The Latest FUD: Is Your Mac Really Secure?

Thursday was Thanksgiving, or “turkey day” in the US. What did Mac users get?

Another warning of a security problem with Mac OS X? Or, a turkey prize, a malware wannabe? I vote the latter.

The folks at F-Secure warned of a proof-of-concept adware program for Mac OS X.

I’d give you details on what to watch for, but there really aren’t any details.

You’d have to scour the net, find the offending malware wannabe, download it, load it onto your Mac, and it might work. Or not.

StuffOnFire has the most detail available regarding F-Secure’s “find.”

Is this truly malware and harmful to you and your Mac, or is it more FUD being spread by the folks interested in hyping your fear for their profit?

I vote the latter. Again. But don’t get too comfy. More problems are on the way.

Mac360 was the benficiary of the so-called Digg Effect again on Saturday. That means thousands more visitors to Mac360 than on a normal day.

It also means more Windows and Firefox users than on a normal day—double normal.

That’s the nature of Digg readers, I guess. More Windows, more Firefox.

If you use Firefox, there’s another flaw in the Mozilla browser which exposes saved passwords to hackers.

For Windows users, Internet Explorer has a similar problem, identified in more detail by ComputerWorld.

Mac users are vulnerable to a growing list of malware and problems; none as serious as Windows users experience, but the list and concern is, well, it’s growing.

The latest is the DMG Kernel Panic Security Issue covered in brief by John Gruber at DaringFireball.

I’m not about to run out and buy anti-virus or anti-spyware or anti-malware software for my Mac. Symantec will never again reside on any Mac I own (fingers crossed—but only to obtain good luck).

Despite the hype, make no mistake—exploits, vulnerabilities, and proof-of-concept malware are increasing for Mac OS X. Expect more. It’s the nature of technology.

In the meantime, what do you do to make sure your Mac remains safe and secure? Is your OS X firewall turned on? Is Safari’s silly “Open Safe files after downloading” preference turned off?

What steps have you taken to improve the security of your Mac? Does your network connection use a dedicated firewall? Do you have the security turned on if you’re using wireless?

Share your experience and setup with other Mac360 readers. Is your Mac really secure? How do you know?