At first I was going to gloat about this, but then I thought differently:
Malicious Code Targets Macs...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/22/first.mac.botnet/index.html
As much fun poking fun at my old 'macie' sparring partners would have been (and it would have), instead I took a moment to look at the 'big picture':
"...this particular Trojan hasn't yet infected any computers that do not have pirated versions of iWork on them... this is a low-level attack and many won't be affected by it. It's going to become a bigger problem and people will have to become more aware..." "I don't think it's a tipping point; I think it's an evolutionary step.
We see virus authors often use what somebody else has done," he said.
"There's a model. There's something out there to follow."
The article does discuss from the Apple's position vs the Antivirus Software co's. After reading both side's point of view the big picture issue I caught was as usual, this is all about money. If the 'panic' the Apple rep mentioned sets in (which I don't think it will just yet), then one of mac's biggest selling points (viral invincibility) will be lost and could hurt revenues. Apple does make good computer's but they are more expensive and why would now more budget conscious consumers spend more money for something that catches viruses just like cheaper pc's? On the other side, the AV software co's are (rightly or wrongly) raising the alarm and stoking the 'fires' because the fear of destructive viruses make them more money in AV product sales. A third more obscure detail occured to me with this, the hacker's profit too. As many on these forums have said, 'it's just a matter of time before the hacker's get a foothold in the mac OS. Consider 'foothold' established. Yeah, it's not enough to go running through the street gnashing teeth an pulling hair amid the smoking ruins of destroyed mac's (hang on, I'd like to enjoy that thought for a moment............), but as stated in the article 'it's an evolutionary step'. With that in mind, that means that hacker's are now paying attention to the 'obscure' mac community. Hacking is big biz and now with the pc 'front' under permanent siege, the mac 'arms race' is beginning to heat up.
What really made me pass on gloating (sigh) is the fact the 'losers' in all this are consumers. Apple typically sounds like the Mayor from the old 'JAWS' movie "This beach is safe and will stay open!", the AV software companies are drooling over their next wave of 'captive customers' (wanna' use your computer? Talk to us) and the hacker's (cyber serpents in what used to be Eden) are going to make Apple, the AV co's and themselves richer (Apple charges more for 'security'+AV co's charge for 'security software'+hacker's create negative computing environment= $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)
When I looked at things from that angle, I really didn't feel like gloating.
Dreaded Enterprises Unlimited, Inc.
http://www.dreadedenterprises.com
