Do you think , Harry, we don't run the definitions and don't upgrade when upgrades are available? I don't quite understand your statement. Marta On Dec 6, 2004, at 22:23, Harry Jacobson-Beyer wrote:
> Your virus program won't do you any good for tomorrow's virus unless > you > update your virus definitions regularly! > > Monday, December 6, 20046:47 PMMarta Ediemartaedie at mac.com > >> That is the good thing about Macs. Their makers think ahead - just >> in >> case- rather than after when the milk is spilled. So Virex has its >> place. You buy insurance before the house burns, not after, while all >> along hoping you will never need it. >> Marta >> >> On Dec 6, 2004, at 17:59, Jeff @ SLYN Systems wrote: >> >>> Hey Jerry, Bill and Harry, >>> I'd like to offer just a teeny bit more of food for thought. >>> Would you agree this is a numbers game???Wouldn't most wackos?write a >>> virus because they want fame, money or to release anger? >>> With Macs holding 3.2% of the market share, Apple is a smaller target >>> for fame, money or anger. >>> http://www.macminute.com/2004/01/15/marketshare >>> Whatcha thin Babalouie? >>> If there wasn't a virus threat on the Mac, would people still buy the >>> Norton Antivirus or Virex for the Mac?? Of course, am not saying it's >>> a signifcan't threat.? Just offering another point of view. >>> All the best, >>> >>> Jeff Slyn, Owner >>> SLYN Systems & Peripherals >>> (502) 426-5469 >>> serving Kentuckiana clients 7 days a week since 1985! >>> ? >>> On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 13:33:09 -0500 Jerry Yeager >>> <jerry at browseryshop.com> writes: >>>> >>>> On Dec 04, 2004, at 11:02 PM, Harry Jacobson-Beyer wrote: >>>> >>>>> I've heard hackers don't attack Mac machines because there are so >>>> few >>>>> of >>>>> them (relative to the pcs). If the roles were reversed, ie Macs >>>> having >>>>> the major share of the market, wouldn't the hackers be writing >>>> code to >>>>> get to them? >>>>> >>>> >>>> What you have heard is one of those urban legend things. Macs on the >>>> >>>> 'net are attacked as often as the other OSes. But they are not >>>> broken >>>> into as often. >>>> >>>> Not too long ago some computer security firms tracked this and found >>>> >>>> that the most targeted systems were Linux and Mac OS-X based with >>>> Windoze based machines actually being the least targeted. Targeted >>>> here >>>> means that the attackers are specifically looking to exploit >>>> weaknesses >>>> in that type of OS. >>>> >>>> BUT, In terms of being broken into, it (usually) goes like this: >>>> >>>> 1) Windoze systems (very easy, many home users have been broken into >>>> >>>> and do not know that they are their machines are being used to send >>>> out >>>> the gobs of spam and viruses that infest the internet.) >>>> The things that attack Windoze directly as opposed to other systems >>>> are >>>> most often looking to either get credit (identity) information >>>> likely >>>> stored on the computer or to take the machine over to use as part of >>>> a >>>> zombie network. >>>> >>>> >>>> 99) Linux (pretty tough -- you have to find a system running with a >>>> >>>> very sloppy sysop that does not keep up on things) >>>> 100) Mac OS-X (not impossible but very tough, see 99). ) >>>> >>>> (Actually, if Macs and Linux systems could be easily broken into, >>>> they >>>> would be targeted even more, as these systems may have more vital >>>> information stored on them). >>>> >>>> ????????????????????????????????Jerry >>>> >>>> p.s. Even with Windows SP 2, there are known exploits out there to >>>> break into the systems. You might notice in the article none of the >>>> >>>> honey pot systems that had SP 2 running got broken into. Since SP2 >>>> basically just turns on a firewall, this shows that attackers are >>>> not >>>> having to work very hard at all to break into a Windoze machine. >>>> >>>> p.p.s The above does not mean that you can blindly skip those >>>> periodic >>>> security updates that Apple releases. Keep installing them! > > > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > | be January 25. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be January 25. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
