{"id":111,"date":"2011-08-31T01:57:33","date_gmt":"2011-08-31T01:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/blog\/?p=111"},"modified":"2011-08-31T01:57:33","modified_gmt":"2011-08-31T01:57:33","slug":"theres-a-bug-in-my-apple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/theres-a-bug-in-my-apple\/","title":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a Bug in My Apple!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newsflash: Macs are vulnerable to virus attacks\u2014film at 11! <\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, you read that right\u2014your shiny Apple could be hiding a worm.<\/p>\n

Now, this isn\u2019t \u201cnew\u201d news\u2014about two years ago, we launched an email campaign recommending that our Mac-based clients should get on the antivirus bandwagon, and many of you took that recommendation.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For those of you who still feel protected by the idea that \u201cMacs don\u2019t get viruses,\u201d in this day and age of privacy issues and rampant identity theft, we want to make sure you\u2019re aware of the threats out there affecting Mac users.<\/p>\n

The hot new hacking trend is to trick Mac users into installing malware through pop-up web browser windows. \u201cMac Defender\u201d (AKA \u201cMac Protector\u201d) is a good (or is that bad?) example. This \u201cscareware\u201d uses phony virus alerts to trick users into installing what they think is an antivirus program. Once installed, the malware demands credit card information for \u201cvirus protection\u201d (more like \u201cextortion,\u201d right?).<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also seeing a spike in link-based email attacks. It used to be that you had to open an infected attachment to get a virus. These days, viruses can also be delivered when a user clicks a link in what appears to be a legitimate email from their bank, Craigslist, or even the Federal Government!<\/p>\n

What these attacks have in common is that they take advantage of uninformed users\u2014so let\u2019s walk through a typical pop-up attack so you know what to look out for!<\/p>\n

There you are, cruising the web on your Mac (maybe you\u2019re surfing with Safari, but you\u2019re just as vulnerable using Firefox, Chrome or any other modern web browser). You\u2019re checking out pics on Google Images, or getting your news fix on CNN.com\u2014or going where you probably shouldn\u2019t be\u2014when BAM! Up pops an alert that looks like a legitimate Mac system window telling you that you have a virus!<\/p>\n

This warning isn\u2019t really from coming from your computer\u2014it\u2019s actually a pop-up website window disguised as a Mac system window. Clicking any buttons or links in this window starts the malware installation process. These pop-ups are often hiding on hacked websites whose owners aren\u2019t even aware they\u2019re hosting viruses!<\/p>\n

Are you scared yet? Well, take a deep breath, count to three, and protect yourself. The Mac remains a very stable and robust operating system and Apple is vigilant when it comes to providing software updates to help keep your computer secure. But they can’t help or protect you if you give away the keys to your castle.<\/p>\n

Be on the lookout for suspicious alerts. If you are prompted to enter your Mac password to install software, remember that you are being asked to give that software permission to do whatever it wants to your computer, so do NOT proceed unless you are 100% sure the software is trustworthy! Tricky, virus-infected software can\u2019t hurt you if you don\u2019t let it.<\/p>\n

In closing, here are some Pro Tips to keep the bugs at bay:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Use your Mac\u2019s built-in firewall to limit outside network connections to your computer.
\n\u2022 Install antivirus software on your computer and make sure it\u2019s set up to scan your system in real time.
\n\u2022 Never enter your password for software you don\u2019t trust completely.
\n\u2022 Remember: If it seems suspicious, DON\u2019T CLICK ON IT!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We recommend the following antivirus applications for your Mac (available through Island Technologies or direct from the manufacturers):<\/p>\n

\u2022 ESET Cybersecurity (Intel Macs only)
\n\u2022 Intego Virus Barrier X6<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Whether you install it yourself or call on Island Technologies for support, be sure to get antivirus software installed on all your Macs\u2014your data is too valuable to leave unprotected!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Newsflash: Macs are vulnerable to virus attacks\u2014film at 11! Yes, you read that right\u2014your shiny Apple could be hiding a worm. Now, this isn\u2019t \u201cnew\u201d news\u2014about two years ago, we launched an email campaign recommending that our Mac-based clients should get on the antivirus bandwagon, and many of you took that recommendation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,73,74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-solutions","category-security","category-tech-support"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.islandtechnologies.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}