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Apple Snubs Security Firm That Spotted Mac Botnet
Sparrowvsrevolution writes "Now that it's being increasingly targeted by botnet herders, Apple has a thing or two to learn about cooperating with friendly security researchers. Boris Sharov, the CEO of Dr. Web, the Russian security company that first reported more than half a million Macs were infected with Flashback malware last week, says when his company alerted Apple to the botnet, it never responded to him. Worse yet, on Monday Apple asked a Russian registrar to take down a domain it said was being used to host a command and control server for Flashback, but in fact was a 'sinkhole' that Dr. Web had set up to observe and analyze the botnet. Sharov describes the lack of communication and cooperation as a symptom of a company that has never before had to work closely with the security industry. 'For Microsoft, we have all the security response team's addresses,' he says. 'We don't know the antivirus group inside Apple.'"
Well in all "honesty" apple's own webpage says "it doesn't get PC viruses". Technically, it doesn't; it gets Mac malware. But I know, it isn't honest, hence my first quotes, and to most people that does mean that "it doesn't get anything bad, unlike that stupid windows thingy".
My
You don't need to be admin to be a botnet member, a user process will work just fine.
From Mac's website: "A Mac isn’t susceptible to the thousands of viruses plaguing Windows-based computers. That’s thanks to built-in defenses in OS X Lion that keep you safe, without any work on your part."
1) No shit a Mac isn't susceptible to PC viruses. PC's aren't susceptible to Mac-only malware either
2) In this case, my car isn't susceptible to Windows-based viruses thanks to built-in defenses of it's windshield. Viruses weren't written for my windshield, so that counts as a built-in defense, right?
If this is a trojan, then exactly what piece of legitimate software is it piggybacking on in order to get installed? It sounds to me like it's exploiting a Java vulnerability using an applet that does not disguise itself as something useful, it is specifically to install the payload. That sounds like a traditional virus. Previous versions that were actual trojans were embedded in warez downloads.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
A leech that swims by and says "hey, did you know you are bleeding?" isn't much of a leech. Other than a bit more fame, what does dr web gain from this, it's not like they are extorting apple.
I'm curious were you picked up the idea that security researchers and fake-av sellers were somehow related?
Do you also assume that anyone yelling "fire" in a crowded building is just trying to make everyone scared? if so, I hope you are in a building fire some day so you can ignore the warning, safe in your fire-proof pants
Well in all "honesty" apple's own webpage says "it doesn't get PC viruses". Technically, it doesn't.
Technically, it does. PC stands for Personal Computer, not Windows machine. Macs, just like Linux and Windows boxes are PCs. Since Apple are trying to use pedantry to obfuscate, holding them to definition of a PC is only fair, which puts them squarely back in the realm of lying.