Apple malware is definitely on the rise, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. Furthermore, Cluley stated ‘When malware writers see an opportunity they go for it. And lets not forget the smug factor. So many [Apple users] believe they are protected by magic rays and that the spirit of Steve Jobs protects them wherever they go.’
 
 
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Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder of Kaspersky Labs, said, ‘I am afraid that Mac users will be more easy victims because many of them think they work with a secure OS, which is far, from true.’
The harmful software is a trojan horse, meaning it tries to sneak into the computer with some sort of permission from the user.¬† Computer worms travel differently.¬† They wiggle their way into computers and replicate themselves without the owner’s permission.
The Mac program is called a botnet because infected computers become part of a network that is controlled by the program’s author.
Researchers Mario Ballano Barcena and Alfredo Pesoli found that Mac users who downloaded pirated copies of iWork 09 and Adobe Creative Suite 4 from P2P sites got more than the programs they intended. Added to the binaries were two malware variants–OSX.Iservice and OSX.Iservice.B. The malware executes a PHP script, running as root, that launches distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against sites. Yes it is controversial in that only Apple users got the malware from somewhat illegal (pirated), software – but, the theory that MACs can be made into a botnet was proven beyond a doubt.
 
A compelling history of computer viruses and worms can be reviewed here
Mac users should NOW become educated on the malware threat landscape and at least start thinking about antivirus solutions for their desktops. If you react only after you have been hit by malware, you have no one to blame, but yourself.
The tipping point here is the naive argument many in the Apple user community are making against any further harm – which is basically the same stupid argument against the need for auto insurance. THINK – act smart, before it is too late !
15 easy fixes for Mac security risks can be found here
