rest of us, at least those that aren’t paid-in-full devs, we’ll just have to hope no one nicks our MacBooks for a few more weeks.
Yesterday, there were big, big headlines announcing that MacDefender had one upped Apple by tweaking its install package, thus “defeating” Cupertino’s patch. Well, the mothership’s returned the favor by updating its malware definition list and, again, blocking the trojan.
As is Apple’s wont, they didn’t respond immediately when the MacDefender issue appeared. Instead, they cogitated, came up with a solution and then decisively delivered. Thereupon, unless there’s some unimagined twist yet to come, MacDefender is dead, but the underlying source of infection remains.
Once again, the haters are declaring the end of security on the Mac and anyone that says otherwise is living in denial! As a person who’s personally seen the MacDefender, etc. phishing page pop up more than twice and didn’t click “Install,” I can say with absolute authority that the end is not yet nigh.
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