Apple Mac malware: A short history (1982-2010)

Sophos ^ | November 24, 2010 | Graham Cluley

[Wooly]

There's been a lot of discussion in the media recently about the threat that malware poses on the Mac OS X platform. It's clearly an emotive subject, with strongly held views on both sides.

To help some of the discussions, here's a brief overview of some of the malware we have seen infecting Apple computers. From the early 1980s, right up until the present day, here are some of the highlights in the history of Apple Mac malware.

[Wooly]

Although rare it can and has happened. his article is not for those who understand the computer, how it works, the operating system, and the internet. But it is for those who have blindly believed the marketing people, put on the blinders, and sailed into the ether without caution.

[Wooly]

Just one more comment. This is not only Christmas season for us, this is also Christmas season for the crooks around the world. So be safe when surfing, opening E-mail attachments, going to websites that suddenly have pop-ups warning you of problems with your computer, shopping, checking your bank and other things.
No matter if you use a Mac, Unix, PC, iPad, iPhone, Android, or Windows phone, knowledge and observation can keep your computer safe and your money with you.
Not only do I suggest that you do all the normally suggested thing to keep your computer safe, but I also suggest that once a day you search google for new in the wild virus malware news or go to Cnet or ZDNet.com and take a look.
Be safe and spend your money the way you want to .

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[hamboy]

Be safe and spend your money the way you want to?

I wouldn't spend a buck to try Apple antivirus... Good luck though!

[Swordmaker]

Wooly, it's already been posted. And it IS FUD. The ONLY malware out there for OSX that Sophos's antivirus software will intercept that can affect OSX are the seventeen known Trojan Horse apps in the four known Trojan families and those will already be intercepted by OSX itself which will warn the user they are downloading a known Trojan. The rest of the known malware Sophos claims to find on Macs are WINDOWS' malware in emails!

The article lists pre OSX MacOS malware that is not in any way related to OSX, and non-working, proof of concept virus examples that were never ever seen in the wild as its proofs. That's FUD.

Another breathless FUD article Sophos article published recently listed the top 20 malware they claimed their Mac antivirus was finding on the 150,000 Macs it was installed on... And only TWO were OSX Trojans that would have been intercepted by OSX if Sophos had not done so first... And they were in the 17th and 19th positions totaling less than 2% of the total. The rest were WINDOWS only viruses and Trojans and could do ZERO damage to the Macs. You'll find that article on the same link above.

[BenKenobi]

Sir, some of us are interested in the facts, and actually want to read the article without having to deal with apple fanbois.

[Swordmaker]

Sir, some of us are interested in the facts, and actually want to read the article without having to deal with apple fanbois.

Then read the FACTS where it was originally posted on FreeRepublic... and look at the FACTS... not the FUD, Ben... SHOW ME A VIRUS IN THE WILD FOR OSX. Sophos wants to sell their business and server OSX anti-virus which for OSX is essentially USELESS... except to intercept Windows viruses which WILL NOT HARM A MAC. The ONLY current OSX malware the Sophos antivirus will intercept OSX will intercept on its own except that Sophos TURNS OFF THE OSX's built in protection and replaces it with it's stuff that has to run all the time, just like Windows anti-software, stealing CPU cycles. That is unnecessary on a Mac. That, Ben Kenobi, is a FACT that Sophos will not tell you.

[stevecmd]

Good read

Thanx