There’s been a lot of coverage of the mac Flashback malware recently (http://www.pcworld.com/article/253360/mac_trojan_infections_exceed_half_million_expert_says.html ), particularly as over 100,000 Canadian macs are among the infected.
So why all fuss? What does it all mean?
First, for those diehard mac fanbois out there, the myth of mac invulnerability has been laid to rest. This malware did not require users to put in their administrator password to work. It is a classic web site drive-by click jacking invasion familiar to Windows users.
- Malware bites Apple
Second, Apple did release a somewhat belated patch for Java to protect against this. Mac users, like Windows users, have to get used to installing security updates when they come out. There was a windows patch for this vulnerability release over six weeks ago (Windows users go to www.java.com and download the latest Java patch). Do you have a patching strategy for your business? If you don’t, call 604-681-1422 and we can set one up.
Third, for the hackers it is worth their time financially to go after any platform (Windows, mac, linux, those google netbooks). Hackers want your computer regardless of operating system to harvest your banking details, your credit card information, your email address, your contacts and to use your computing power for nefarious web deeds.
Fourth, again regardless of operating system, you need to educate yourself and your employees about the web threats out there and how to avoid them. The average computer infection costs between 2 to 3 hours to repair on top of the business time lost while it is infected. Think about the costs involved in losing your banking credentials, credit card fraud and company embarrassment.
