An Apple a day keeps viruses away

There once was a trouble-free time for Mac users, when they could hop online, convinced that their products were safe from computer viruses. Then came Flashback. Now Mac users have to worry just like any other PC owner. Or do they? Flashback appeared in April. It’s a Trojan that used a security gap in Java to make use of manipulated websites to turn hundreds of thousands of Macs into zombie senders of spam. The news shook Mac users to the core. Would they now have to start being as careful as their PC cousins, double-checking every link and investing in virus scanners? Initial signs showed that Mac users developed a sudden interest in anti-virus software after Flashback. But tests have shown that most scanners would have been useless against Flashback. The better advice is to just be careful. There are dozens of Mac anti-virus programmes on the market. Six with real-time protection were tested by German magazine Mac&i against a limited set of potential viruses. Many of the programmes were rated as “disappointing.” “None of them recognized all Mac viruses, even though the signature updates had at least a two-week advantage over the test viruses, some of which had been circulating for years,” noted testers. At the time of the test, no anti-virus protection would have offered safety from Flashback. “Even weeks later, the tested anti-virus programmes couldn’t recognize all the variations of the viruses in circulation,” noted the test results. Built-in updates from Apple, even if they were late, provided more safety than anti-virus programmes. The best programme, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011, only turned up 82 per cent of malware. The next high scorer, Sophos Anti-Virus, only scored 78 per cent. That compares to a 90-per-cent rate with various Windows-based anti-virus programmes. The anti-virus programmes for Macs didn’t score very well either when it came to recognizing the behavior of malware programmes or fending off phishing attacks. However, Mac users can generally do without virus protection, say experts. “From our viewpoint, in view of the threat level, it’s not necessary,” says Tim Griese of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Flashback didn’t really change that opinion. At the same time, Mac users need to keep their eyes open and use sensible judgment. That means, for example, not opening every mail attachment. After all, Office, Flash and Adobe Reader remain entry points for malware on the Mac, just as software installed from questionable sources can be. It’s advisable to use software updates for programmes and the operating system regularly, says Griese. Indeed, it’s best to set them for “daily” updates. About 90 per cent of all computers run with Windows. It’s no wonder that people creating viruses focus on this “market.” Nevertheless, “Flashback showed that Mac OS X can be attacked,” says Thorsten Holz, a professor who chairs the Systems Security department at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. Furthermore, those attacks on Apple computers were generally against people unprepared for such attacks. “The typical Mac user is probably a little more carefree.” Anti-virus software is only ever just a part of one’s security plan. “They never offer 100-per-cent protection,” says Holz. Plus, there’s a lot of room for developmental improvement with Mac anti-virus software. That means, along with regular updates, Mac users should be more careful online. “Not clicking on everything and exercising healthy skepticism are helpful,” he says. Most of today’s browsers offer phishing protection. For those who want more safety, check out expansions like Web of Trust (WOT). This checks the trustworthiness of sites and gives out ratings based on feedback from other users. It also warns people against using suspect sites. Users can also boost security with a little change in their browser’s settings. “With Java, we always recommend only activating it when you need it,” said Griese. As for Apple’s built-in protections, all systems since Leopard require certification with File Quarantine before a downloaded application can be started. Snow Leopard has integrated malware recognition, called Xprotect. But, in the Mac&i test, it only registered one alarm. From kuwaittime