600,000 Infected Mac Computers and Counting

Mac computers get viruses too.  The conversation is not about the technical details of whether a virus, Trojan, or spyware are the same thing, or how much more vulnerable Microsoft Windows computers are.  The real issues for businesses are that computers are becoming infected and cease to work, which impacts the bottom line on lost time, productivity, resources, and support costs.

The fact that businesses & consumers alike still believe that Macs do not get viruses astounds me to this day.  Yet, what is more impressive is Apple’s marketing has convinced consumers and business owners alike that Macs are somehow impervious to attacks!  Look at the ambiguous marketing material Apple advertises:

Is a Mac safe from PC viruses?

Yes. The OS X operating system isn’t susceptible to the thousands of viruses plaguing Windows-based computers. And although no computer connected to the Internet is completely immune to all viruses and spyware, OS X has built-in defenses designed with your safety in mind. The Mac web browser, Safari, alerts you whenever you’re downloading an application — even if it’s disguised as a picture or movie file. And Apple continually makes free security updates available for Mac owners. You can even have them download automatically.

Source: http://www.apple.com/why-mac/faq/#viruses

Only half-truths and innuendo.  Macs do are not susceptible to PC viruses but Macs can be infected by an assortment of other viruses.  As of the writing of this post, over 600,000 Mac computers have been infected with the Flashback bot Trojan that installs silently through web browsers.  The security hole has been known for months but Apple did not provide a security patch until last week.  Even though the security fix is available, how many computers have actually updated?  Do you want to bet there are unpatched computers in your network?

Once a Mac becomes infected, it will scan the entire network looking to infect other Macs, steal passwords, and slow the network to a crawl.

This is the perfect storm for businesses.  Users don’t think they require antivirus so computers are unprotected, networks do not possess firewalls because Macs are perceived to be impenetrable, and there are no centralized tools in place to deploy Apples security patch to all the computers on the network.  What does this mean for business owners?  Stolen data, loss of trust, unproductive employees and lots of money to fix!

What can you do if you are infected?  Located the removal tool here: http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-downloader_osx_flashback_i.shtml , and then update your Mac with the latest security patches.

What do to if you have 15 or more computers?  Acquire and Invest in a technology management company that proactively installs and manages antivirus for Macs & PC’s, automatically installs security patches on a regular basis, and purchase and maintain a business class firewall.  The damage to the bottom line and the risk greatly outweigh the investment in a quality technology management company.  Be forewarned, this is not a one off solution, but a continuous process.

What many businesses also do not realize is that insurance policies will not cover the financial implications for data loss/theft and security breaches brought on by virus outbreaks or hackers if you don’t have basic proactive maintenance in place.  Basic proactive maintenance requires antivirus on every computer and server, regularly installed security patches, monitoring, business class firewall that is up to date, encryption policies for mobile devices like iPads and iPhones, and remote erase capabilities for mobile devices.

Is it time you hire a technology management company?

By Michael Zucchi

Michael Zucchi is the founder and CEO of ZBRELLA which is a high-end technology advisory & consulting company that specializes in proactive maintenance, full IT support, and cloud computing for companies that want a full IT department.

If you suspect your network is infected or at risk, call ZBRELLA today and you can discuss how to protect your business.

Related articles

• http://www.slashgear.com/apple-tries-to-kill-domain-of-the-firm-that-discovered-flashback-12222598/
• http://theminaretonline.com/2012/04/11/article22043
• http://www.apple.com/why-mac/faq/#viruses

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