Internet Caution

Be careful what you download. I wrote a few weeks ago about malware and viruses on Macs, but I’d just like to remind you again to practice some caution on the internet. A worm and a trojan to which Macs are susceptible have been found on pornographic websites. It prompts you to download a “missing Video ActiveX Object”. This sounds relatively innocuous, but it turns out to be malware. Downloading and installing malware to your computer is currently the only way it’s going to get there on a Mac, still making them relatively safe in comparison to PCs, but this is not the first case of downloadable malware for Macs. I’d like to advise you to use some caution before downloading and use some caution in your general internet usage.

First, if something catches your eye as questionable, google it. This won’t do you a whole lot of good if it is a new danger, but if it has been known for awhile, you may get some results. If you google “active x object mac” now, you will be warned about this newest malware.

Secondly, download directly from the source and try to stick to sources you know. Apple.com has a lot of downloads, available, software you can purchase, trials and freeware. This was an issue with the iWork ’09 download. Some people tried to avoid purchasing iWork ’09 by downloading it illegally and ended up with malware.

Also, be cautious of suspicious emails and data you get from social networking websites. We all get weird emails sometimes, even through pretty good email systems like .Mac and Gmail, but be aware of what you are getting. For example, I got an email which appeared to be from AT&T. It presented one of their deals, with realistic looking images and information. I checked the address and it was clearly not from AT&T. This is also common with facebook, when someone has issues with their account and may post something on your wall, like “saw ur pic at …”, which is a scam.

The same applies with websites. If you have clicked there from a link, from an email or another website, make sure that the URL is valid. There was recently an issue with Myspace where users were being prompted to go to a fake login screen. Some users entered their user name and password before realizing the ruse and their accounts were compromised.

Overall, use caution when you are on the internet. You don’t need to be too concerned when visiting popular, reliable websites, but you should be cognizant of the dangers.

Leave a reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Name

Mail (will not be published)

Website (We will link to your site!)

CommentLuv Enabled: click this box to show your latest blog entry under your comment!

Click to cancel reply

Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail