Date:21/04/12

Apple users warned malware-free days at an end

New research reveals that the number of targeted attacks and malware plaguing mobile devices and the Mac OS has significantly increased, v3.co.uk.

Alienvault's "State of the Threats" report predicted the trend would continue, with criminals being increasingly drawn the the ever more profitable Mac and mobile markets.

"The grace period for Apple users has come to a close as malware targeting OS X has now evolved from a curiosity to an active threat," Alienvault researcher Conrad Constantine told V3.

Alienvault's claims are based on information gathered from 18,000 security professionals around the world.
Constantine claimed that the rise was indicative of Apple users' lax attitude to security.

"Apple users are going to have to start developing an awareness that their chosen platform is now a malware target and begin adjusting their behaviour. The Flashback botnet is a wake up call for Apple itself to realise it has a responsibility to keep third-party software that ships with its OS updated," said Constantine

The amount of malware targeting the mobile market, particularly the Android ecosystem, also saw a marked increase with Constantine suggesting the increase was influenced by vendor's poor attitude towards mobile devices.

"A significant factor in the onslaught of mobile malware lies with vendors treating the devices as disposable and being reticent to deliver vital software patches to existing devices" said Constantine.

Alienvault also reported that spearphishing emails are now cyber criminals tool of choice. This form of attack sees hackers create fake emails containing malicious links loaded with malware, and use social engineering and data to tailor their attacks to the intended target. The claim mirrors that of security firm Bit9's chief executive Patrick Morley, who suggested that the attacks mainly stemmed from state actors like China.
 

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