malware – Mosher'sUnimaginativelyEntitledBlog

Seriously - no Mac-bashing.

Sorry, I’ve just got to post this. I’m getting roundly sick of the following knee-jerk response on facebook, Twitter and pretty much everywhere else:

PC User – I just had to get rid of virus X. GRRR.

Mac User – Should get a Mac instead.

Or some variation on this theme. The assumption from Mac User is that “I have a Mac and it’s great as it doesn’t get viruses ever”. This assumption is very much making an ass of u and umption as it’s quite simply wrong.

Let’s be fair, here. I’m including all malware under the generic term of “viruses”. Self-replicating viruses are very rare on the Mac, this is true. But malware masquerading as other software is not uncommon. Protective software will help prevent this attacking a system.

Now, I do dislike Macs. Everyone knows this. It’s an opinion and we can argue over that somewhere else. But one thing I’m certain every Mac owner will agree with me on is that malware authors are the scum of the electronic universe. By being so ignorant (or perhaps arrogant) as to state that you don’t get evil software on Macs, owners are leaving themselves wide open as potential targets.

Much as the Guardian’s hardly known for being at the forefront of IT-related journalism, have a check of this short report. The author was “advised by Mac users and Apple support that I do not need either anti-virus or anti-malware software running”. I mean, what the hell?! Random people I could understand, but Apple support themselves stating that the user shouldn’t make an effort to protect themselves?

Full marks to Sophos for pointing out to the author that malware does exist, and even directing them to a YouTube video of such a nasty piece of code being flagged.

Right now, if I was a malware author I would seriously consider concentrating on the Mac. While PCs do make up the vast majority of installed systems out there – and Windows the majority of them – there are still countless thousands upon thousands of Macs… and I’d guess a huge number of them are running wide open and unprotected.

Apple are doing themselves no favours by claiming to be virus/malware free. It’s bad advice and horrendous arrogance which manifests as appalling customer support. Any system is open to abuse, regardless of the operating system being run on it. Some are more secure, some are less targeted – but all are open to some kind of attempt.

To repeat what I said at the beginning, this is not Apple-bashing. It’s advice. Don’t assume your system is safe just because someone waves a hand and says “only Windows machines get viruses”. They couldn’t be more wrong and continued ignorance of this fact will only lead to more malicious being written and successfully distributed.

There are free and commercial products out there for the Mac. Research them, pick one and install it.