Researchers Find Signs of Zombie Macs

PC: Hi i'm a Vista PC and it took them the longest to hack me.
MAC: Bbbrrraaaaiiiinnnnssss

what...I thought it was funny... though i'm also half asleep
 
Mac decided to start boasting, bragging, and being generally cocky. They're just laying in a bed they made. It's real easy to say your software is the most secure when nobody's attacking it. But going on record as saying they are secure just puts a challenge up to the hackers to start hacking you.

I hope the hackers knock them down a few pegs off their high horse.
 
The more popular you get, the more people will start paying attention.

Do I think OS X is more secure by default compared to Windows? Yes.
Do I think OS X is bullet proof? No.

It's to bad that OS X has to get malware, but really... it was just a matter of time. Hopefully Apple comes up with a good solution to start protecting their users. Not saying that they aren't doing a decent job of it already.
 
typezero303 said:
Do I think OS X is more secure by default compared to Windows? Yes.
Click to expand...

You must not read [H] news very much. I've seen so many news articles that are the complete opposite of that opinion. But regardless of the author's feelings, the facts I see just don't support this claim.
 
Haha, we were just talking about the possibility of this in another thread the other day... Can't remember if it was the "90% of netbooks now run Windows" thread or what though. Scary proposition though, given how uneducated most Mac users probably are about malware and computer threats in general, once they've become a target it's gonna spread like wildfire. Even security firms probably don't have a well implemented procedure to deal w/this kinda stuff on Macs. Didn't even see the article offer any detection/removal options...
 
DrVal said:
You must not read [H] news very much. I've seen so many news articles that are the complete opposite of that opinion.
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I don't think the idea that Windows is more secure than OS X at this point is even debatable: Windows has security features that OS X simply doesn't have. Windows is most certainly more secure, at least in typical usage.

That being said, I don't worry about running anti-virus or anti-spyware software on my Mac.
 
DrVal said:
You must not read [H] news very much. I've seen so many news articles that are the complete opposite of that opinion. But regardless of the author's feelings, the facts I see just don't support this claim.
Click to expand...
They're secure because they didn't fill enough of the market to be a viable target. What was it Steve said once? "Suicide Bombers don't target Siberia." Now that they're in the public eye more, that's starting to change.
 
Every time one of these virus, trojan or other OS X malware attacks are reported, people act like it's the first time, or doesn't count. This ain't the first time. OS X is there for the taking by anyone who wants to ignore the other 90%+ of systems connected to the Internet. There are just much bigger targets out there.
 
Definitely, but a 10% that's probably not gonna react at all for the time being probably makes for a juicy target too... Then again, most of the systems that power botnets probably fall into that because they're left perennially unpatched, unsecured, w/no AV running, etc. so I guess those are just as reliable (to the potential botnet).
 
typezero303 said:
The more popular you get, the more people will start paying attention.

Do I think OS X is more secure by default compared to Windows? Yes.
Do I think OS X is bullet proof? No.

It's to bad that OS X has to get malware, but really... it was just a matter of time. Hopefully Apple comes up with a good solution to start protecting their users. Not saying that they aren't doing a decent job of it already.
Click to expand...

You don't do much reading do you? OS X has proven to not be secure at all. The only reason it hasn't been targeted is because no one will spend the time or resources to develop something for it because the user base is so small and therefore a waste of time. Now when they have the hackathon or whatever the hell they call them. The Mac goes down in minutes if not seconds.
 
Rudager said:
and all you have to do is download pirated software to get it
Click to expand...

And it is impossible for a virus to spread through local network privileges, IMs, email, Twitter, or portable media.... right? If a virus is written for maximum spread then the original source doesn't matter.
 
Hahaha oh wow...I though macs didnt need any malware/virus protection.

pwned.jpg
 
[UPS] Sorce;1033986145 said:
What was it Steve said once? "Suicide Bombers don't target Siberia."
Click to expand...

So if OSX is Siberia, then Mac users are GULAG prisoners?
 
Personally, I do think OS X, coming from a Unix background does have some strengths compared to Windows in terms of security. I didn't say it was bulletproof.

OS X, like all other OSes are only as secure as the user thats using it... and if a user puts in their admin password to install an app, then all the security in the world doesn't matter. I mean, it's the same approach Microsoft took with the UAC with Vista to the "Allow/Decline", but if the user just clicks on Allow and doesn't think about it, then all of Vista's security is moot as well.

Popularity has a lot to do with it... as Macs become more popular, sure more people will start to target it, and it's already starting to surface. But that still doesn't change the fact that the root of OS X comes from a much better security standpoint then Windows comes from.

At the end of the day, this is just my personal opinion. If you don't agree, then thats fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion... and I'm always whiling to learn. And if you guys would care to educate me, I'd be more then happy to learn as much as I can.

And in terms of how often I read [H], I'm hear everyday.
 
Researchers Find Signs of Zombie

I was getting ready for some fun with a shotty but you just had to put that last word in, didn't you?
 
Blackjack988 said:
So if OSX is Siberia, then Mac users are GULAG prisoners?
Click to expand...

No they are the ones giving supplies to the pirates.

phide said:
...Twitter? What?
Click to expand...

Viruses have spread through the site. They can spread from any site. Myspace, facebook, somebody's site that they made off the free 10MB that their ISP gave them to make their own personal site...

Is this really news to you that you can get a virus off of any site in theory?
 
phide said:
...Twitter? What?
Click to expand...

Once someone is infected by oh sayyy... piracy, the virus could then steal their twitter account details and post something along these lines...

"6:42 - Found a cool new piece of software/game/whatever, check it out! http://www.infectedserver.com/file.exe"
 
But, but, I thought Macs were completely impervious to all this? :confused:

lol
 
typezero303 said:
Personally, I do think OS X, coming from a Unix background does have some strengths compared to Windows in terms of security. I didn't say it was bulletproof.

OS X, like all other OSes are only as secure as the user thats using it... and if a user puts in their admin password to install an app, then all the security in the world doesn't matter. I mean, it's the same approach Microsoft took with the UAC with Vista to the "Allow/Decline", but if the user just clicks on Allow and doesn't think about it, then all of Vista's security is moot as well.

Popularity has a lot to do with it... as Macs become more popular, sure more people will start to target it, and it's already starting to surface. But that still doesn't change the fact that the root of OS X comes from a much better security standpoint then Windows comes from.

At the end of the day, this is just my personal opinion. If you don't agree, then thats fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion... and I'm always whiling to learn. And if you guys would care to educate me, I'd be more then happy to learn as much as I can.

And in terms of how often I read [H], I'm hear everyday.
Click to expand...

There are other changes in Vista than just UAC. They sandbox a few more programs to keep them from having too much access to the sytem. They removed drivers from running at the kernal level and now have them run ontop of it. This again helps keeps drivers from having too much access and also helped make the system a little more stable. System memory is now randomized so that now one time when you run windows the system stuff might be in the first X number of bytes of ram, the next time it might be at the end, the next time somewhere around the middle. Bofore it was always at the same location so if you knew what memory location a certain value was always stored at you could come up with a way to directly access that memory address and get the value or change it. Now it is always different so you can't do that anymore. I've you keep your system up to date with all updates their is the malicous software removal tool that gets updated every month. I've actaully seen that find and remove a few things before so it actually does give you some protection against some threats. Windows defender (which came installed under vista but I think is a seperate download for 7) will help protect your machine from malware. There are many other things that occur in the background that help protect you even if you are one of those that click ok to every screen. They won't keep you from getting a virus or malware all the time, but they all do help cut down what the viruses or malware can do once installed and do help cut down on you getting them in the first place.
 
Nemesis999 said:
"6:42 - Found a cool new piece of software/game/whatever, check it out! http://www.infectedserver.com/file.exe"
Click to expand...
I thought you were implying that one could be infected from using Twitter, not how one can be infected by running an executable linked from a tweet. Re-reading your post, I understand what you mean now.
 
The Mac's biggest problem with Security is Symantec is the primary Virus Protection vendor.
 
TechLarry said:
The Mac's biggest problem with Security is Symantec is the primary Virus Protection vendor.
Click to expand...

I don't know what you are talking about Symantec is good at killing your networking or your computer. Kinda hard to get a virus or any other malware when your machine is dead.
 
eggrock said:
Researchers Find Signs of Zombie

I was getting ready for some fun with a shotty but you just had to put that last word in, didn't you?
Click to expand...

Their are real zombies, their actual people who are brought back via voodoo and have no memories that they were once dead.

The zombies you see in movies are all science fiction.
 
DrVal said:
You must not read [H] news very much. I've seen so many news articles that are the complete opposite of that opinion. But regardless of the author's feelings, the facts I see just don't support this claim.
Click to expand...

Pwn2Own has shown that Macs are not that secure at all two years in a row.

I think the difference is how MSFT and APPL handles security. Now, I don't know how APPL does it, but I do know how MSFT does it and it's pretty damn hard core.

There is a group of mean mofos at MSFT who are like the Hand of God. They roam the code and have the authority to shut down and stop anything from shipping should they find something bogus. They run a 24/7 response operation, can requisition any resources at any time to address any security vulnerability.

We've seen it in action: when a serious threat is discovered and if it is at risk of 0-day exploit you see MSFT respond. Most current exploits out there are on unpatched systems that would have been secure long before the exploit was deployed if their users were running auto update, etc. It is obvious to me that MSFT takes security very seriously.

Now look at APPL. Their response time is what? Months? How often have we read of an Apple guy reporting a new exploit to APPL and getting blown off? APPLs cavalier security posture will and is starting to bite them in the ass.

Braiiiiiiinnnnnsssssssss indeed.
 
All I can say is, after years of those infuriatingly-insulting "I'm a PC" ads that showed people who had absolutely zero clue how to properly use a computer complaining that their idiocy broke something on Windows and the Mac coddled them with its addonis-like invulnerability, it's pretty funny seeing Apple get shown up again and again lately.
 
I want to see a new I am a PC/Mac commercial w/ the PC guy visiting the Mac in the hospital. The mac is covered in genital warts, and all kinds of STDs. The PC is like, I said you were not invincible, you needed to wear protection. Now look what happened.
 
Manaknight said:
PC: Hi i'm a Vista PC and it took them the longest to hack me.
MAC: Bbbrrraaaaiiiinnnnssss

what...I thought it was funny... though i'm also half asleep
Click to expand...
Send more cops!...send more parmedics!...send more OS patches!

Cue the "it's not a true exploit brigade" in 3...oh nevermind, it's already happened.
 
Rudager said:
and all you have to do is download pirated software to get it
Click to expand...

Isn't that the same as any other kind of malware. It requires the user to download something to catch it. It doesn't magically appear on their machines. Malware feeds on the stupidity of users.
 
It'll be a while before Apple does anything about it. By then it'll probably be too late, but it's kind of hard to beat hackers when you don't know what the hackers are brewing, as appose to beating common known trojans and viruses on Windows-based PC's....there's no 'common' of any of that for Mac's that I've heard of. In addition to Apple purposely neglecting the problem because they think their OS is still 'safe'. As I've read in other threads, it's only a matter of time.
 
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