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Apple: There's no malware on your Mac

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Ns1 said:
when OSX becomes an STD ridden whore like Windows I'll be more angry at Apple.
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Windows is fine as long as you're careful, I don't think I've ever had a virus on my PCs and I still don't run any AV on my Win7 work laptop.

ch33zw1z said:
I don't feel it's appropriate to compare the two OS's, mostly because the way Apple markets their product. They ask you to think different, so why compare to the norm. Apple sells products because they go beyond the expectations of the Windows user. If there were no differences, Apple wouldn't be around.
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Apple differentiates themselves with look and feel and claims of security, but the security isn't very real. The only thing they have going for them is that their users aren't running as root, but I don't need root to install an app or ask for your CC# and connect to a botnet.
 
Ns1 said:
I have very non-careful relatives, and unfortunately they're all on windows.
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Everyone does and there's nothing Windows can do about that. If they're willing to click Ok to every dialog without reading any of them they're screwed regardless. That's like complaining that they keep getting into accidents and fined because they don't read road signs. Common sense is your best weapon in both cases.
 
Nothinman said:
It's hard to get to Sheetz for an MTO that way =)
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I just moved out to IL a couple of months ago and one of the things that I am missing the most from PA is Sheetz, so thanks a lot for that comment.

On topic, you wil never get people to stop clicking on every box that pops up, that is how they have been trained, and the UAC, and the multiple password entries to install for OS X only make matters worse.
 
TheStu said:
I just moved out to IL a couple of months ago and one of the things that I am missing the most from PA is Sheetz, so thanks a lot for that comment.

On topic, you wil never get people to stop clicking on every box that pops up, that is how they have been trained, and the UAC, and the multiple password entries to install for OS X only make matters worse.
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Wawa >>>> Sheetz.


I think it's funny how many people who would never even consider buying a Mac care so much about one strain of malware that requires the user's permission to install and/or run. Yeah, the jig is up.
 
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mugs said:
Wawa >>>> Sheetz.


I think it's funny how many people who would never even consider buying a Mac care so much about one strain of malware that require's the user's permission to install and/or run. Yeah, the jig is up.
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It's not so much this particular strain of malware, but more that it's a sign of the future and I guarantee most of Apple's users aren't ready to deal with it.
 
Nothinman said:
It's not so much this particular strain of malware, but more that it's a sign of the future and I guarantee most of Apple's users aren't ready to deal with it.
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TBH, most PC users in general aren't adequately prepared or informed about malware. Macs issue is that if a serious attack ever takes off most of their user base doesn't have some sort of AV to deal with/prevent it.

That being said, the more popular Mac becomes, the Mac viruses we are going to see.
 
mugs said:
Wawa >>>> Sheetz.


I think it's funny how many people who would never even consider buying a Mac care so much about one strain of malware that requires the user's permission to install and/or run. Yeah, the jig is up.
Click to expand...

Whoa, whoa, whoa there.... MTO >>>>>> ALL. Besides, Wawa is like Philly and East from there, but if you want to rank the PA gas station chains then it obviously goes Sheetz > Rutters > Wawa.

And the reason they are all 'care' is because they perceive that Mac users think that they are much like Boris from Goldeneye, INVINCIBLE. The truth is that there have been the occasional trojans and whatnot, but they have never gotten much news or traction. In this case, the reason that I am having trouble with getting worked up in any way is that at the end of the day it is really just a program that asks for your credit card number.

Unless I have been grossly misreading things (and its totally possible, I have had other things to care about), it isn't spyware, so it isn't keylogging, and it isn't self replicating. It isn't maliciously screwing with your files, it is just a fake AV program that says 'give us $20 and we'll clean your Mac', and they then take your $20 (or whatever) and your CC and go to town.
 
Cogman said:
TBH, most PC users in general aren't adequately prepared or informed about malware. Macs issue is that if a serious attack ever takes off most of their user base doesn't have some sort of AV to deal with/prevent it.

That being said, the more popular Mac becomes, the Mac viruses we are going to see.
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True most Windows users aren't able to deal with them either, but a lot of Mac users will have their hubris get in the way because Apple said Macs don't get viruses...
 
Nothinman said:
True most Windows users aren't able to deal with them either, but a lot of Mac users will have their hubris get in the way because Apple said Macs don't get viruses...
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See, I don't see the alleged hubris of Mac users as being additionally worse than the existing ignorance of most Mac/PC users. I mean, I really don't think that just ignorance is any better than hubris+ignorance. It is really just another kind of ignorance.

And I will admit it, I do not run AV on my Macs. And I surf and use the internet with a feeling of relative impunity. I like to think that I am more aware of what I am putting onto my systems, and at this point, the presence of this malware changes nothing about my attitude on OS X. Just like the news that there is some new crazy virus flying around for Windows doesn't make me bolt the doors and double down on AV.
 
sourceninja said:
Every computer I have ever had to fix due to malware had antivirus running on it.
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Was it up to date, by a reputable company, and actually scanning the PC? And how did you fixed the malware problem?

Usually, when I've seen malware problems it is because the people let their anti-virus fall out of date, or refuse to buy next years subscription, and they never run a virus scan. (that, and they download and run TONS of crap off of the internet).
 
TheStu said:
See, I don't see the alleged hubris of Mac users as being additionally worse than the existing ignorance of most Mac/PC users. I mean, I really don't think that just ignorance is any better than hubris+ignorance. It is really just another kind of ignorance.

And I will admit it, I do not run AV on my Macs. And I surf and use the internet with a feeling of relative impunity. I like to think that I am more aware of what I am putting onto my systems, and at this point, the presence of this malware changes nothing about my attitude on OS X. Just like the news that there is some new crazy virus flying around for Windows doesn't make me bolt the doors and double down on AV.
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Ah, but you see, you would NEVER really know if you did have a virus. Though, if you are a safe surfer, there is a good chance you won't get one. I've not accidentally gotten a virus in a LONG time.
 
Cogman said:
Ah, but you see, you would NEVER really know if you did have a virus. Though, if you are a safe surfer, there is a good chance you won't get one. I've not accidentally gotten a virus in a LONG time.
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I am a reasonably safe surfer, and don't open things that I don't know that I downloaded. I do have AV on my Windows machine though, just stuck with MSSE, seemed easier
 
ChAoTiCpInOy said:
Maybe the simple answer is don't use Safari...
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For the longest time, the simple answer to internet safety in windows was "Don't use IE". It's easy enough to say, hard to get others to go along with it (and when they do, the browser people switch to will become heavily targeted.)
 
Cogman said:
For the longest time, the simple answer to internet safety in windows was "Don't use IE". It's easy enough to say, hard to get others to go along with it (and when they do, the browser people switch to will become heavily targeted.)
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Well I was mostly referencing the fact that Safari opens "safe" files downloaded by default.
 
ChAoTiCpInOy said:
Well I was mostly referencing the fact that Safari opens "safe" files downloaded by default.
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Which is mindnumbingly dumb these days even for non-applications given the number of exploits in things like PDFs and such. However, considering that there were a number of jailbreaks that exploited Safari, open by default just makes things a lot easier right now.
 
Cogman said:
Was it up to date, by a reputable company, and actually scanning the PC? And how did you fixed the malware problem?

Usually, when I've seen malware problems it is because the people let their anti-virus fall out of date, or refuse to buy next years subscription, and they never run a virus scan. (that, and they download and run TONS of crap off of the internet).
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We have two servers and one employee dedicated only to antivirus (norton) . Yet user (without admin rights) still find a way.
 
Nothinman said:
Which is mindnumbingly dumb these days even for non-applications given the number of exploits in things like PDFs and such. However, considering that there were a number of jailbreaks that exploited Safari, open by default just makes things a lot easier right now.
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Jailbreaks != exploits. It's really confusing when you use the words interchangeably. None of said exploits are actually in the wild though.
 
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