Y - Issue 216 - April 17, 2012 - Y-oman.com

Clint Derric Egbert
TROJAN BITES INTO APPLE
Recognised for its spectacular capability to
fend off viruses and hackers, Apple’s Mac has,
for years, earned and loyally kept the trust and
confidence of many of its dedicated users.
Securing a place in the minds of consumers
as one of the most reliable computers in
the world, Mac has grown from strength to
strength to become the technology giant it
is today. Unfortunately, with the super-tech
savvy hackers we have lurking around on the
Net these days, it was only a matter of time
before someone came up with a way to bust
through Macs’ secured protection database… And from the looks of things, that time is here.
According to recent reports, there has been a vicious Flashback Trojan (thanks to Java) going around, infecting Macs. It has
been revealed that more than 60,000 Macs have been struggling with the virus, and the numbers are still increasing.
Good news is that there is a way to check your Mac for the Trojan and eliminate it, but it would be necessary to do so as soon
as possible. Simply download a script by logging onto http://c-mac.me/Fc21cnn=yes (hosted by CloudApp), unzip the file
and double-click on ‘Trojan-check’ and ‘Trojan-check-2’. If this results in a screen that looks like the image above then you’re
in the safe zone. However, if you get a script that says anything other than ‘does not exist’, then go to F-Secure’s Website and
follow the removal instructions. Infected or not, make sure to install the latest Apple Security update for Java to save you the
trouble in the future.
BE YOUR OWN GATEKEEPER
Five easy tips on how to safeguard your Mac
• SECURE WITH A SECURITY SUITE: Even though many would shun the thought
of downloading a security suite, it does play an important in the security
process. Security suites are not very popular in Windows platforms, but as
far as Apple are concerned they are quite efficient, able to block various
automatic drive-by downloads that afflict otherwise safe Websites. If these
drive-by downloads manage to weasel their way into the system, your
security suite kicks into action with a warning when it attempts to install
something. If you’re still not convinced with a security suite then make
sure you use a browser tool that will check and scan links to make sure
they are safe before you use them. AVG Link scanner is a great software
to start with.
• AVOID ADOBE READER: Adobe has become infamous for its security glitches
over the years. But fortunately, recently, they are said to have worked on
some of their flaws and are back in the game. However, the latest Macs are able to handle most PDF reading tasks on their
own – so why risk it if you can do without Even still, if you feel the requirement of Adobe’s Reader, make sure that it’s always
updated to the latest version.
• SOFTWARE UPDATES: It’s crucial to ensure that your software is regularly updated with the latest versions, simply because
software is constantly changing and security fixes may be required.
• ADMIN LOCKDOWN: Every Mac has an Administrator account set by default. This account is usually a prime target for infection;
consider it as the heart of the machine. To avoid any illegal entries create a non-admin account that could be used for daily use,
such as e-mail, browsing, and music and video watching.
• LOSE JAVA AND FLASH: If you can avoid using Java and Flash, then that would be the healthiest thing for your Mac. But, if you
run a program like Adobe’s Creative Suite that relies on Java for some tasks, then you would require Java for some tasks. If your
Mac is mostly used for Web browsing, media, and document creation then you can probably uninstall Java and Flash without
worry. You can also switch to Google Chrome from Safari, which is the only browser that comes with Flash built-in.
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