Mac malware: Myth or reality?
When reading comments on articles about Mac security, you find many people who are in denial about malware that targets the Mac. Granted, there are far fewer viruses, worms and Trojan horses affecting Macs than Windows PCs, but the risk is real, and it’s getting worse. In fact, the complacency of Mac users, who have almost been led to believe that their platform is germ-free, may lead to more serious outbreaks should virulent malware target the Mac. Most Mac users don’t know how to react to a malware attack.
If we look at 2009, we can see that malware writers are increasingly targeting the Mac. In January, shortly after Apple announced a new version of its iWork suite of productivity software, malware writers took advantage of it. Mac users who downloaded the software via BitTorrent were also treated to the iServices Trojan horse, hidden inside the iWork installer. The iServices Trojan opened a back door on infected Macs, and it connected to remote servers to download new code. It was actively used as part of a botnet that was involved in distributed denial of service attacks and more.
