ScoobyDoo555

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13453497

Just call my cynical, but I wouldn't have touched it with a 10ft battle-lance....

JackClark

When it can install itself I'll start to worry. This is nothing but a spammed program that asks for your credit card. If Sophos hadn't hyped it no one would have heard of it.

There was a macro virus years ago called 'Polite' it popped up a message box asking if it was OK to infect the machine. Thousands of users clicked yes.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

What I can't understand is if Mac users are so bright and. as many of them would have us to believe, Macs cannot get viruses why did they feel the need to download an anti virus program LOL!

Ant

Bit like you know you're not going to get robbed but you still have a burglar
Alarm......

JackClark

Mac's are the popular choice now, even people like you are buying them.

CREWJ

Some people just aren't educated enough in computing. These developers are preying on the weak.

ScoobyWon't

Burglar alarms are to deter people from burgling premises. Robbery is theft from a person by using force. HTH

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

What about smoke alarms, they dont stop you having a crafty B&H in the living room

Markus

< pedant mode > MacDefender isn't actually a virus. A virus would download and install itself silently and obtain root access to the machine, then take control and do whatever it wants. This is more akin to a trojan / malware, it requires user interaction at some level to install < / pedant mode >

Who said Mac users are brighter than any other user? In fact, they might be less bright as the Mac can be very simple to use, hence the installation of this software.

Additionally, it could be that they come from a PC culture where you are insane if you don't install some form of AV onto the machine, and therefore they are doing what they have always done on a PC. The problem is they have chosen poorly and been scammed.

My personal feeling is that the only reason to install any AV on a Mac is to comply with corporate IT policy, or because you don't want to infect PC friends by forwarding an email containing a virus.
If I had to install something, it'd be Clamxav. I had had the misfortune of needing to install AV software (Sophos springs to mind) on a mac for compatibility testing and it slowed the machine down and caused incompatibilities with other software, specifically ours (previous employers) overwriting memory locations it should not if memory serves correct.

If you are foolish enough to not research and app, and then when you download it, you blindly enter an admin password when asked to, you are a very large fool and deserve what you get.

mike1210

+1

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

If you read my post I never said it was a virus so turn the pedant mode off and engage the brain. Here is the quote from the article:

Hence why I said I can't undersand Mac users dowenloading anti-virus sofwatre... all quite logical and simple to understand.... well to most anyway!

ScoobyJawa

Its just a matter of time before hackers turn their attentions to Mac's as well as Windows as they get more popular.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

Still requires an admin password to download , install and run. If after 2-3 times they are still doing something wrong, then they are beyond hope

JackClark

We went past that point ages ago and just like the Rapture nothing happened. Any 'hacker' worth his salt would be focusing on Android, in fact, they are.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Blissful ignorance - is that the Mac anti virus product? LOL!

JackClark

I'm far from ignorant. My Mother runs Sophos.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

On her Mac?

Saint AAI

EFA

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

So, about these web sites its links you to ..