![]() If the right settings are enabled in Apple's Safari browser, MACDefender can be downloaded to a system after a user clicks a link while searching the Internet. The new MACDefender malware was first noted on Apby users of the Apple Support Communities, and was highlighted by antivirus company Intego. But users must also agree to install the software, leaving the potential threat limited. Newly discovered malicious software dubbed "MACDefender" takes aim at users of the Mac OS X operating system by automatically downloading a file through JavaScript. Typically, the sites with a poor reputation are known for phishing, untrustworthy content, fraudulent services or other scams." When a Facebook user clicks on a link that leads to a page with a poor reputation rating given by the WOT community, the user will receive a warning message. "Facebook and Internet security company Web of Trust (WOT) will provide Facebook users with a feature that protects them against dubious Web links, the companies said this week. The company estimates that one in six links posted on Facebook pages are connected to malicious software. The company's process of pre-vetting all new applications is believed to have spared its devices from a major attack. Several pieces of malware were also found on iPhones, however only devices that had been "jailbroken" to bypass Apple's security were affected. In several cases, the security holes were exploited and used to install harmful software on Android handsets - suggesting that criminals now view smartphone hacking as a potentially lucrative area.Īt least six different varieties of malware were discovered hidden in applications that were distributed through a Chinese download service. Users of Facebook, Twitter and Google's mobile operating system, Android, are said to be particularly vulnerable. Symantec's annual threat analysis warns that the technologies are increasingly being used to spread malicious code. Smartphones and social networking sites are likely to become the next big target for cyber criminals, according to a security industry report. The open nature of the Android platform was a boon and a danger, and as Facebook have already discovered it is also a very attractive criminal playground. The data being leaked is typically used to get at web-based services such as Google Calendar. Moreover, more than 99% of Android phones are potentially leaking data that, if stolen, could be used to get the information they store online. The remote kill switch will not remove any other code that may have been dropped onto the device as a result of the initial infection. Remote removal of the booby-trapped apps may not solve all the security problems they pose. This bestows the ability to install any code on a phone or steal any information from it. ![]() It also checks to see if a phone has already been infected and, if not, uses known exploits to bypass security controls and give its creator access to the handset. Once a booby-trapped application is installed and run, the virus lurking within, known as DroidDream, sends sensitive data, such as a phone's unique ID number, to a remote server. The apps are also known to be available on unofficial Android stores too. More than 50 applications available via the official Android Marketplace have been found to contain a virus.Īnalysis suggests that the booby-trapped apps may have been downloaded up to 200,000 times. Security Configuration for Version 10.5 Leopard:Īnother source of malware, apart from sites like Facebook and Hotmail, is the Android Marketplace: You can also contact their support team for any additional support - of OS X generally: You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:įirst update the MacScan malware definitions before scanning. Other types of malware, like Trojans, are another matter - if you allow them to be installed. There are no viruses known that have ever succesfully attacked Apple OS X.
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