For many years, as the Macintosh only had about a 5% market share of personal computers, most hackers focussed their nefarious deeds on the Windows platform. Now with Macintosh gaining in popularity again, the tables have turned. Hackers are now turning their attention the Macintosh. I quote a recent article, This Mac security myth was busted two weeks ago when a large number of Mac users are hit by a malware known as “Mac Defender” If you have encountered this, check the Apple support site for help.
I encourage all Macintosh users to invest in Anti-Virus/Malware protection. A variety of these are displayed on the Apple website at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/. Some of the schools have purchased product, VirusBarrier X6 10.6.9 that is recommended by Apple. There is also a free product they recommend, Free Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition 7.2C.
Also make sure that you have put in a password for your account(make sure you write it down somewhere for safekeeping).http://support.apple.com/kb/VI32, This is a basic protection that you can implement immediately.
For those of you with IPads, there are not yet any identified malware, but with the popularity of this device, there is no telling when it might appear. Here is an article with a few security tips, http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/03/12/top-5-things-to-do-when-you-get-your-ipad-2-setup-and-security/
For those of you with IPads, there are not yet any identified malware, but with the popularity of this device, there is no telling when it might appear. Here is an article with a few security tips, http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/03/12/top-5-things-to-do-when-you-get-your-ipad-2-setup-and-security/
Whatever you decide on please take action to protect your Macintosh computer from viruses and malware.
