MacLife: Protect Your Mac from Phishing, Trojan Horses and Viruses

/Home/Internet Security: Articles/Internet Security: MacLife

Viruses, even these furry ones, have never been a big threat to Mac users. But guess what--we're still vulnerable to phishing, Trojans, and other attacks.

07/13/2010
by Zack Stern

At some point, every Mac owner needs to have the talk…about online security. Your Mac will probably never get a virus. But instead of ending the conversation, that’s only the beginning. Peter James, global spokesperson for Intego, a Mac security software developer, says, “Ask anyone in the security industry--and this is Mac or PC--they’re going to tell you that there are hardly any viruses anymore. Viruses aren’t the threat.”

Instead, organized criminals use other methods to try to seize private data and control your Mac. Phishing schemes trick you with an email that might look like it came from Facebook, your bank, or any other personal site. If you enter your password or credit card info, you’re sending it directly to the bad guys. A sneakier threat, Trojans disguise themselves as something you might want, such as an MP3, a QuickTime plug-in, or any other software, and if you install one, you’ve unwittingly handed over full access to your Mac. Last but not least, operating system and application vulnerabilities can also be exploited--like when certain websites crash your browser (or sometimes worse) when you visit them.

Click the URL above to read the full article