Wednesday, September 28, 2011

About Macs: New Mac Trojans Detected

If you can't see this email, click here

About.com

Macs

Basics

Reviews

Tips & Tricks



From Tom Nelson, your Guide to Macs
Two new Mac Trojans raised their ugly heads this week, but anti-virus developers and Apple responded quickly with updated malware definitions. If you're running Snow Leopard or Lion, use Apple's Software Update to download and install the latest security updates.

I spent some of the past week running Parallels Desktop 7 through my favorite benchmarking tools, to see how well the latest version performs. Overall, the benchmarks went well, though there was one big surprise in performance for anyone who will be virtualizing Lion or Lion Server.

I'll also be reviewing and providing benchmarks in the near future for VMWare's Fusion, which has just recently been updated to Fusion 4.


New Mac Trojans in the News
Two new Mac Trojans were uncovered this week. The first, OSX/Revir.A, uses a PDF to try to fool you into installing the Trojan, which will then install a backdoor on your Mac to allow additional remotely executed commands to be performed.

At the moment, this Trojan seems to be more of a proof of concept, since the backdoor partition of the malware doesn't seem to function and is unable to make any type of remote connection.

The second trojan, OSX/flashback.A, is hidden within web sites of dubious content as a fake Flash Player installer. Site visitors are informed that they need to install the special Flash Player to view the site's content. If they agree, the malware is installed.

Apple has already updated the XProtect malware protection system in OS X (Snow Leopard and Lion) with new definitions, so be sure to visit Apple's Software Update service... Read more


Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac Benchmarks
We like to run benchmarks on various products, so when Parallels recently updated its virtualization app to Parallels Desktop 7, we had to put it through its paces.

Overall, we were pleased with its performance and we think it will meet the needs of just about anyone who needs to run Windows or Linux applications on their Mac.

We did, however, uncover a few places were Parallels' performance didn't meet our expectations, which is one reason we like to run benchmarks... Read more


Keep Your Safari Bookmarks Under Control With Folders
Do you have a half a trillion bookmarks in your Safari browser? Are you trying to bookmark every web site on the Internet?

It seems that way, sometimes, and bookmarks have a way of getting out of control. Whenever I move a Safari window around the desktop, I swear I can see a few bookmarks falling out from the overflowing Bookmarks bar.

To gain back some measure of control, I use the Safari sidebar, folders, the Bookmarks bar, and the Bookmarks menu to sort my bookmarks into tidy categories... Read more

See More About:  using safari  bookmarks  top sites

Favorite Sites for Halloween E-Cards
If you like creating a haunted house, or even just haunting your Mac with Halloween themes and sounds, then you will get a kick out of our collection of favorite sites for Halloween e-cards. All of these sites work just great with the Mac, and will let you send Halloween-themed postcards to friends and family. So don't be late; scare your friends now while the scaring is good... Read more
See More About:  halloween  diy guides  e-cards

 


Macs Ads
Featured Articles
Perform a Clean Install of OS X Lion on Your Mac
How Can I Repair My Hard Drive If My Mac Won't Start?
Upgrade Your Intel iMac With Memory, Storage, and More
Is It Necessary to Defragment a Mac's Hard Drive?
Customize the Finder Toolbar
OS X Lion Wi-Fi Diagnostics

 

More from About.com

Essential Medical Tests for Women
For women, certain medical tests and health screenings are recommended on a yearly basis. Learn which screenings are essential for your health, and why. More>



Finding the Right Doctor
Whether you need a new primary care doctor or a specialist to take care of specific symptoms, you'll want to follow these guidelines to choose the right physician for your medical care. More>




This newsletter is written by:
Tom Nelson
Macs Guide
Email Me | My Blog | My Forum
 
Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics
You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Macs newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here.

About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy

Contact Information:
249 West 17th Street
New York, NY, 10011

© 2011 About.com
 


Mac News & Events
Apple Security Update - Detects New Malware
Apple Steals & Deals: Sunday, September 25, 2011
Dramatic Black & White: Tom's Mac Software Pick
 
Follow me on:
Facebook Twitter

Advertisement

No comments:

Post a Comment