CoX, Computer Virus and the safety of my computer

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Also, "hacker" is not the same thing as a virus author. There are myriad reasons for authoring virus payloads. Only a few of them have anything to do with the hacker subculture.

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That's why I put the word "malicious" before it. I know hacker doesn't only refer to illegal actions.

And note: Your virus that affects Mac only affects the newer "more compatible with Windows" versions of the Mac OS. Gee, I wonder why?

And saying "NO ONE" uses them and "Obscurity instead of security" are still blanket overstatements. Lots of people use Macs. Just because we're not the majority doesn't mean we don't friggin exist.

As I said, I use both PCs and Macs and I know the good points and bad points of both. Stop preaching at me. Thank you.

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Also, "hacker" is not the same thing as a virus author. There are myriad reasons for authoring virus payloads. Only a few of them have anything to do with the hacker subculture.

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That's why I put the word "malicious" before it. I know hacker doesn't only refer to illegal actions.

And note: Your virus that affects Mac only affects the newer "more compatible with Windows" versions of the Mac OS. Gee, I wonder why?

And saying "NO ONE" uses them and "Obscurity instead of security" are still blanket overstatements. Lots of people use Macs. Just because we're not the majority doesn't mean we don't friggin exist.

As I said, I use both PCs and Macs and I know the good points and bad points of both. Stop preaching at me. Thank you.



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Then don't insinuate that because you're on a Mac that you're magically safe from viruses.

Thank you.

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Main Hero : Annilixxion -- Lv50 Blaster
Main Villain : Menkaura -- Lv41 Mastermind
@Laxx
"You will bend to my will, with or without your precious sanity." --Dragon Mage

Boy, this thread got blown out of proportion. If there is a will there is a way to goof anyones OS. Point of thread, dont have to worry about it in this MMO.

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BayBlast, since your personal attack on me was remove, I assume you either had a change of heart or the devs smacked you.

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I decided my choice of words was in poor taste so I deleted it. Though you clearly seem incapable of editing yourself in a like manner.

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.
.Driver Sweeper * CohHelper * HijackThis * TweakCoH * CPU-ID
* Defraggler * Program Security Scan * PC Performance Scan *

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Your virus that affects Mac only affects the newer "more compatible with Windows" versions of the Mac OS

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Deceptive twaddle-speak says I.

Take a modern virus and put in on a Windows 3.1 machine. Likelihood of it being a viable thread vector? Quite small.

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And saying "NO ONE" uses them and "Obscurity instead of security" are still blanket overstatements.

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And I'll repeat, since you obviously didn't read it properly the first time.

1: I never said "no one" uses them. Please reread my previous statements and quote where I somehow said this.

2: And no, stating that "On Mac you're not going to get a virus 'CAUSE IT'S NOT WINDOWS" is security through obscurity. If this hurts your fragile sense of self-worth or bruises a Mac e-peen. Sorry. The truth often hurts.

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As I said, I use both PCs and Macs and I know the good points and bad points of both. Stop preaching at me. Thank you.

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Again, I'm not preaching at YOU. If you chose to take it that way, well. What do they say about narcissism?

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As I've said before. There's no such thing as "idiot proof". Idiots are too darn numerous and prone to fits of fiendish creativity.

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I can tell ya i am not techy and therefore scared of computer viruses much like ther person in question probably and i have installed every watchfull thing fore mal,virus and other id theft and mal ware and i have never had anything happen or come up in my computer in the 21 months i have been playing this game. I hope it works out and u can interact with ur son while hes away best of luck to ya

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[qr]
OS wars are boring, I use windows, *nix and Mac.

FWIW:
http://www.securemac.com/
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Today, Landon Fuller posted a proof-of-concept exploit for an unpatched vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment currently in use by OS X. While this particular proof-of-concept is meant to be harmless, the vulnerability itself currently affects OS X, including OS X 10.5.7, the latest shipping version of OS X. This vulnerability could be exploited to perform "drive-by-downloads" commonly used as a means to infect computers with spyware, or any arbitrary command with the permissions of the executing user. All a user has to do is visit a web page hosting a malicious java applet to be exploited. Until Apple patches their implementation of Java, we recommend that users disable Java applets in their web browser.

4.17.2009 News
iBotNet also known as the iServices Trojan Horse botnet first reported by SecureMac back in January has been activated. Users who have been infected are encouraged to download the iServices Trojan Horse Removal Tool, available for free at http://macscan.securemac.com/files/i...emovalTool.dmg

3.30.2009 News
Proof-of-concept exploit code has been posted online for six kernel vulnerabilities, five of which affect Mac OS X 10.5.6. Information Week Article

3.17.2009 News
A new variant of the DNSChanger Trojan Horse, DNSChanger 2.0e, has been discovered in the wild. The trojan horse arrives in a disk image (some samples are called serial_Avid.Xpress.Pro.5.7.2.dmg), and is again disguised as an installer for "MacCinema," just like the 2.0d variant. Once installed, the trojan horse behaves in a similar manner to past variants.

3.12.2009 News
A new variant of the DNSChanger Trojan Horse, DNSChanger 2.0d, has been discovered in the wild. The trojan horse arrives in a disk image called FlashPlayer.dmg, and is disguised as an installer for "MacCinema." Once installed, the trojan horse behaves in a similar manner to past variants.

1.22.2009 News
Security Alert: A trojan is being distributed with pirated copies of Apple's iWorks 09.

Pirated copies of iWorks 09 are being distributed with a trojan bundled in the installer package. Intego has released a warning recommending that users should not download iWorks 09 from pirate software sites.

The malicious software is installed in the startup items folders ( /System/Library/StartupItems/iWorkServices ) where it has full root privilege rights. Once installed the trojan connects to a remote server notifying it of the infected computers location on the net awaiting further instruction including the ability of downloading additional components.

Users concerned of infection may use third party software from security vendors to remove the trojan horse.

New Mac Exploit to be detailed at Blackhat DC 09 security conference held in Washington DC in February. Vincenzo Lozzo's presentation ' Let Your Mach-O Fly' will demonstrate how it is possible to inject a binary into the machine without leaving traces on the hard disk. Read more at ars technica.


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Then there's also all the the macs that get infected while running the likes of Bootcamp and using Windows, plus Macro scripting issues using MS office for Mac etc etc. (insert tounge in cheek).

~

Regardless of OS, the most common casue of malware and other yucky is users not thinking and clicking on 'give me free stuff' buttons.

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I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.

Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.

So sad to be ending ):

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Play on a Mac, problem solved.

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Does not compute.

Macs are not magically immune to viruses. The only reason a Mac isn't hit as often with a virus as a Windows system is because Windows is far more common and widespread, which means the virus will hit as many people as possible. I've had to put up with people who own a Mac when they get all pissy when their system shuts down because of a virus while they had no virus protection software. It's not a pretty sight, though it is humorous when they say "I had a Mac!" for a reason why they didn't protect themselves.

As to this thread topic: having CoH on your computer doesn't open you up to a virus. Playing CoH does not open you up to a virus. Running the updater to get patches does not open you up to a virus. Whoever told you it did is technologically ignorant.

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Oh yes that new PC/Mac ad had me rolling on the ground laughing. They effectively claimed that the Mac doesn't crash nor does it have viruses. Neither claim being true. The mac I have at work crashed to the bomb icon on me 15 minutes out of the box. And recently a massive botnet was detected running on Macs.

As for getting viruses from MMOG's ... Well that doesn't happen. You can get them from trainers and other add on programs you download from 3rd party sites if you are not careful but that isn't the same thing.

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But it's MY sadistic mechanical monster and I'm here to make sure it knows it. - Girl Genius

List of Invention Guides

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Macs are not magically immune to viruses.

[/ QUOTE ]I can't quote this hard enough. It's really annoyed me with the recent PC vs. Mac ads where someone asks for a virus-free computer and are given no option but the Mac. Grah! Mac does not mean virus free! PC does not mean virus-ridden! >



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If said person is running Mac OS X, then he's as safe as one could get from viruses. Its probably THE most secure OS out there.

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Actually not true. The only reason Mac and Linux clones have a lower rate of viruses written for them is that they are a much smaller pool of targets. I'll note that a Botnet was recently found that runs on macs and infects them. So macs are not inherently more secure than PC's.

In some ways they are probably more vulnerable because of the myth of a virus free computer makes people vulnerable to social hacking. Ie getting the person to download and install the virus themselves. At least on the PC you sort of expect that behavior not that it prevents ID ten T errors.

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But it's MY sadistic mechanical monster and I'm here to make sure it knows it. - Girl Genius

List of Invention Guides

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Security through obscurity isn't security. It's wishful thinking.

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It's not obscurity that makes a Mac less vulnerable to viruses. It's the fact that it uses a completely different kind of base system for computing that PC written viruses cannot navigate through.

99.99999% of viruses are written on PCs for PCs and therefor can only affect PCs.

Find a hacker anywhere that uses a Mac. I rest my case.



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Not only find a hacker that uses a Mac, but find one that's successfully put a virus on OS X. It hasnt been done....yet. There are 0 active viruses currently infecting OS X users.

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Wrong Ibotnet is a new OS X virus out there in the wild.

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But it's MY sadistic mechanical monster and I'm here to make sure it knows it. - Girl Genius

List of Invention Guides

I tried explaining this to them already.

All I got was a bunch of frothing and fanboistic twisting of words.

It's too late for me! But you can still save yourself!

liberate tutame ex infernis

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