MAC attack

[Travis W]

I found this kind of interesting/funny http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/117188
Serves people right for trying to download pirated software  :lol:
Do you guys believe what the article says about this just being the start of a wave of attacks on macs?
I have been saying this for the past few years to a few of my friends,
but they all said that was b.s. and that their macs were safe.

[William Grim]

I found this kind of interesting/funny http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/117188
Serves people right for trying to download pirated software  :lol:
Do you guys believe what the article says about this just being the start of a wave of attacks on macs?
I have been saying this for the past few years to a few of my friends,
but they all said that was b.s. and that their macs were safe.

I wouldn't be surprised if more attacks started happening.  I mean, Apple has 10% market share now, which makes it a more lucrative target.

However, I agree with your friends that their Macs are still safe.  This kind of attack only affects those that tried to install pirated software, and it only works because the user has to enter their password to allow the software superuser privileges.

By design, the Mac interface is safer than Windows for the reason that passwords are required when trying to install certain kinds of software, because you typically run as an unprivileged user.  Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to people, and hopefully the word about how to protect yourself spreads throughout the wild.

It's not to say that Macs are impenetrable, because flaws in the system's world-facing interfaces could be exploited.  However, the Mac UI is a big step forward when moving from Windows security to something else.

[Travis W]

I was not aware of the whole password thing.
My knowledge of macs is very limited.
thanks for the info

[bandyguy]

"By design, the Mac interface is safer than Windows for the reason that passwords are required when trying to install certain kinds of software, because you typically run as an unprivileged user."

Isn't this what windows is doing with UAC in vista?

[William Grim]

Looks like they are trying.  However, no one uses Vista in any substantial way, and the UAC is so annoying with legacy (i.e. all) Windows apps, I hear people just disable it completely.  Maybe Windows 7 will have more luck and more app support for proper access controls.

[CoryLehan]

However, no one uses Vista in any substantial way, and the UAC is so annoying with legacy (i.e. all) Windows apps, I hear people just disable it completely.

That's what I've done both times I've had it.  Vista has way too many security checks.  It's especially annoying having to answer 5 (YES 5) times to just delete a folder with a folder with a .exe file in it.  First it tells you that you may be deleting something important in the inside folder, then tells you that you may be deleting something important in the outside folder (because it holds the previous potentially important folder), then UAC comes up, then it lets you know that deleting the .exe can affect other files, then one final "Are you sure?"  It's nice to have some security, but they really overdid it.

[AidanKay]

That's what I've done both times I've had it.  Vista has way too many security checks.  It's especially annoying having to answer 5 (YES 5) times to just delete a folder with a folder with a .exe file in it.  First it tells you that you may be deleting something important in the inside folder, then tells you that you may be deleting something important in the outside folder (because it holds the previous potentially important folder), then UAC comes up, then it lets you know that deleting the .exe can affect other files, then one final "Are you sure?"  It's nice to have some security, but they really overdid it.

That's strange, I have Vista and have never experienced that. Although I wouldn't be surprised with all the problems I've had with the program.

And about macs, I've never owned a mac mainly because someone I knew who used to rave about them (and I didn't exactly like him), so out of spite, I stayed away from them =P.

-Aidan.

[Denkspiele]

Well i have a mac and should say i have a growing concern with the security of my mac. I dont use any pirated software at all and i always try to download only software from the Apple site. However in the past month i did actually get a message from my ISP that i probably have a Worm. So there it was, format and reinstall and still wasnt sure if it was really a mac virus or just some bugged up software.. i find it scary that there is so little information about Mac security..

Denkspiele sind die besten Spiele und machen definitiv schlauer. - What language is that?

[Robert Kennedy]

I saw a follow up article on this today

Evidence suggests first zombie Mac botnet is active 

[Tangent Orchard]

That's what I've done both times I've had it.  Vista has way too many security checks.  It's especially annoying having to answer 5 (YES 5) times to just delete a folder with a folder with a .exe file in it.  First it tells you that you may be deleting something important in the inside folder, then tells you that you may be deleting something important in the outside folder (because it holds the previous potentially important folder), then UAC comes up, then it lets you know that deleting the .exe can affect other files, then one final "Are you sure?"  It's nice to have some security, but they really overdid it.

I think I've had twice in a row, but never five, wow. =P
If you don't like it, why not just turn it off?  I did that a few weeks after I got Vista, and I've never had another pop-up.  I actually prefer Vista to XP at this point.

[Robert Kennedy]

I've been trying out the Windows 7 beta lately.  Its been more stable for me than Vista tbh.  It seems like Microsoft took the good things from Vista and combined them with the simplicity of XP. 

[HannaF]

I have been a mac user for over 13 years and I have been very lucky in that no viruses or worms, trojans nada, nothing.  On the other hand my partner is a windows user and has had a few troubles over the years.....maybe it is not a software problems as much as it is a percentage of users problem.  I don't know  just an opinion.

Hanna

[Mark Sands]

Looks like human-spam. the non-robot kind.

[raptor]

Def human.. is it spam?  Dunno.  Leave it for now,

[Gregory Bartholomew]

Def human.. is it spam?  Dunno.  Leave it for now,

Hmm ... If only we had recaptcha installed.  It would have made the determination automatically based upon the ip address of the user trying to register.

[Mark Sands]

thanks for the reminder -- recaptcha is now installed and working great! :)

[William Grim]

If it helps any, recaptcha could also be used during the forum posting process.  It may or may not cut down on spam, but we'll be using some human computing power for scanning in books!