Yes, Macs do get viruses.

Before we get started here, I just want to say that I have nothing against Apple. I am not on a Microsoft payroll and there is actually a Mac in my home, I love Apple products and proudly use them.

Now for the actual content of this post: "Macs don't get viruses." How many times have you heard that? You might even believe so yourself. If so, sorry to burst your bubble, but Macs do get viruses. This post will provide proof that debunks the myth that has evolved from the fact that Macs are immune to Windows malware. We were led to believe that Macs do not get viruses. I know, because I did not know the truth myself until very recently.

The first big attack on Macs by malware was Mac Defender, first detected in May of 2011. This was a fake antivirus program that also went by the names Mac Protector, Mac Shield, Mac Guard, and Mac Security. The program "scans" your computer and comes back with a large number of "infections" that it then demands you pay for the removal of. The infections are not real and this program was really only designed to scare the user into paying for the "antivirus" so that the "threats" can be removed. It is not known how many Macs got infected with this (It's an illegal business, don't expect people to keep score.) But based on the number of calls to Apple's customer service hotline, the infections were likely in the tens of thousands. Apple representatives were told not to instruct customers on the removal of Mac Defender so that Apple would not confuse customers into believing that Apple could help them remove all malware in the future. Until May 31st, when a patch was released, Mac users got little help from Apple on removing this threat. For those that still hang on the myth that Macs don't get viruses, read this. Why would Apple make an update if Mac Defender was not a big problem? This rogue antivirus program blew a large hole in the myth that Macs don't get viruses.


But another piece of malware blew an even bigger hole in it. The Flashback Trojan, detected in September 2011, infected hundreds of thousands of Macs. This Trojan attempts to make the user believe that it is an update to Flash player (That's why the name of the Trojan is Flashback.) If the "update" is installed, the infected Mac becomes a part of the largest botnet of Macs ever made. This time Apple did not release a fix until April of 2012. This large amount of time can be excused because Flashback did not become an issue until late March of 2012.

So, now that we know better, what are we going to do about it? Well, we can keep our Macs updated, but there seems to be a lag between the bad guys putting something out and Apple patching the OS. The lag is noticeable and slow enough so that if you are a heavy internet surfer, these updates just might not be quick enough or good enough. For that there is one of my favorite Antimalware products for Macs. Intego Mac Internet Security 2013 helps protect your Mac from emerging threats, updates come often to stop the latest malware. And it also detects Windows malware so you do not spread anything to your friends that use Windows. For some users, it may seem a bit pricey. But you bought a Mac for a reason, why not protect your investment? This is the bare minimum protection that Macs should have in my opinoun, if you need more protection, you've got it right here.

That wraps it up for my first blog post about Macs. Like it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments, that's what the comment form is there for.