Virus for Macs

Hi everyone
Should we be worried about this?
Mario
PS:I found this on CNN
Apple users may find worm
Virus spread through instant messaging is the first to attack the Mac OS X platform.
February 17, 2006: 5:51 AM EST
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A malicious computer worm has been found that targets Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS X operating system, believed to be the first such virus aimed specifically at the Mac platform.
The worm is called OSX/Leap-A, according to a posting on the Web site of antivirus software company Sophos, which said the worm is spread via instant messaging programs.
The worm attempts to spread via Apple's (Research) iChat instant messaging program, which is compatible with America Online's popular AIM instant messaging program, according to the Sophos Web site.
The worm sends itself to available contacts on the infected users' buddy list in a file called "latestpics.tgz," according to the Sophos Web site.
The vast majority of malicious hacks are aimed at Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and some of its products, largely because Microsoft has more than 90 percent of the market for computer operating systems.
"This first Macintosh OS X threat is an example of the continuing spread of malicious code on to other platforms," said Vincent Weafer, senior director at Symantec Security Response, in a statement.
The worm will not automatically infect Mac computers, but will ask users to accept the file, Weafer said.
Symantec ranked the new worm as a Level 1 threat (with 5 being the most severe).
An Apple spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.
---------------

Hi Mario!
Read these:
Macworld: News: Leap-A malware: what you need to know
Macworld: News: Digging deeper into the Leap-A malware
More links in Ralph Johns (UK) Post.
ali b

Similar Messages

  • How to uninstall norton anti virus for mac

    how to uninstall norton anti virus for mac

    A little late to the game, but .sit files are Stuffit files as developed by http://www.stuffit.com/ Apple used to use this compression format, but does no longer, and no longer includes the free Stuffit Expander program made by Stuffit.com. If you need to extract an old .sit uninstaller, get it from Stuffit.com. And also any company making such a program for Mac OS X should seriously consider upgrading their downloads to be .dmg.zip files instead, which are more easy to extract on Mac OS X without downloading extra software.

  • Anti virus for mac or not?

    Do we need an anti virus for mac or not? if so, which one is the best?

    That's a complex issue, with no easy yes or no answers. First and foremost, you have to learn how to protect yourself... all else is secondary. See my Mac Malware Guide for information about this sort of thing, and for some suggestions if you opt to use anti-virus software.
    (Fair disclosure: The Safe Mac is my site, and contains a Donate button, so I may receive compensation for providing links to The Safe Mac. Donations are not required.)

  • Anti virus for mac, anti virus for mac

    Is ther an anti virus for mac?

    Sophos free home use for mac
    http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition.aspx
    also ClamXav  available free from apple store
    I found I was happier with sophos running
    http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57422099-285/two-free-mac-antivirus-apps-com pared/
    read
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2010/feb/03/apple-data-computer-sec urity
    Personal Preference.

  • What is the best mac cleaner and anti virus for mac pro.

    what is the best mac cleaner and anti virus for mac pro.

    OS X already includes everything it needs to protect itself from viruses and malware. Keep it updated with software updates from Apple.
    A much better question is "how should I protect my Mac":
    Never install any product that claims to "speed up", "clean up", "optimize", or "accelerate" your Mac. Without exception, they will do the opposite.
    Never install pirated or "cracked" software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources. Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
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    Such "phishing" attempts are the 21st century equivalent of a social exploit that has existed since the dawn of civilization. Don’t fall for it.
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    Disable Java in Safari > Preferences > Security.
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    Block browser popups: Safari menu > Preferences > Security > and check "Block popup windows":
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    If you ever see a popup indicating it detected registry errors, that your Mac is infected with some ick, or that you won some prize, it is 100% fraudulent. Ignore it.
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    OS X viruses do not exist, but intentionally malicious or poorly written code, created by either nefarious or inept individuals, is nothing new.
    Never install something without first knowing what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to get rid of it when you don’t want it any more.
    If you elect to use "anti-virus" software, familiarize yourself with its limitations and potential to cause adverse effects, and apply the principle immediately preceding this one.
    Most such utilities will only slow down and destabilize your Mac while they look for viruses that do not exist, conveying no benefit whatsoever - other than to make you "feel good" about security, when you should actually be exercising sound judgment, derived from accurate knowledge, based on verifiable facts.
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  • Are there any known viruses for Mac?

    Are there any known viruses for Mac?

    Not yet!
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  • My company requires that I install an anti-virus program on my MAC in order to gain access to our shared drives from home. The IT group suggests I download Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Is there reason I shouldn't do this?

    My company requires that I install an anti-virus program on my Mac in order to access shared corporate drives via Citrix from home. The IT guys recommend Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac. Is this OK or are there other programs I should use instead?

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  • Best Anti-Virus for Mac.

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    This is a very contentious issue, that you will always get different points of view.
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    Another recent flash exploit used a default setting in Safari to bypass OSX security settings, this being 'Open "Safe" files after downloading'. Go to Safari > Preferences > General and untick the setting at the bottom of the window, so this exploit cannot be utilised on your Mac.
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    WOT - Web of Trust. This is a safety rating of a website to indicate if they are trustworthy or not, Green has been rated as safe, Red not. It is not perfect, but at least gives you an idea if the site is safe or not. As a rule, I don't go to Red sites.
    Click to Flash - This prevents Flash from automatically running on sites, and you need to actually click on it on the page to download the Flash. This has two effects, it doesn't load anoying flash onto sites, unless you want it and two, if there are any exploits out there using flash, they can't automatically load.
    Ad-Block - Blocks many anoying web ads, if you don't like them.
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    Don't install MacKeeper if you come across it, its not what it appears, has no ethics and is basically unnecessary.
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    The link AnaMusic posted is a great wealth of knowledge and deffinetly looking at.
    As I said, it a contentious issue and there are many different opinions, so I not saying that everything I say is gospel either, just my opinion.
    A

  • Norton Anti Virus for Mac?  Does it do anything?

    I didnt know where to post t his so sorry if it's in the wrong place.  Im just wondering if there's any reason to use Norton  for Mac.  My internet service provides it for free so I had downloaded it. (Antivirus/Firewall/LiveUpdate)   But I don't know if it's even doing anything.  A Mac is supposed to not get viruses etc..  On my PC, I saw it running scans every so often; I don't see that on the Mac (I dont know if I have to change settings but I haven't touched a thing).  It only seems to turn on when I try to start itunes or Time Machine, and those instances, I just hit cancel because I know those are safe.  Apple store employees have told me to go ahead and uninstall it but said that they heard that can be difficult.  They said that it is only taking up space and slowing down my system by having it on the computer.
    I have to think it is doing something if they sell the product...Im not paying for it so I might as well use it but I don't know what its doing..and Symantec apparently has no support except for an automated website bot.
    So does anybody know if it's worth having?  Should I delete it?  Keep it if its not hurting anything and its free?  Is it slowing things down?

    The best, most effective, least instrusive software you can use on your Mac for Anti-malware exists between your ears.
    Unix is very secure. Not doing stupid things is even more secure.
    Don't enter your admin password in response to a random request from som software you didn't install.
    Ignore messages that pop up on your browser telling you it found a virus--big hint: IT CAN'T.
    Don't install the "special" codec that allows you to view p*rn. There are no "special" codecs for video streaming.

  • What is a good anti virus for macs

    what is a good virus protection for the mac mini

    Considering that there are no "true" viruses for OS X, the best answer I'd offer is NONE AT ALL.
    Other than a test I did for McAfee in 2004, after which I immediately removed their product, I've NEVER used antivirus in more than ten years and eight different Macs.
    I've never seen any malware in that time either.

  • Anti-virus for Mac

    I'd like to know if there is any anti-virus software for Mac. I'm afraid my Mac is infected! If the answer is yes, which one is the best? What should I do to keep my Pc safe?

    I have to agree that while it is not impossible, it is improbable that your mac is infected with a virus due to the very small number of virus and the nature of the OS itself. There are anti virus programs made for mac though and one that is often mentioned on these boards is ClamSav which is free and can be found at
    http://www.clamxav.com/
    Best is of course hard to call because it is opinion based, I personally do not like any of the norton products though others (many others) like their applications.
    What makes you think that you may have a virus? One thing of note is that if you are running a windows OS either through bootcamp or through parallels or a similar program you can infect your windows install or pick up a virus in windows that can affect the mac partition as well.
    Luck
    E

  • Best Anti-virus for Mac partition on MacBook Pro?

    I have a MacBook Pro with Mac OS X, and through Bootcamp, I have Windows XP Pro.
    For the Mac partition, what AV do you recommend?
    I'm looking for an AV that has good detection rate and ability to scan selected files. Also, it must work with Leopard and not be a resource hog.
    BTW, would an AV be enough or do I need Internet Security for Mac? In case of the latter, which ones do you recommend? Thank you!
    Please, don't tell me Macs don't need AV's, I'm still getting one

    Starting by saying “don't tell me Macs don't need AV's, I'm still getting one ”doesn't encourage us to give you what we think is good advice. The highly respected "Tacit" has written much on these issues. As you seem to already have a decided view, for a reason you don't give, you may discount what he has to say, but it is available at
    Macs, viruses, and anti-virus software
    There is a MacFixIt leader at
    Mac OS X anti-virus software: More trouble than it's worth?
    and you can see a short post by Tacit in
    Firewall settings issue
    I would suggest that you might search in any Mac forum you choose for matters related to AV software, but I suspect that you don't want to read horror stories!

  • What is a good anti virus for mac?

    ?

    I reccomend you read all the negative posts on here re Mackeeper
    http://help.mackeeper.zeobit.com/Manual/GettingStarted/UninstallingMacKeeper.htm l
    https://discussions.apple.com/message/23531124#23531124
    Sophos is best free for home use
    http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition/download.aspx

  • Anti-Virus For Mac OS X

    Hello.
    I've just got my first modern Apple Computer (got a really old one), and have almost all my life use Windows, but now when i finelly purchase a Apple i was wondering about a Anti-Virus Program.... Any one have a program/link to Program there is free, but also protect the Mac properly!
    I've found one free here on the Apple site called "Clam-xav" does anyone have expirence whit it?

    MathiasBrix,
    ClamXav works fine. If you don't need the GUI and are comfortable in Terminal, you might want to consider using just clamav.
    The antivirus engine (the software that does the actual detection work) in clamXav, clamav, is the same one Apple ships as part of OS X Server. Apple recommends using antivirus on your Mac. Taken together - that Apple itself uses and recommends using antivirus - makes a strong argument for using antivirus on your own Mac.
    Although it is an antivirus program, clamav detects a large number of phishing scams and some other types of spam.
    -Wayne

  • Norton anti virus for Mac book

    I have been reading the reviews here and by talking with
    people including sales reps I don't think it is a good or necessary investment.
    Anybody have a different opinion/experience here?

    It's a very good investment if you are running windows on your mac. But not for the Mac side. You just don't need it. There some good free ware virus software out there if you want run virus software on the mac side.
    For that matter there is some good free ware for the windows side also.
    Mort

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