McAfee Avert Labs Identifies Mac OS X as Growing Target For
Malware Attacks
McAfee Avert Labs' Research Indicates Increasing Security
Threats to Apple Products Such as OS X, iPod and iTunes
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ McAfee, Inc.
(NYSE: MFE), the global leader in Intrusion Prevention and Security
Risk Management, today released
key findings from McAfee Avert Labs demonstrating that malware
attacks targeting Mac OS X are on the rise. According to McAfee
Avert Labs, one of the top-ranked security threat and research
organizations in the world, Macintosh platform vulnerability
discovery rates have increased by 228 percent in the past three
years alone, from 45 found in 2003 to 143 in 2005.
"Many believe that using an Apple operating system is a form of
security in itself, believing that they are far less susceptible to
malware than Windows users," said Stuart McClure, senior vice
president, global threats at McAfee. "And while the threats
targeting the Mac operating system are low in volume, the use of
Apple products does not provide an invisibility cloak from malware,
and users need to be more vigilant about security as adoption rates
soar and attacks on Apple operating systems increase."
Laptop Battery Geoff Coats, a graphic designer at New Orleans design firm Zande
Newman, admits that he chose Apple and its Mac OS X because he
believed it to be more secure than the Windows operating system.
"My experience, and that of many other small-to-medium sized
business owners, has taught me
that Apple delivers a much more secure computing environment.
However, I've recently realized that it might be time to
re-evaluate that assumption and begin protecting my Mac from
outside threats."
Key research findings:
PC Tools’ Malware Research Team have identified a range of malware specifically targeting Mac OS X. While virus detections are minimal there is a tendency towards socially engineered threats with the core purpose of tricking the user into an action that will cause a malware infection. Research conducted in the first quarter of 2008 found that 95% of all Mac malware threats identified were OSX related, of which 38% were keyloggers, 30% were hacking tools, 11% were backdoors, whilst just 2% were viruses1.
Thinkpad * From 2003 to 2005, the annual rate of vulnerability discovery
on Apple's Mac OS platform has increased by 228 percent, compared
to Microsoft's products which only saw a 73 percent increase.
* As demonstrated with their recent patches, Apple's Mac OS
platform is just as vulnerable to targeted malware attacks as other
operating systems.
* Apple's success with consumer products and its resulting higher
profile will entice security researchers and hackers to target Mac
OS and other Apple products, such as iTunes and iPods.
PC Tools are confident that, as the threat landscape continues to evolve and the market for Mac products escalates, the Mac operating system will become an increasingly attractive platform of attack. "The Mac has a solid reputation for remaining relatively threat free. However, we are witnessing the use of low level malware scripts, to identify whether there is the potential to infect the Mac OS, as well as the opportunity for malware producers to obtain a significant return on investment" said Clausen.
Microsoft Rising Popularity Makes Apple a Target
Get the confidence of McAfee always on protection. 7 from McAfee' class research center, McAfee Avert Labs. Free software upgrades and enhancements for as long as your subscription is active. Install once, and you get versionless security software that is always updating behind the scenes. McAfee SecurityCenter is the most intuitive and easy to use security console. With a simple click, you can view your protection.
Laptop Computers Though Microsoft's massive market share makes its platform the
preferred path to hacker stardom, and Apple's customer base does
not yet provide an overwhelmingly attractive target for
profit-motivated malware professionals, McAfee warns that Apple
users should not be complacent about their security. Apple's recent
shift to using Intel microprocessors in new Macs only raises
Apple's profile further and increases its customers' exposure, and
as Apple's Macintosh computers gain ground in the PC market on the
coattails of its popular iPod and iTunes consumer products, McAfee
believes that hackers will increasingly point their digital "lock
picks" toward Mac OS X and other products.
Availability of Exploit Code Problematic
“It is also important to note that whilst Mac OS attacks may not have proliferated widely; the payload they deliver is just as significant as it is in the Windows environment. It is for this reason that we see an increasing need for consumers to protect their Macs against the growing danger of malware infection. We are encouraging Mac users to become more vigilant about security, particularly given the widespread propagation of socially engineered threats affecting most operating systems” said Clausen.
Laptop Computer Apple appears to be in the earlier stages of malware evolution,
where exploits are written and spread as proofs-of-concept to
demonstrate authors' technical prowess and to garner notoriety.
McAfee believes that this incentive, coupled with the easy
availability of Mac exploit code on the Internet, will make the Mac
an open target for malware. Although the number of OS X-targeted
viruses has been relatively low in total volume since January 2004,
McAfee Avert Labs predicts that the growing number of Macintosh
vulnerabilities will attract more and more talented hackers over
the course of the next year and beyond.
laptop computers is driving strong sales for notebook computers, according to the latest quarterly sales figures from the research firm IDC, which reported a 37% computer sales for the second quarter, compared with a year earlier. In the U.S., laptop sales grew 17.7%, while sales of desktop computers and servers fell 4%. The New York Times ( 10), CNET ( 10)
Desktop Computer For a copy of the McAfee Avert Labs whitepaper entitled "The New
Apple of Malware's Eye: Is Mac OS X the Next Windows?" please
visit: http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/default.asp
Notebooks **Refer to "McAfee, Inc. Provides Protection for Intel-based
Apple Computers" press release dated 05/04/06 for more information
on McAfee VirusScan for Macintosh.
About McAfee Avert Labs
Lenovo McAfee Avert Labs maintains one of the top-ranked security
threat and research organizations in the world, employing
researchers in sixteen countries around the globe. The Labs combine
world-class malicious code and anti-virus research with intrusion
prevention and vulnerability research expertise.
About McAfee, Inc.
Hard Drive McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and the
global leader in Intrusion Prevention and Security Risk Management,
delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that secure
systems and networks around the world. With its unmatched security
expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users,
businesses, the public sector,
and service providers with the ability to block attacks, prevent
disruptions, and continuously track and improve their security.
http://www.mcafee.com
Travelstar NOTE: McAfee, Avert and VirusScan are registered trademarks of
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