June 11 - 12:05pm EDT   A new piece of Mac-targeted malware has entered the wild, say security researchers with ParetoLogic. Dubbed OSX/Jahlav-C, the software is currently associated with a website called PornTube, and is described as a Trojan concealing itself as an ActiveX object needed to run video. The approach is somewhat unusual in that ActiveX is uniquely associated with Windows, and therefore less likely to deceive a Mac user. [full story]

June 10 - 12:40pm EDT   Apple has changed its attitude towards viruses and malware on the Mac, claims security firm Intego. Apple last year issued an advice statement admitting that "since no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, antivirus software may offer additional protection." In announcing more features of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Intego notes that Apple has taken a more stringent approach, for instance implementing code changes like sandboxing, library randomization and execute disables; each limits the potential damage of an outside threat. [full story]

April 17 - 9:40am EDT   The first known botnet to exploit Mac OS X has been activated, security researchers claim. The network is believed to have been put in place by iServices, a Trojan infection accompanying some pirated versions of iWork '09 and Photoshop CS4. Although downloaded at least 20,000 times by the end of January, the Trojan's payload has remained dormant for some time, in the same manner as many Windows botnets. [full story]

March 31 - 11:40am EDT   Mac owners are unlikely to be affected by the Conficker worm, claims security firm Intego. The worm -- also known as Downadup and Kido -- has already infected a number of Windows computers, and is expected to become active on Wednesday. Though the exact behavior it will exhibit is unknown, researchers are said to believe that it will connect to remote servers to download code, and then become malicious. [full story]

January 26 - 10:50am EST   A second Mac trojan is being spread through pirated software, Intego warns. Following the discovery of a trojan linked with copies of iWork '09, the security firm says it has now found a variant, attached to pirated versions of Photoshop CS4. OSX.Trojan.iServices.B also grants a remote user root access; the new trojan is associated with the crack application however, and is spawned under a different name whenever the crack is run. [full story]

January 22 - 10:35am EST   A new Trojan attack has been linked with illegal copies of iWork '09, says Intego. The security firm notes that in some copies of iWork found on BitTorrent sites -- and other pirating venues -- a Trojan dubbed OSX.Trojan.iServices.A is attached, masquerading in the form of a package file called iWorkServices. When the iWork installer is launched, iWorkServices is launched as well; while this may be halted by a request for an administrator password, Intego warns that Mac OS X 10.5.1 and earlier will install the Trojan without further prompting. [full story]

December 10 - 4:40pm EST   Many Mac anti-virus programs waste their time scanning for Windows contaminants. While this may be fine if you need to share files with Windows users, you may not want a program that gobbles up excess memory and processing time just to protect against malware that can never even hurt your own hardware. If you’d rather have an anti-virus app that focuses solely on keeping Macs virus-free, one option is PC Tool’s iAntiVirus. [full story]

December 3 - 9:40am EST   A third variant of the RSPlug Trojan has appeared online, says security firm Intego. Following in the wake of the RSPlug.D version, Intego notes that another mutant copy called RSPlug.E has appeared. The new Trojan is said to be very similar in scope to D, being mainly found on dubious pornography sites, and equipped with a downloader that installs files from a remote server. [full story]

November 24 - 9:30am EST   A second piece of Trojan-like malware is currently threatening Macs, say security vendors. OSX.Lamzev.A, also known as OSX.TrojanKit.Malez, allows hackers to install a backdoor on a victim's computer and thereby assume control of it. The software is said not to be a true Trojan, however, as an attacker must already have access to the target Mac to make use of the code. [full story]

November 18 - 11:20am EST   A new version of an existing Trojan poses a significant threat to Mac users, claims the Intego security firm. Based on RS.Plug.A, the RSPlug.D Trojan is said to find its way onto computers through malicious websites, namely several less scrupulous porn sites. On visiting a particular page a person will be greeted with a "Video ActiveX Object Error," stating that their browser cannot play a particular video; it then asks people to download the ActiveX object in question. [full story]

October 17 - 1:15pm EDT   Mac users should be on guard against a fake Mac security tool being distributed online, says the Intego security firm. The program, called MacGuard, claims to scan a computer for "adware, spyware and trojans," and then eliminate them; in reality the app is actually a version of existing Windows malware, which has already infected as many as 30 million people worldwide. The latter assumes control of a person's computer, and displays messages warning about a false infection in an attempt to get users to pay money. [full story]

July 29 - 2:35pm EDT   RealNetworks is urging Mac users to upgrade to version 11.0 of its RealPlayer application, due to a potential security exploit. The malware research site Secunia rates the problem as "highly critical," with potential risk of malicious system access and exposure of sensitive information. The vulnerability affects Realplayer v10 and v10.1 for Mac OS X. The company did not issue a patch, but is instead urging users to upgrade to RealPlayer 11.0. The company says there is a problem with Realplayer's ActiveX import method buffer overflow. [full story]

July 22 - 12:05am EDT   Anyone who has used a Windows PC knows that you absolutely must have an anti-virus program or else your computer will likely crash the moment you connect to the Internet. Fortunately, the Mac has remained largely untouched by the variety of malware (viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, and spyware) that plagues PCs. However, with the growing popularity of the Mac, it’s inevitable that more people will start writing malware for the Mac. Although you don’t need an anti-virus program for the Mac just yet, you might feel safer knowing that a free one exists called PC Tools iAntiVirus. [full story]

June 28 - 2:25pm EDT   Security software developer PC Tools has just released a beta of iAntiVirus, its first security software for the Mac. The company says iAntiVirus uses less memory and system resources than similar security applications because it ignores Windows viruses and only removes malware intended for the Mac. “Let’s face it, malware is (now) a business,” said Michael Greene, PC Tools Vice President of Product Strategy. He says rapid growth in Mac market share has made the platform a profitable target for organized identity theft. [full story]

June 17 - 1:20pm EDT   Though servers offering the software are currently buckling and inaccessible to many users, Firefox 3.0 on Tuesday has made its debut with the Mozilla organization looking to set a record for browser downloads. The major new release of the open source Web browser is available today in approximately 50 languages, and is purportedly three times faster than its predecessor, offering "15,000 improvements" including a smart location bar and malware protection. The new Firefox 3 smart location bar, dubbed "Awesome Bar" by Mozilla, adapts to user entries over time. The Firefox 3 Library archives browsing history, bookmarks, and tags, where they can be searched and organized. [full story]