Malware threat

Does the impending malware threat which is supposed to occur on Monday, July 9th, affect Macs? Using OSX 10.7.4. If this can affect Macs, what can be done to protect your computer?

No, only some Windows PCs.

Similar Messages

Malware threat recovery problem

Hi,
I had a malware threat blocker that google put up on my site.
I fixed the malware, twice, on the second time, I fixed it properly.
But when I go to the site now, all I see is the text. The pictures and the stylesheet do not load.
I have uploaded the stylesheet and images, but still nothing. What could be wrong?

Hi,
I have PM'd the link.
Sorry I do not want to post it for secuirty reasons.

Possible virus or malware threat?

Hello. After having a pen drive flash on windows being accused of being infected with an autorun.exe type of virus lying in an invisible folder, I initially thought it could be something Kingston pre-installed on the pen drive or maybe something from my mac, since it had been used on the mac before and I knew macs created invisible folders on pen drives.
Nevermind the fact that (as far as I know) macs do not use exe files. Sometimes we can forget information like that.
I then decided to look for a folder named RECYCLER on my mac, since it was the folder present on the pen drive and, to my surprise, one such folder was detected by Finder. It was invisible before and located on my home/Documents folder.
I opened it on a terminal shell and found another folder within it, also hidden from me. Inside it were two windows-like files inside it. One named INFO2 and one named desktop.ini.
The complete path to those files was:
~/Documents/RECYCLER/S-1-5-21-1606980848-2111687655-1708537768-500
I used vi on the desktop.ini one and found ony the following lines:
[.ShellClassInfo] (this is not a link and should be read as "square bracket, dotShellClassInfo, close square bracket")
CLSID={645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}"
I then Googled up the last string, since it looked like a Registry Key from Windows and found out some posts regarding a virus related to that string. It seems the virus creates an autorun file on the pen drive and then runs it every time accessing the hidden folder RECYCLER.
I find it very odd that my MacBook could have such a folder, since it seems the virus is aimed at Windows. I do have Parallels installed, however and I wonder if that could be a legitimate folder from Parallels. A friend who also has Parallels installed on his MacBook says he has no such folder on his computer, making me even more suspicious.
Could any one help me with this issue? I would be happy to provide more info as necessary.

Hi Pierre-Louis,
If it did come from your computer, it would have had to come from your copy of Windows running within Parallels. Regardless of the fact that Windows is running on your Mac, Windows is still Windows. It's vulnerable to any and all Windows malware the same as if it were running on PC hardware.
It can't do any damage to your Mac software, but it will affect anything in the Windows disk image.

Using RemoteApp to limit malware threats on clients

Greetings,
I have a proposed setup that I would like to get some feedback on possible security implications on.
This is the setting:
There are two LAN-segments, divided by a firewall. Lan-segment 1 (lets call it LAN1) has a Windows 2012 server domain with attached clients. There is therefore an DC-server in that segment, this is the primary DC. LAN-segment 2 (LAN2) has a RemoteApp server.
The clients in LAN1 have no direct connection to the Internet but uses a browser published to them via RemoteApp from LAN2. In LAN2 there is a read-only DC. The RemoteApp-server is a member of the domain. The firewall between LAN1 and LAN2 only allows RDP
(RemoteApp) traffic from the clients and communication between the DC:s in LAN1 and LAN2.
My questions regarding security are as follows:
1. Would you consider this a safe sollution in a setting that requires high security.
2. What security implications can be indentified? One that I can think of for example is that if the server that hosts the RemoteApps in LAN2 gets infected with a trojan it gets access to all user connections to the internet that passes through it, but can
it also capture the domain logins provided? That is, where is the authentication taking place when a client connects to a RemoteApp-server, on the client in LAN1 or on the server in LAN2?
3. Is there a better (read more secure) way to do this?
I'm very thankful for any feedback and/or constructive critisism of the above.
Regards
Gunnar

Hi Gunnar,
According to you description, my main concern is that if only RDP traffic is allowed, then Domain Controllers cannot replicate with each other, since
AD replication is not over Remote Desktop Protocol.
Would you please tell us why do you only want RDP traffic getting through?
Best Regards,
Amy Wang

If the iMac is suppose to be secure from viruses, malware,spyware and other internet threats, then howcome i have seen internet security programs for the iMac?

on the website it clearly stated "It’s highly secure and reliable" and that "You don’t need to buy software to speed it up, keep it safe, or get it to work better." and it also says that "The built-in defenses on a Mac help keep you safe from viruses and malware without the hassle of constant alerts and sweeps." If this is the case, then howcome in download .com, i have seen internet security programs for the imac?
So if one day i accidentelly stumble across a website that has malware in it, will the imac protect me?
Theres this website that i feel to afraid to go to because some people reported a malware threat on that website. But will i be able to safely go to that website with the imacs security?
Im just confused that there are these internet security programs for the imac despite of the imacs built in security.

In addition to Kappy's excellent advice, you need to remember that only you can protect yourself (and your Mac) - for instance, I never go near any torrent site. Not only are most torrent downloads illegal, but quite a few softwares on those sites contain some not-so-nice additions (malware, etc). So, no, your Mac would not protect you there - you need to protect yourself; it is called "responsible websurfing".
I only download software from reputable sites (i.e. the developer); I don't go to questionable sites at all (there is a great plugin for Firefox called "WOT" - it grades the sites from excellent to "poor reputation") - if you use Safari, check to see if it is available there. And I don't download "free" software or music or whatever that costs elsewhere - I pay for it.
And, here is another article you might want to look at:
http://www.reedcorner.net/guides/macvirus/

I have iPhone 4s, and using latest iOS. When I try to open any link from Twitter or Facebook, it goes to open some wrong webpage. My iphone seems to be infected or suffering from some spyware or malware. How can I remove this wrong link opening

I have iPhone 4s, and using latest iOS. When I try to open any link from Twitter or Facebook, it goes to open some wrong webpage. My iphone seems to be infected or suffering from some spyware or malware. How can I remove this wrong link opening ? Please help me to resolve...

I think the McAfee suite will do the trick when I pay them a one-time fee of $69 or $179 for a year for unlimited support.
Your call of course but IMO a waste of money. Please read this first:
There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac has NOT been infected by a virus, it may have another security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
The User Tip (which you are welcome to print out and retain for future reference) seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
More useful information can also be found here:
http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg/

My efforts to remove malware from a network external hard drive connected to my Intel based iMac is now causing programs to hang when I try to open them.

I own an iMac, recently updated with OSX 10.75. It is the core computer on a home network shared with an iPad, Apple TV, two network printers,my wife's laptop, two iPhone, a BlackBerry and a BlackBerry Playbook. I am experiencing three if not four problems that are overwhelming.
My original problem is associated with Windows emails files or documents stored on my external network hard drive. One or more has malware and is sending malware laced files across the Internet to points unknown. As someone pointed out in a forum my iMac may be hosting,sharing and propagating Windows malware. I originally used Trend Micro software on my IMac to monitor any viral activity. Two weeks ago I noticed a number of notices from servers around the world saying my message was not undelivered. Since I had sent messages to the people I simply deleted the emails. Next I noticed the emails on my BlackBerry and my BlackBerry playbook.I configured the Trend to do a complete scan and although it did a complete scan it did not perform a full network scan. It did identify a series of .x27 document files with the same name tbut each had a sequential number. I assumed hat these were the source files that had sent out the email documents selling Viagara and othernproducts. I manually deleted thousands of the source documents and the files. This caused some disruption to my computer but it did not produce a hardware or software problem. By following this effort in conjunction with security scans I do believe the malware was activated by Iranian students who were able to activate the malware through my BlackBerry and BlackBerry Playbook. I learned this from an encounter I had when trying tondelete these files on my computer and my BlackBerry.
When using my PlayBook after deleting the files from my computer I noticed more messages being returned from servers. I realized that email accounts connected to my BlackBerry and BB Playbookn were not protected from this problem. As I searched for remedies I learned about turning on the firewall in the previous version of Lion but that did not stop the BlackBerry problem. Each time I deleted a source file on my computer more documents were released. I eventually received McAfee from my ISP. It provided security on the entire network. My first full scan of my external drive identified two malware files. One of them was associated with the Cialis ad the other was from a firm in the Middle East called ADP. it could not remove the latter file.
Moreover each time I attempted to remove the source file from my hard drive a file labeled A239A076F would show up on my Blackberry. As I removed them thousands of these files would show up. Ultimately I eventually disconnected the external hard drive and removed the battery from the phone and not use the email accounts these messages had used to enter my iMac. I am contacting ATT about BlackBerry data security and switching to a different phone for business purposes. I will probably change to an iPhone or Android phone for business purposes. I am also looking at ways to resolve the malware on that drive. There are a number of business and personal files on thatbdrive that I hope to keep. I dread having to pay McAfee to configure the software to eradicate the malware.
Moving on...last week I updated my iMac to 10.75. It simultaneously updated every Apple based program as promised. It did not update the non-Apple programs. I am not an IT professional and assumed that it had done so. On Saturday I attempted to download a file associated with my router extender using my untethered Playbook and BlackBerry desktop software. The program hung. I attempted a reboot and it reopened with the hung program. It created an alias file on the desktop. My inclination led to put the alias file in the trash can and delete it. My computer did not respond well to that action. It has been rebooted with Cmd-s-esc tens of time to see if that would activate a file check. It did not. I was able to run a disk utility check. And in spite of the hung process it eventually said the drive was okay.
Long story in a nutshell. My iMac is responding as if it is looking for a subprogram to complete its a function. Or it is attempting to finish the BlackBerry operation it began on Saturday. I hope this makes sense to someone and the know how I can restore functionality to my iMac.
Thank you.

I think the McAfee suite will do the trick when I pay them a one-time fee of $69 or $179 for a year for unlimited support.
Your call of course but IMO a waste of money. Please read this first:
There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac has NOT been infected by a virus, it may have another security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
The User Tip (which you are welcome to print out and retain for future reference) seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
More useful information can also be found here:
http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg/

Accidental install of malware/spyware

i know that there is little to no spyware/malware threat for a mac user. but if the user installs it himself without knowing what it actually is, it can still get onto the user's system.
I am that user. I downloaded something and installed it, i don't remember what it was called, but it wasn't what it claimed to be and has hidden and embedded itself deep within my hard drive.
now, whenever i search safari, half the time when i click on one of the links in google, i am redirected.
say for example i search for something. i enter in "simple shoe." instead of taking me to my desired address, it loads about 20%, then the screen turns white, the url changes to something different that ends in .redirect and a little continues button appears in the top left corner of the window.
then i am brought to some bogus ad page with a bunch of links, some related to simple shoes, and some not. sometimes it will even bring me to a page and all the links lead to **** sites.
and a recent development is popups on safari even with the popup-blocker on.
i know this is my fault because i am the one who made the mistake of installing the software, but i would really like to fix this problem.
has this happened to any of you?
i know there are a lot of experts out there that know a lot more than i do, so please lend me a hand with this.

It sounds more like you may have acquired a Trojan.
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger automatically checks your downloads for malicious software and content that could harm your system or collect information from your computer. You can read more about that here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2340
If you feel you need added protection, read on:
SecureMac has introduced a free Trojan Detection Tool for Mac OS X. It's available here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/
The DNSChanger Removal Tool detects and removes spyware targeting Mac OS X. Called DNSChanger Trojan and also known as OSX.RSPlug.A Trojan Horse, the software attacks users attempting to play a fake video file.
Upon attempting to play the video, the victim receives the following message:
“Quicktime Player is unable to play movie file. Please click here to download new version of codec.”
Upon running the installer, the user's DNS records are modified, redirecting incoming internet traffic through the attacker's servers, where it can be hijacked and injected with malicious websites and pornographic advertisements. The trojan also installs a watchdog process that ensures the victim's DNS records stay modified on a minute-by-minute basis.
SecureMac's DNSChanger Removal Tool allows users to check to see if the trojan has been installed on their computer; if it has, the software helps to identify and remove the offending file. After a system reboot, the users' DNS records will be repaired.
There may be other ways of guarding against Trojans, viruses and general malware affecting the Mac. A white paper has recently been published on the subject by SubRosaSoft, available here:
http://www.macforensicslab.com/ProductsAndServices/index.php?mainpage=document_general_info&cPath=11&productsid=174
Also, beware of MacSweeper:
MacSweeper is malware that misleads users by exaggerating reports about spyware, adware or viruses on their computer. It is the first known "rogue" application for the Mac OS X operating system. The software was discovered by F-Secure, a Finland based computer security software company on January 17, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacSweeper
On June 23, 2008 this news reached Mac users:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/23/mac_trojan/
More information on Mac security can be fund here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/
More on Trojans on the Mac here:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/63574.html?welcome=1214487119
The latest news on the subject, from July 25, 2008, is:
Attack code that exploits flaws in the net's addressing system are starting to circulate online, say security experts.
The code could be a boon to phishing gangs who redirect web users to fake bank sites and steal login details.
In light of the news net firms are being urged to apply a fix for the loop-hole before attacks by hi-tech criminals become widespread.
Net security groups say there is anecdotal evidence that small scale attacks are already happening.
Further details here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7525206.stm

How to remove rootkits and malware?

I have downloaded and ran the programme Rootkit Hunter and the results are worrying.
I don't know much about malware other than a malicious individual has persistently been installing it onto my machines via malicious emails - this time targeting my iPhone 4 (which I promptly got rid of upon discovering this individual's presence and replaced with a new Samsung S4, which is probably infected as well now) first; and from there using my house Wifi network to get onto my Macbook Pro 10.8.3 (which is the machine I am on now, and the machine the results refer to); and also my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1; and most likely the phones and computers belonging to other members of my family are compromised as well.
The following are the worrying results identified by Rootkit Hunter:
For "Checking LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable", it says in yellow "skipped".
For "Checking for hidden processes", it also says in yellow "skipped".
I also have red warning notices in relation to system configuration file checks and filesystem checks alerting me to the following:
"Checking if SSH protocol v1 in allowed The SSH configuration option 'Protocol' has not been set";
"Checking if syslog remote logging is allowed Syslog configuration file allows remote logging: install.* .0.1:32376"
"Checking /dev for suspicious file types Suspicious file types found in /dev: /dev/fd/6: MS Windows icon resource"
"Checking for hidden files and directories Hidden file found: /usr/share/man/man5/. rhosts.5: troff or preprocessor input text".
I do not know how to interpret these results other than of course realising they are alerting me to the fact that something is wrong and needs fixing.
I do not know exactly what Rootkit Hunter is telling me is wrong, and I do not know how to fix the problems it has identified.
I would greatly appreciate it if anybody could perhaps tell me how I can do these things. And any advice on which programmes to use for my Samsung machines and the best way to protect my devices in the future would also be greatly appreciated.

First, before I respond on specific points, I'd like you to take a look at my web site:
http://www.thesafemac.com
...just so you can see what qualifications I have for speaking about this topic. I'm not just blowing wind, as many folks on forums can do sometimes.
I was sent a dodgy email to the old iPhone 4 [...], and I clicked on it, had a quick look at it and quickly deleted it.[...] I did not know at the time that just opening them can open the door for malware to install itself onto given device
That is absolutely not true... at least, not using the Mail app on either a Mac or an iOS device. Opening an e-mail message does not do anything that could run unauthorized code on your machine, so there's absolutely no way that any kind of malware could have been installed just by opening and viewing an e-mail message. If you opened a malicious attachment, of course, that could infect your Mac with something, but only if it somehow managed to bypass all of the Mac's built-in security. On an iPhone, the only code allowed to run must be downloaded from the App Store, so it's not possible for any code attached to an e-mail message to run.
I reached over to phone and when I picked up I saw that it was asking me for my Wifi password. [...] I checked and it was Wifi was off, but when I tapped Wifi and opened it, underneath it was revealed that it was actually on - same with Bluetooth etc.
Sounds like a glitch with the phone. That's definitely not evidence of malware.
the person had half an hour to crack my parents' home 10 character Wifi network from the Iphone 4
If your wifi network actually got hacked (you don't say how you know that it was), it is probably mis-configured to allow remote administration with no password or with the router's default password. That definitely wouldn't be something they did via the iPhone.
The person even taunts me that they can see exactly what I am doing on them - they can see all my pictures; wallpapers; know what online radio stations that I listen to; read my emails; watch me playing video games; and know everything I type in my browser; and what I don't type as well via screenshots. I know this because they confirm to me.
There are a few possible explanations for that. One is that this person has gotten access to some online account of yours that gives them access to your machines. For example, if your Apple ID/iCloud account is hacked, depending on the settings on your computer and how you use iCloud, that person can see a lot of your data, locate all your devices and even potentially get access to your Mac via Back to My Mac.
If you use other remote access software, such as LogMeIn, that would explain the issue on all the machines. The LogMeIn account (or whatever other remote access account you have) has been compromised.
It's also possible that your hacker has somehow gotten access to your network such that he/she can see all the network traffic being sent and received. This could expose passwords and other sensitve information that could lead to gaining access to cloud-based data or accessing your computer via some remote access software that you have already installed.
Another possibility is that this person has a local accomplice who is able to get physical access to your machines, and who has installed remote access software of some kind. With physical access, a knowledgeable person can do a lot!
What is really not a likely possibility is for all these machines to be simultaneously and transparently infected with malware remotely. Each device would have to be infected with something completely different, through different means, and each of these pieces of malware would have to get past the protections running on each system. (To see more about what protection is built in on Mac OS X, see How does Mac OS X protect me?.)
I hear what you say about the iPhone, but I have been reading news articles online recently which actually claim it is the least secure phone.
I'm not sure what news site you were looking at... probably not a reputable one! Android has gotten a reputation for being the most insecure system on the planet, while iOS is known to all but a few biased detractors as being quite secure. Take a look here, for example:
http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/08/26/internal-us-government-memo-warns-author ities-about-android-malware-threats/
Fixing it so my devices aren't recognisable to snoopers on a network is also somewthing which I am interested in knowing how to do.
Well, the first order of business is to find out if this is all just a bunch of smoke-and-mirrors on the part of the person harassing you, or if they have actually gained access to something. If they have access, you need to find out what and how.
I'd advise changing passwords on ALL online accounts, resetting the wifi router to factory defaults and setting it up securely, and installing Little Snitch on your Mac. (Little Snitch is difficult to configure correctly, and will warn you about all kinds of normal processes. You will learn a lot about what your Mac connects to on a daily basis, and if there's actually any hacking going on, Little Snitch should catch it and prevent it.)
I'd also advise you to take a look at my Mac Malware Guide for more information on what kind of malware threats are out there, how your Mac protects you and what you need to do to stay safe.

HT201259 mac os 10.6.8 how to remove malware

I want to remove malware that is redirecting my safari browser and displayning adverts related to the subject that I am browsing.

There are two answers to that question, actually three!
How to prevent ads and pop-ups: Download and install GlimmerBlocker: http://glimmerblocker.org/
How to prevent re-direction:
Adding Open DNS codes to your Network Preferences, should give good results in terms of speed-up as well as added security, (including anti-phishing and redirects) (Full information about Open DNS is here: http://www.opendns.com/home/nobloat ) and further independent information can be read here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57338784-263/free-dnscrypt-tool-enhances-ma c-web-security/?tag=mncol;txt
and here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/1146064/troubleshootdns.html?t=234
Open System Preferences/Network. Double click on your connection type, or select it in the drop-down menu, and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' add the following two numbers:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
(You can also enter them if you click on Advanced and then DNS)
Thirdly: malware!
There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac will NOT be infected by a virus, it may have other security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
The User Tip (which you are welcome to print out and retain for future reference) seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.

Malware

how do i know if i have malware or a virus on my imac

There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac will NOT be infected by a virus, it may have other security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful: The User Tip seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
More useful information can also be found here:
www.thesafemac.com/mmg

What might be my best approach for a very small business to install malware protection on Server 2012?

Hello,
Windows Server 2012 w/ GUI as primary DC, Hyper-V VM's running on this server. This my 1st stand alone server.
This is a rewrite of the original post to shorten and focus it:
It seems there is plenty of guidance that Defender/Security Essentials can be used on Server 2012.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831778 (last line of chart)
http://blogs.technet.com/b/clientsecurity/archive/2012/11/05/more-information-on-microsoft-antimalware-protection-on-windows-8-and-windows-server-2012.aspx
Question 1: Is Defender acceptable from a functional point of view and will it not adversely impact server operation?
The 2nd link above suggests management of security software is an issue. I'm wondering if my question has been poorly formed because my installation is so simple I'm not seeing the bigger issues of server security. Obviously security covers a
broad range of issues such as access, protection against accidents, and so on. And while a server shouldn't be used in a way that exposes it to malware threats, we still have to place antimalware protection on every server, yes?
Question 2: Is the bigger issue with antimalware protection related to managing it across a larger number of servers? If so, is Defender acceptable in this regard until my systems grows
larger?
Thanks.

Hi Alan Wheeler,
There may have some misunderstand, In Windows 8, Windows Defender replaces Microsoft Security Essentials and System Center Endpoint Protection (SCEP) and Forefront Endpoint
Protection (FEP) will always disable WD during the SCEP/FEP installation process, as far as I know there don’t have the official document indicate the WD support the Windows Server 2012.
More information:
What is Windows Defender?
http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/windows-defender.aspx
I’m glad to be of help to you!
Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected]

Malware problem, PLEASE HELP :/

So, I was searching for halloween costumes today for my unborn son expected in late august. I was on google images, clicked to enlarge the image and a pop up came up. Then, as if Apple was trying to help a download came up that said I was infected and I needed to download MacProtector (it looked EXACTLY like a package and application for Apple) Then it started scanning and said I needed to register so I called tech support and now I have Malware.. Numerous pop ups are coming up about every 5-10 minutes. Hard to find any anti virus or spyware because were not supposed to get viruses any help?????

Then it started scanning and said I needed to register so I called tech support and now I have Malware..
It's a hoax in the form of malware. It's not a virus.
Follow the instructions from the first two links.
http://www.fixkb.com/2011/05/remove-mac-protector.html
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/05/02/new-macdefender-malware-threat-for-mac-os-x/
And read here. http://www.reedcorner.net/guides/macvirus/
Never accept unsolicited offers from the internet.
as if Apple was trying to help a download
No.

What is the best way to remove malware?

What is the best way to remove malware? I don't want to have all kinds of stuff running in the background slowing my machine. My machine is about 5 or 6 years old and running OS X 10.6.8.

Has your Mac been infected by a Botnet?
Simply put, a bot – which is short for robot – is an automated computer program that allows outside sources to control computers remotely without the users' knowledge. A botnet is a network of hundreds or thousands of computers infected with botnet malware that communicates covertly with a command-and-control (CnC) server run by a type of cybercriminal called a botmaster. Unbeknownst to the individual users, their computers are linked in a rogue network which the botmaster can utilize for a variety of nefarious purposes.
Detailed information here:
http://mac-internet-security-software-review.toptenreviews.com/how-do-i-know-if- my-computer-is-a-botnet-zombie-.html
There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac has NOT been infected by a virus, it may have another security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
The User Tip (which you are welcome to print out and retain for future reference) seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
More useful information can also be found here:
http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg/

Please recommend malware free or inexpensive malware software

I opened an email reported to have malware. I don't currently have malware software on my macbook pro. I am concerned that I got a virus. What should I use to clean/scan my mac and use for protection in the future yet not slow my mac down.
I would appreciate help on this issue.

There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac will NOT be infected by a virus, it may have other security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful: The User Tip seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
More useful information can also be found here:
www.thesafemac.com/mmg

Malware threat

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