Malwhere?
Bringing to a close another chapter in the on-going Mac anti-virus saga, Apple has launched a support page both promising a patch for the 'Mac Defender' malware, but also offering Mac owners direct advice on how to remove, or better yet, avoid installing the malware.
The support page on Apple's website assures users that: "In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants." As this is 'only' malware, and not a more resilient virus, there's no risk of the software being able to stop the built-in software update and subsequent removal from occurring.
Those worried that their own ability to differentiate between an actual piece of scanning software and a piece of malware will be pleased to learn that: "The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware." The latter tactic is similar to that employed by Microsoft in its more recent versions of Internet Explorer, which warn when potentially dangerous files are about to be downloaded.
Of course, the greater criticism being made against Apple - that it needs to better warn its users that Macs, as much as PCs, are susceptible to malware attack, whether as likely as Windows computers or not - still stands. With the latest high-profile piece of malware summarily taken care of, perhaps it's time for Apple to look at a more general, proprietary malware and anti-virus solution than simply having a 'secure' operating system.
