hey mac users, if you get malware your shit out of luck

[obscurity]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/apple-to-support-reps-do-not-attempt-to-remove-malware/3362?tag=nl.e539

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/an-applecare-support-rep-talks-mac-malware-is-getting-worse/3342

AC: We have a team of people who go though all case notes and find new issues that are popping up a lot and send notices to all of AppleCare. Our notice for Mac Defender is that we’re not supposed to help customers remove malware from their computer.

EB: Wow.

AC: That’s about what i said when I read it. The reason for the rule, they say, is that even though Mac Defender is easy to remove, we can’t set the expectation to customers that we will be able to remove all malware in the future. That’s what antivirus is for.

EB: I would imagine most of the people who are calling are fairly panic-stricken.

AC: Well, I’m sure you’re aware of what Mac Defender pops up on your screen if you don’t buy it. Last call i got before the weekend was a mother screaming at her kids to get out of the room because she didn’t want them seeing the images. So, panicking, yes, I’d say that would be the situation usually. I had a teacher call about Mac Defender last week.

EB: So you are supposed to tell them that the Terms of Service don’t allow you to help them remove it, and they should … what?

AC: Well, in the agreement for AppleCare, it does state we don’t help with malware. However, just because we’re told we’re not to help people get rid of it, most of us do.

EB: Taking a little risk there? i assume your calls are randomly monitored and you could get a warning if someone decides to be a hardass.

AC: Indeed we are monitored, but I can’t personally justify telling a father who’s freaking out about what his 6-year-old daughter just saw that I can’t help him out. Our on-floor managers and QA guys do their best to let it slide, but if they start getting pushed from higher-ups, we could face write-ups and even termination.

[obscurity]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/apple-continues-to-tell-support-reps-do-not-help-with-mac-malware/3375

The end of the document includes a list of “Things you must never do according to the client.” The list of prohibited actions includes all of the steps required to clean a Mac Defender infection:

- You cannot show the customer how to force quit Safari on a Mac Defender call

- You cannot show the customer how to remove from the Login items.

- You cannot show the customer how to stop the process of Mac Defender in their Activity Monitor.

- You cannot refer the customer to ANY forums or discussions [sic] boards for resolution (this includes the Apple.com forums)

 

[Pain]

I worked for Apple at one point of my life.  As with other technical support I have a good understanding of what their saying or doing.  I also dont think its their issue for a problem you caused yourself.  Windows support is the same way.  However the big M now offers microsoft essentials that their own OS comes pack in with Virus scanners and security protection that they can help assist you through.  But nothing is guaranteed if your beyond the point of recovery.

I dont think its in their scope of support to fix your issue if you contracted a Virus while surfing porn or illegally downloading content or what ever you were doing.

Their not going to be able to fix your issue for you unless its paid consulting or services.  They may recommend you find 3rd party ways of removing such virus/trojans or suggest if you had something like time machine set to roll back or just archive and restore your OS.

[Toua]

and i thought Macs were suppose to be invulnerable.. .   POS i hope Apple gets sued for marketing their products as godlike/bomb proof products.. FAIL! Only Reason MACs survived this long without viruses, malwares, etc is because it was never that popular. Now that MAC OS has become a bit more popular, hackers/virus writers are migrating/expanding their skills.. hahaha

[NkaujNom]

Can't MAC get restored to an earlier date like Windows? Easiest way, I think.

[Toua]

people who bought a MAC hoping to not get viruses and other shiets are dumb users..... a dumb user will always be a dumb user. MacOS or windows.. or whatever..

[Pain]

Hey PC users.  If you get malware your also shit out of luck....

As I said no system is proof.  Welcome to the real world.  People pay $$$ to in order to get rid of their systems of malware, viruses, trojans.  Why?  Because they dont know how to manage it themselves regardless if mac or pc.  Its a service fee, not free software support.

[obscurity]

Hey PC users.  If you get malware your also shit out of luck....

As I said no system is proof.  Welcome to the real world.  People pay $$$ to in order to get rid of their systems of malware, viruses, trojans.  Why?  Because they dont know how to manage it themselves regardless if mac or pc.  Its a service fee, not free software support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQb_Q8WRL_g

    oops...


YES it's user error, but funny how when pc have viruses, all the mac users blame windows and say it sucks blah blah....funny how that works huh?

Obscurity always had its benefit and now that its more popular, more and more viruses/etc will pop up


also on the pc side theres plenty of free programs and things you can look up to "gasp" fix your computer/clean your computer and its very easy to find too, so no we're not shit out of luck as its much easier to find support

in anycase thanks to the news report apple finally responded

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650 


unfortunetly, a lil too late

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/mac-malware-authors-release-a-new-more-dangerous-version/3385

Within 12 hours of Apple’s announcement, the author of the original Mac Defender program had a new variant available that renders key portions of the current Mac Defender prevention plan obsolete.

Unlike the previous variants of this fake antivirus, no administrator’s password is required to install this program. Since any user with an administrator’s account – the default if there is just one user on a Mac – can install software in the Applications folder, a password is not needed. This package installs an application – the downloader – named avRunner, which then launches automatically. At the same time, the installation package deletes itself from the user’s Mac, so no traces of the original installer are left behind.

[Toua]

Hey PC users.  If you get malware your also shit out of luck....

As I said no system is proof.  Welcome to the real world.  People pay $$$ to in order to get rid of their systems of malware, viruses, trojans.  Why?  Because they dont know how to manage it themselves regardless if mac or pc.  Its a service fee, not free software support.

You must not use Windows that often...

[Toua]

hahahaha. Looks like Apple will be having fun just like Sony...  Sony thought their servers were bomb proof too..  

[Pain]

You must not use Windows that often...

LOL...  I do Level 2 tech support for both Windows and Mac dude.  You must've never even use a Mac before?  I previously worked for Apple as said.  I am a Windows guy more than a Mac.  All of my Mac's are Boot Camped.  They all run and are connected to my Windows Server with several other setup PC's I use for testing.

From what you see here is standard practice for Apple, Microsoft or any PC manufacturer.  Since its Apple it gets blown out of proportions.  Personally I could careless but dumb users dont understand no matter what you tell them.  But I bet your PC would contract a Virus first before my Mac if a dumb user was on it and using it.

Like I said, its the user that is the issue.  Most users arent smart enough to maintain their computer regardless of Windows or Mac OS.  Thats where I make my money....

[obscurity]

http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Tries+to+Roll+Out+Trojan+Protection+Only+to+See+New+Variety+Pop+Up/article21795.htm

What is new is a shiny new automated removal tool that goes out and tries to hunt down and remove installed versions of Mac Defender on your machine.  The tool is an example of how Apple is increasingly be forced to defend itself against malware, much to the chagrin of die hard users and marketing folks at Apple, both of whom largely prefer to view the platform as immune to all attacks.

The system also contains improvements to the tool which streamline auto-updating of definitions.

 But sadly for Apple the story doesn't end there.  Within 8 hours of releasing the update, ZDNet discovered a new version of Mac Defender popped up named "Mdinstall.pkg" and it's able to slide right by all of Apple's fancy new protections.  And like newer versions of the trojan, its crafted to no longer prompt users for a password to install, making the process of accidentally/carelessly installing the program much more subtle.

That variant has since been killed, thanks to yet another update, but there's likely new versions popping up in the wild as you read this.  Apple has entered the "cat and mouse" game with malware writers that Microsoft has long suffered through