Apple and malware

[tony@well.com]

As I think I understand it, Apple computers are not vulnerable to the
spy/malware discussed here, because they do not use a Windows
operating system. Is this legend or is it fact?

T.
========================
Tony Roder, speaking his mind....

[Davoud]

<tony@well.com> wrote:
> As I think I understand it, Apple computers are not vulnerable to the
> spy/malware discussed here, because they do not use a Windows
> operating system. Is this legend or is it fact?>

*****

It's a fact. No spyware, no current viruses/worms/what have you. It's
quite a coincidence that your post should catch my eye on my first
visit to this NG. I'm a Mac user -- six of 'em -- who recently bought a
Win XP Pro laptop (Sony Vaio) to run specific software. (I'm a
webmaster, and I've been running Win 98 on a Mac with Virtual PC for
some years in order to do an occasional check of my web pages with
Explorer for Windows).

I used to call Windows a cheap imitation of the Mac OS, but I didn't
really know what I was talking about -- Win XP Pro isn't nearly good
enough to be called a cheap imitation of the Mac OS!

So what brought me to this NG? I've never run into spyware before, and
now something is causing eZula to be downloaded to my Vaio. I have a
detector/deleter, but I'm trying to find what is causing it to be
downloaded repeatedly.

Davoud

Mac U.S. market share (all machines in use): about 5 percent.
*Combined* U.S. market share of BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, Jaguar,
Saab, and Porsche: about 4.3 percent.

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com

[Jay T. Blocksom]

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 01:13:56 -0400, in <alt.privacy.spyware>, Davoud
<star@sky.net> wrote:
>
> <tony@well.com> wrote:
> > As I think I understand it, Apple computers are not vulnerable to the
> > spy/malware discussed here, because they do not use a Windows
> > operating system. Is this legend or is it fact?>
>
> *****
>
> It's a fact. No spyware, no current viruses/worms/what have you.
[snip]

That is simply NOT true.

Here is just one example (which is sufficient to disprove your thesis):

<http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/5374>

I'll let you do your homework to find the (many) others. (Hint: There's a
search box near the top of that page... try plugging in "MacOS" and hitting
hte "Go" button.)

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

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[Jay T. Blocksom]

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 16:15:17 GMT, in <alt.privacy.spyware>, tony@well.com
wrote:
>
> As I think I understand it, Apple computers are not vulnerable to the
> spy/malware discussed here, because they do not use a Windows
> operating system. Is this legend or is it fact?
>
[snip]

That is at least a gross oversimplification; but it is not entirely without
basis.

Yes, *most* of the stuff that gets discussed *here* is Windows-specific.
But that does NOT mean that MacOS, Linux, etc., are inherently invulnerable.
There have in fact been quite a few virii, worms and trojans which targeted
both of those platforms -- it's just that there have been about 1,000 times
*more* that have targeted Windows (for several reasons), *and* Windows is
inherently *more* vulnerable to such attacks.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTE: E-Mail address in "From:" line is INVALID! Remove +SPAMBLOCK to mail.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -