intego

Mac malware infection rates remaining constant

Following the Flashback malware and the estimates of 600,000 Mac systems being infected, security companies have been steadily tracking the communications done by the malware on infected systems. In recent weeks, the data from these monitoring efforts have suggested that despite early reports of the malware levels sinking rapidly from efforts by Apple, news organizations, and anti-malware companies, the levels of infections appears to be remaining constant.

The spread Flashback malware was facilitated by a neglected security hole in Apple's Java runtime for OS X, and at its peak had infected around one percent of Mac systems. To … Read more

Fighting Flashback, Apple issues second Mac update

Apple still appears to be fighting the Flashback malware that was recently found to have infected more than a half-million Mac computers.

A second Java update has been released for Mac users, according to Mac security blog Intego.

No details are available as to why this latest update was released. Intego speculates that perhaps there was a small glitch in the first update. This latest update also seems geared just for the Lion version of Mac OS X, while the initial patch was designed for both Snow Leopard and Lion.

Some confusion also exists over the name, Intego noted. The … Read more

Tibet.A malware for OS X uses Flashback Java vulnerabilities

One recent malware program for OS X that has caused concern has been the Flashback Trojan, which in its latest variants has taken advantage of Java security holes to embed code in programs or user accounts that will launch the malware when Web browsers are used. Once run, the malware tries taking screenshots and otherwise collect information to upload to remote servers.

Apparently the Java exploit used in this malware is catching on, and other malware have been developing that uses the same route of attack. Recently Intego reported on a new Trojan horse called Tibet.A (in its first … Read more

New Flashback Trojan variant found for OS X

This year has been relatively silent with regard to malware in OS X, but today security and antivirus firm Intego reported that the criminals behind the Flashback Trojan have been hard at work releasing new variants to their malware package. The seventh variant of Flashback has been identified, which shows it is using new and unique techniques for infecting Macs.

Flashback is a Trojan horse attack that, according to Intego, now uses numerous methods for infecting Mac systems. First it will try to take advantage of Java security holes to install itself, but if you do not have Java installed (… Read more

Intego publishes a 2011 Mac security overview

Security company Intego has offered an overview of the OS X security scene (PDF) in the past year.

The overview summarizes the various malware attempts we've seen on OS X in 2011, but also covers a number of other security vulnerabilities both in OS X and common applications, as well as on social media sites and even e-mail phishing scams.

The article covers a number of details about Mac security, but overall touches on the following key points:

2011 offered the most malware for the Mac since the introduction of OS X. None of the malware was viral in … Read more

A look at Intego Internet Security Barrier X6 for OS X

When it comes to anti-malware utilities, a few prominent names stand out, including Norton, Kaspersky, and Sophos, in addition to some smaller and perhaps Mac-only tools like iAntiVirus and MacScan. Among the popular options for OS X is VirusBarrier from Intego, which I recently gave a spin.

VirusBarrier is offered in two versions: the basic VirusBarrier X6 package and the extended Internet Security Barrier suite that includes VirusBarrier and a number of additional utilities. I chose the latter to see what advantages it may offer over the basic VirusBarrier antivirus scanner, especially given recent malware developments on the Mac and people's interest in keeping their systems safe.… Read more

Updated rogue AV installs on Macs without password

A new version of rogue antivirus malware that targets the Macintosh operating system does not need victims to type in their administrator passwords to install and infect the machine, a security company said today.

The latest version of the malware has been overhauled to look like a native Mac OS X application and is using the application name MacGuard, according to an Intego blog post. But particularly concerning is the fact that unlike previous versions, which were dubbed Mac Defender, MacProtector, and MacSecurity, MacGuard installs itself without prompting for the admin password.

"If Safari's 'Open safe files after … Read more

How to remove MacDefender fake antivirus program

A new malware infection has apparently been spreading relatively rapidly among Mac users, and it's unclear both how pervasive the infection is and whether Apple is addressing the problem. What is known, however, is how to get rid of it.

What is it? Most often called MacDefender, but also known as MacProtector and MacSecurity, this bit of malware is a socially engineered threat of a type that's more familiar to Windows users. It often starts with a Web advertisement that suckers you into downloading a rogue antivirus program, which purports to protect you. In fact, once installed it … Read more

Intego questions Symantec's use of name

In a statement issued Tuesday, Macintosh security company Intego accused Symantec of infringing on its copyright. At issue is the new box copy for Norton Antivirus for Macintosh. In the upper right corner, Symantec has prominently placed the words "Dual Protection," a reference to the product's use on both the Mac OS X and Windows operating systems when using Apple Boot Camp.

The Austin, Texas-based Intego said in a press release, "Intego is the owner of a trademark registration for the mark DP DUAL PROTECTION in France (registered on January 17, 2007) and an international trademark … Read more