Experts at Internet security solutions company Kaspersky have warned about increasing attacks on Mac OS X (operating system) in the next few months. There are more than 10 crore Mac OS X users around the world.

“Until recently, Mac OS X malware was a somehow limited category. This included trojans such as the Mac OS X version of DNSChanger and more recently, fake anti-virus, scareware attacks. In September 2011, the first versions of the Mac OS X trojan Flashback have appeared,” Mr Costin Raiu, an expert at Kaspersky Lab, said.

Though they didn’t really become widespread until March 2012, data collected by Kaspersky show that there were about 7 lakh infected users in the first week of April. The number could be still higher. “Although Mac OS X can be a very secure operating system, there are certain steps which you can take to avoid becoming a victim to this growing number of attacks,” he said.

“Increase in attacks is a normal. The idea is to get enough market share to guarantee a return-on-investment for virus writers. So Mac OS X fans need not lose heart,” he said.

“During the next few months, we are probably going to see more attacks of this. The attackers would focus on exploiting outdated software and the user’s lack of awareness. If you follow the following measures, you can pre-empt the attacks,” he said. He prescribes the following suggestions:

a) Disable IPv6, AirPort and Bluetooth when not needed.

b) Upgrade Adobe Reader to version “10” or later.

c) Install a good security solution.

d) Enable full disk encryption (MacOS X 10.7+) or FileVault.

e) Use a password manager to help cope with phishing attacks.

f) Run “Software Update” and patch the machine promptly when updates are available.

g) Use a web browser that contains a sandbox and has a solid track record of fixing security issues in a prompt manner.

kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW