[Macwoburn] SOS!! I just bought a new Mac G5, and now I read this...

[Ted Vahey]

Sophos seems to be very Mac friendly. They even have a "MacTel" version 
already. They suppor the XServers too. 
http://www.sophos.com/products/es/endpoint-server/sav-mac.html

Norton AntiVirus has been around for a long time.
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/virus_protection/nav10mac/index.html

Ted Vahey
All Systems Integration
www.allsystems.com
781 935-3322

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-----Original Message-----
From: Toby <tandwf at earthlink.net>
To: macwoburn at macwoburn.org
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 22:32:12 -0500
Subject: [Macwoburn]  SOS!! I just bought a new Mac G5, and now I read 
this...

> This appeared in the Mar 1 issue of the Christian Science Monitor - and
> I've just
> bought a new Mac G5 - Can you give me advice for protecting myself??
> and 
> will
> subscribers to this newsletter keep each other posted re the latest 
> developments???
> 
> Thanks in advance from a panicking Toby Frost
> 
> &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
> 
> Several computer security experts are predicting that the security 
> "honeymoon" enjoyed by Macs will end this year. They argue that the 
> [Apple] profile... is on the rise, thanks to the iPod. And the more 
> visible a computer is, the more attractive it becomes to hackers.
> 
> As computer columnist John Dvorak wrote Feb. 23 for MarketWatch.com: 
> "I'm certain that widespread boasting about immunity from attack in the
> Mac community has finally awakened interest among the exploit
> coders..."
> 
> Apple also opened the door to hackers by using ... UNIX in its latest
> OS 
> X operating system. The company had good reasons for this move. Instead
> of the proprietary systems of the past, UNIX would allow more people to
> help shape the OS X system and programs that run on OS X.
> 
> It also means, however, that more people can now create viruses and 
> worms that can attack that system.
> 
> In the past week and a half, two worms and a security hole were 
> reportedly found in the Safari Web browser used in the OS X system. 
> While these problems have affected a relatively small number of Mac 
> users, it's an indication that hackers have turned their attention to 
> Mac computers in a way unknown in the past.
> 
> The two worms, known as Leap and Ingtana, first appeared around Feb.
> 16. 
> Leap was spread via Apple's iChat instant messaging software and could 
> prevent certain applications from opening. Ingtana came a few days 
> later, and could pass between Macs running OS X Version 10.4 over 
> Bluetooth wireless connections.
> 
> Perhaps the more serious concern was the vulnerability found in the 
> Safari browser. By simply visiting a site set up by a hacker, malicious
> code could be downloaded into a Macintosh computer using the "Open safe
> file" command that is enabled by default on all Safari browsers.
> 
> Apple, of course, is not sitting around twiddling its thumbs... A 
> company spokesman told the media that "Apple takes security seriously,"
> and is working on a fix.
> 
> As of press time, no fix was publicly available. (Security experts are 
> recommending that in the meantime Mac users turn off the "Open safe 
> file" feature in their Safari browsers.)
> 
> But there is a silver lining in this dark cloud for Mac users. As one 
> security expert put it, these security problems are more like a shot 
> across the bow. It's a warning that it's time to stop taking your 
> computer's security for granted and take the steps now to protect your 
> investment.
> 
> 
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