Mac Defender Threat to Apple Users

Mac users are not really worried about malware, right? This has been the case for many years, although this topic has always been raised in the debate between Apple and information security experts. Experts predicted an increase in the number of malicious programs in parallel with an increase in Apple's share of the personal computer market.

Judging by new data, this is already happening. ZDNet blogger Ed Bott said on Wednesday that the malicious application is called Mac Defender (variations with slight differences are possible). And more users have already suffered from it than previously thought.

Bott gave this topic two posts. In the firsta transcript of an interview with an AppleCare representative who claimed that "many, many people" had been attacked by the virus. The source claims that the number of calls to support has exceeded the norm by 4-5 times, and most calls are related to Mac Defender.

In the second post, Ed included several user complaints from the support forum.

- I found more than two hundred topics on the forum from those people who installed this software for themselves, and are now desperately trying to remove it.

Mac Defender is a pseudo antivirus aimed at Mac users. Like most similar programs, beginners are its primary goal.

Its creators actively used SEO to place sites with the program in the first positions in the list of search results. Unsuspecting users click on links and go to third-party sites where JavaScript automatically downloads the file. When you open the file, the installation window appears.



Intego qualified MAC Defender as a “low-risk virus," since it exists, but is not yet widespread. However, the information gathered by Bott makes it possible to believe that many users have already become victims of the virus.

More disturbing is the fact that under the terms of the User Agreement, AppleCare does not provide assistance in removing malware. Most employees do this, with the tacit consent of the direct supervisors, but if they are caught in this occupation, they may even be fired.

A simple solution for poppy users will be installing an antivirus. This antivirus.
And if security threats continue to grow, it will be expected that Apple will add antivirus protection to the Mac.

UPD 1.

How to remove this thing if you have already managed to install it.

Use Activity Monitor (Applications> Utilities) to disable anything related to MacDefender. Then, make sure there are no links to the application in Library / StartupItems, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons. After that, move MacDefender from the Applications to the Trash and empty it. Use Spotlight to find and remove all traces of the application.

For prevention, Intego recommends its own antivirus (still).
But all you really need is common sense.

Uncheck “Open after loading” in Safari and never, never install “antiviruses” from unfamiliar sites, regardless of how many viruses they supposedly find on your computer.

UPD 2

What the program will do on your computer.

The application will from time to time show pop-up warnings that your computer is allegedly infected with a bunch of viruses, plus for the credibility of this, porn sites will periodically open in the browser ( in the sense, by themselves ).



A frightened user, according to the calculations of the attackers, will be forced to buy the full version of MacDefender`a. Under the terms of the free, it is impossible to delete the found viruses.



After transferring money and entering the key, pop-up windows with fake warnings disappear. But the money and credit card details remain in the hands of the creators of the program.