By and big , Mac users have been able-bodied to escape the onset of malware that their Windows counterparts suffer from . But every once in a while , a art object of nastiness slips into the wild . The latest offender is a Trojan horse by the name of MAC Defender , which purport to be a computer virus - scan software . In fact , it does little more than encourage users to give up their credit menu entropy .
Identified by security department business firm Intego , MAC Defender pass around via search locomotive optimization ( SEO ) intoxication — that is , it use commonly searched price to get spectacular placement in search railway locomotive results . So , users looking for legitimate protection against viruses on their Macs might be slang into downloading and installing MAC Defender instead .
Once installed , the programme apparently pretend to notice viruses and open World Wide Web web internet browser window with adult site , to aid sell the charade that the computer is taint . It also configure itself to launch at startup and is unmanageable to quit as it only seem as a carte du jour bar image and not in OS X ’s Dock .
If users seek to clean the virus , they first have to register MAC Defender ; clicking on the link to do so via the platform ’s About concealment takes them to an unsecure Website that pop the question a 1 - class , 2 - year , or lifespan license to the course of study for $ 60 , $ 70 , or $ 80 respectively . Registering halts the virus warnings , thus “ confirm ” that the program is lick .
As nefarious as MAC Defender might be , the level of concern over transmission remains low-toned : Users must be play a joke on into downloading and installing the platform , as well as enter their administrator password .
For those exploiter who Intego say its VirusBarrier X5 and X6 software package will protect users from installing this software inadvertently ; its VirusBarrier Plus and VirusBarrier Express products , available in the Mac App Store , will also detect it with the most late malware definition update , but they wo n’t prevent the installation .
As with the rarefied Mac malware terror that have lift in the past times , the best defense against a Trojan horse like MAC Defender is education and common sense . There ’s no need to panic , as long as you ’re taking the usual proper caution while graze the World Wide Web . For instance , substance abuser should uncheck Safari ’s ‘ Open “ good ” file cabinet after downloading ’ alternative in the General Elvis of its Preferences , which prevents files like ZIP archives from automatically being afford . And , of trend , they should always be wary of installing any app from an unsung source .
