The Register has reported that a new of the Mac scareware, MacGuard is able to bypass the need for authentication to install software by virtue that most users have assigned themselves administrator rights. The new variant installs onto the Application folder instead of the Download folder thus being able to bypass authentication.
ESET's David Harley was quoted as saying "that all advice along the lines of “treat as suspicious all unexpected requests for the administrator password in order to install something you weren’t expecting to install” require expansion."
This is very true as most Windows users are already accustomed to various devious methods for malware in attempts to infiltrate the machine. Unfortunately, Mac users have been accustomed to think that they have no need to worry about risk. The question of whether Macs needing protection is no longer a debatable issue.
We urge Mac users to ponder and reconsider if they think that Macs are safe.
ESET blog on MacDefender and its siblings here.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus Mac is available for 30 day evaluation download. Link here
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