MAC Attack, A Case of the Midnight Munchies No More …
Posted by Joe Franscella, 6-7-2010:
My college days are long behind me, but through the years I have still managed to keep a few extra pounds on by caving to my late night Big Mac cravings, here and there. This seemingly harmless guilty-pleasure is probably something I will never shake (no pun intended). What can I say, I’m a product of the “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, all on a sesame seed bun” generation.
MAC attack! It means something totally different now. A few years back when I went all MAC for my home and personal computing needs it was based on three things, 1.) Coolness (yes, this came first), 2.) Ease of personal media creation and distribution, 3.) I was in publishing, used it in my work environment and liked it.
When I went MAC security wasn’t an issue for me. I was more than comfortable with knowing that my MACs weren’t high-priority targets and felt secure installing the semi-regular security updates sent out by Steve Jobs’ crew. Having just gone through the hassle of fixing a PC attacked by malware though, which leveraged its way in due to a simple false move where I clicked a wrong link, I now have a different attitude. Which is why I took steps to improve my MACs’ security.
Last Friday, SC Magazine’s Dan Kaplan wrote a particularly telling piece related to the growing MAC security problem. Spyware that targets Mac applications still lingering, Kaplan reports:
A purported spyware application bundled with roughly 30 Mac third-party screensavers is back active after its maker temporarily stopped distributing it.
The software, dubbed OSX/OpinionSpy by Mac security firm Intego, is rated high-risk because it scans files, records user activity and sends that information back to remote servers via a backdoor. Officially known as PremierOpinion, the software is not initially contained in the screensavers but downloaded during installation.
A great summary of what it is and what it does, what I found equally interesting was this paragraph:
“The malware, a version of which has existed for Windows since 2008, claims to collect browsing and purchasing information that is used in market reports,” an Intego blog post said. “However, this program goes much further, performing a number of insidious actions, which have led Intego to classify it as spyware.”
Why did I find this interesting? It demonstrates clearly that Windows OS hackers are continuing to target MACs more frequently. Also, it shows that the millions — maybe billions? — of ultra-successful Windows exploits that have been prevalent for years are easily adapted to targeting MACs. To get at your MAC, cybercriminals don’t have to wait for a MAC-focused hacker community to mature to plan mass hits, they can rely on an abundance of tools already available.