[Dark Helmet]

"Apple computers have long been prized for being relatively virus-free. But as more people use Apple products, experts say the company is increasingly becoming a target for cyber pranksters and criminals writing viruses and other forms of malware.

The threat was highlighted earlier this week after a handful of the company's iPods were shipped with the RavMonE.exe virus."

At that point you already know this story is a write off.

1) An iPod is not a Mac as in the title. Nor is it an "Apple computers" as the first sentence says.
2) The virus is a PC virus! ****ING idiots.

"And Symantec identified six threats of malicious code written for the Mac OS X operating system in the first half of 2006, versus zero in the second half of 2005 and two the year before that."

Is malicious code always mean a virus? NO!

"Friedrichs said of the 13,000 virus threats Symantec sends out a month, maybe a dozen are related to the Mac, with the majority intended for Microsoft's Windows platform."

Ok this is the first mention of a virus for the Mac but it stops there and gives no details at all.

Great journalism CNN got there.

Mac attacks rare but rising - CNN.com

[davesimondotcom]

Oooooh, 6 malicious programs vs. how many for Windows?

[turtle777]

What else is new ?

Those idiots from Symantec are always just thinking about how to push their Antivirus software. CCN is just copying their press releases, so they are idiots, too.

This has been going on for quite a while. I'm not shocked.

-t

[Chuckit]

If you think your Mac has a virus, odds are it's you.

[Doofy]

It's now very, very easy to install a virus on your Mac:

Apple - Boot Camp

[besson3c]

Writing harmful code is very easy on the Mac, I could write you a harmful executable script in just a few seconds, it's getting the virus to propagate that is the challenge.

I just wish people were more accurate in their speaking this way. Macs are not at all impervious to malware, it is just much harder to get them to spread.

[Chuckit]

Not only is spreading the code more difficult, but there are fewer holes through which you can unwittingly wind up with code being executed on your system as well. (They're kind of related points, but not entirely.)

[ghporter]

OS X, because it's based on a very well built *nix core, is hard to hurt. And it's harder to propagate malware because of the way file permissions work. But it's still possible-remember a few months back when a few people, anxious to see what Leopard's UI looked like, downloaded a "picture" file that was actually a trojan/worm/hassle that actually DID infect OS X?

The biggest security threat to ANY computer system is the loose nut in front of the keyboard. The sooner Mac users get used to the idea that there are bad people in the world that want to hurt their computers because they can, the sooner the "Mac community" will be as secure as possible. Stuff will happen, even to Macs, but if users are smart and not out for something free, they'll be pretty safe.

With that said, Computer Associates lists a bunch of current and recent OS X and associated (i.e. Safari) vulnerabilities. U.S. CERT (THE computer emergency response team for the U.S.) even lists vulnerabilities of AirPort base stations and cards. So there ARE threats out there. They are not currently aggressively pushed, but that could be a matter of time; I don't think it's a technical issue.

[Dark Helmet]

Funny thing is the title on the home page is now different: "Attackers looking to bite Apple"

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Writing harmful code is very easy on the Mac, I could write you a harmful executable script in just a few seconds, it's getting the virus to propagate that is the challenge.

I just wish people were more accurate in their speaking this way. Macs are not at all impervious to malware, it is just much harder to get them to spread.

Kind of... you could damage my home folder... but you would have a difficult time taking down the system without me typing in my password.

Trojans will always be around...

[JoshuaZ]

Blah, market share is increasing (according to the new numbers) and with that you'll get more people doing stupid. As long as apple continues to keep OS X in good shape and address security issues ASAP they'll do fine. We'll all do fine.

If not, I'll do just fine. Thank you.

[mitchell_pgh]

I haven't seen Slashdot without an Apple post on it. Most of them are "expert" forecasting the future.

Most of them are simply FUD...

[itai195]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck 

Those idiots from Symantec are always just thinking about how to push their Antivirus software. CCN is just copying their press releases, so they are idiots, too.

Bingo. I mean, trusting security reporting from a company whose fortunes rely on selling security software... not such a great idea. Conflict of interest? Ya think?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by itai195 

Bingo. I mean, trusting security reporting from a company whose fortunes rely on selling security software... not such a great idea. Conflict of interest? Ya think?

There's a reason we don't offer incentive bonuses to undertakers.

[ghporter]

On the other hand, I've never seen Symantec as being out to inflate the virus threat anywhere, and I've worked with their products (and the company on a few occasions) for over 10 years. There's enough threat to go around without anyone overstating what's there.

[angelmb]

We only 'need' some Zune aimed viruses -laughs-

[Pendergast]

I am still pondering whether to call this an "iPodcalypse" or an "Applecalypse".