Infected XP computers unpatched
in [UK Mac]
|
Prev: Low-res icons in Dock?
Next: iPod touch won't update?
From: Pd on 19 Apr 2010 14:43 D.M. Procida <real-not-anti-spam-address(a)apple-juice.co.uk> wrote: > It's quite easy to get sucked into unrewarding Interne controversies. You just don't get it, Daniele. Somebody on the internet is Wrong! -- Pd
From: David Kennedy on 20 Apr 2010 15:19 Conor the TROLL wrote: > BWAHAHA > > +-------------------+----------------+ .:\:\:/:/:. | PLEASE DO NOT | :.:\:\:/:/:.: | FEED THE TROLL | :=.' - - '.=: | | '=(\ 9 9 /)=' | Thank you, | ( (_) ) | Management | /`-vvv-'\ +-------------------+----------------+ / \ | | @@@ / /|,,,,,|\ \ | | @@@ /_// /^\ \\_\ @x@@x@ | | |/ WW( ( ) )WW \||||/ | | \| __\,,\ /,,/__ \||/ | | | (______Y______) /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\//\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ================================================================== -- David Kennedy http://www.anindianinexile.com
From: smurf on 22 Apr 2010 06:30 Jim wrote: > On 2010-04-19, R <me32(a)privacy.net> wrote: >> Jim <jim(a)magrathea.plus.com> wrote: >> >>> So ok then, _you_ tell _us_ why Mac OS X isn't the target of any >>> malware at the moment? And please don't say 'market share' because >>> that's horeshit. There are millions of Macs connected to broadband >>> out there, owned by people who, for the most part, have no idea of >>> security. >> >> It's an interesting question for which I haven't seen an adequate >> answer. As you say, the market share ought to be enough. It's enough >> for people to develop software for OS X, for example. Why would it >> not be enough for malware authors to make a profit? And I don't think >> OS X is more secure than Windows. Bear in mind that a lot of malware >> doesn't need root access to do its nasty work. A keylogger, for >> example, could get in via a Firefox security hole and run using the >> privileges of an ordinary user. Further, I don't think we can >> attribute the lack of attacks on OS X to people liking the operating >> system. Malware authors are unscrupulous types driven by the profit >> motive. What they care about is the money. So that's that reason out >> of the window, too. >> >> Here's my highly speculative theory. Most malware is developed in the >> parts of the world where Macs are very rarely used. Places like >> Russia, (the) Ukraine, and China. To write malware requires extensive >> knowledge of the system you are attacking - the sort of knowledge >> that can't be acquired through occasional use. Moreover, most hackers >> tend to be fairly young. So they're going to attack the software they >> know the most about, and that will be the software they grew up >> using. That software will mainly be, in those countries, Windows. > > I personally thnk it's the 'two men running away from a lion' > situation. You don't have to run faster than the lion, you just have > to run faster than the other guy. > > In other words, although Mac OS X is in no way immune, it's still > harder than Windows. If nothing else there's a _huge_ amount of info > out there on compromising Windows. > > Jim The default configuration for OSX is better then most windows OS, while security is taken much more seriously in vista and W7, its in response to threats, not because an underlying belief that security is important. It would take a teenager on a hunt for free music (something about 95% of them try to do) , without intending to get infected, less then a couple of hours to infest their machine with toolbars, advertising servers, and various search hooks which redirect. This would be achieved without the user making any changes to their security. Could the same be said for OSX?
From: Jim on 22 Apr 2010 06:41
On 2010-04-22, smurf <smurf(a)smurf.com> wrote: > > The default configuration for OSX is better then most windows OS, while > security is taken much more seriously in vista and W7, its in response to > threats, not because an underlying belief that security is important. > > It would take a teenager on a hunt for free music (something about 95% of > them try to do) , without intending to get infected, less then a couple of > hours to infest their machine with toolbars, advertising servers, and > various search hooks which redirect. This would be achieved without the user > making any changes to their security. > > Could the same be said for OSX? Quite possibly, yes. If what they download are trojans and they double-click them, type in their admin username and password (a lot of people just don't give it a second thought) then yes, they could easily become infected. The weakest link is quite often the human sitting at the keyboard. Jim -- Twitter:@GreyAreaUK "[The MP4-12C] will be fitted with all manner of pointlessly shiny buttons that light up and a switch that says 'sport mode' that isn't connected to anything." The Daily Mash. |