Spotlight On Malware: Mac Defender

Before we jump right in here, did you read my blog post about the fact that Macs can get viruses? Because if not, now would be a good time to do so.


Got it? Good.

Mac Defender (also known as Mac Protector, Mac Security, Mac Guard, and Mac Shield) is a rogue antivirus program that can be installed by unwitting Mac users. This rogue was the first big malware attack to hit the Mac operating system, even though it did not damage any part of the operating system. Users typically encountered the program when clicking on an image found on a search engine. It appears as a pop-up informing you that "viruses" have been detected on your computer and suggests that you download a program which, if installed, provides your personal information to the writers of the rogue. Apple provided removal instructions for the rogue on May 24th 2011 which can be found here.

Thanks for reading. If you have a question, by all means, comment away.