Mac OS X malware and spyware

Bruce — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:24:22 +0000

Every time a potential exploit is discovered in the "secure" Mac OS X operating system alarmists cry "the sky is falling". It hasn't fallen yet: you simply don't hear about OS X viruses and other nasties. But Apple releases a steady stream of security updates indicating there is some substance to the perceived threat. Obviously it makes good sense to download and install these updates promptly, and to use antivirus software (Virex comes with a .Mac account). But is there any need for, or means of, protection against spyware? Problem? What problem? Apple's Support database, as of this writing, is unaware of the search terms "spyware" or "adware". Microsoft's support database, however, is all too familiar with both terms—reflecting the relative size of the problem on the Mac vs. Windows platforms. A quick Google search for links to information about spyware or adware and Mac OS X turned up very little aside from scare-mongering. It did, however, lead to this article on The X Lab that documents the existence of spyware and solutions for detecting it under Mac OS X. Spector is a commercially available spyware application that can be installed on a Mac: Spector automatically takes hundreds of snapshots every hour, very much like a surveillance camera. With Spector, you will be able to SEE EXACTLY what your spouse, kids and employees have been doing online and offline. Most of us are probably more concerned about spyware we can inadvertently download from the Internet, rather than paranoid or voyeuristic partners or employers that have ...

Fumigate now against adware & spyware

Bruce — Fri, 07 May 2004 14:17:26 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net :

Free software can help protect your PC from software that secretly invades your privacy or bombards you with unrequested advertising... Spyware and adware explained According to Wikipedia: Strictly defined, spyware is computer software that gathers information about a computer user without the user's knowledge or informed consent, and then transmits this information to an organisation that expects to be able to profit from it in some way. Data-collecting programs installed with the user's knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared. More broadly, the term spyware is applied to a wide range of related malware products which are not spyware in the strict sense. These products perform many different functions, including the delivery of unrequested advertising (pop-ups in particular), harvesting private information, re-routing page requests to illegally claim commercial site referral fees, and installing stealth phone dialers. According to Wikipedia: Adware or advertising-supported software is any software application in which advertisements are displayed while the program is running. These applications include additional code that displays the ads in pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. Adware helps recover programming development costs, and helps to hold down the price of the application for the user (even making it free of charge)—and, of course, it can give programmers a profit, which helps to motivate them to write, maintain, and upgrade valuable software. For more discussion on the rise of adware and spyware, see this article from Wired. Detect and destroy ...

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Mac OS X malware and spyware

Fumigate now against adware & spyware