User manual

Product Review: Mac Security ‐ July 2013 www.av-comparatives.org

-3-

Introduction:MacsandSecuritySoftware

In February 2013, Reuters

and many other news agencies reported that Mac computers used by

Apple’s own staff had been infected by malware and then used to launch an attack on Facebook.

Appleadmittedthatsomeoftheirsystemshadindeedbeencompromised.Whilstthisisinitselfonly

a single small incident, it

nonetheless proves that the Mac OS cannot be regarded as immune to

malware attacks. The growing number of Mac users means that cybercriminals are increasingly

targeting the platform, and there have been a number of other reliable reports of Mac malware

attacks.Evenifthenumberof maliciousprograms andsuccessful

infectionsisverysmall compared

tothoseaffectingWindowsPCs,itisclearthattheissueofMacsecurityneeds tobetakenseriously.

As with Windows computers, Macs can be made safer by employing good security practices. We

recommendthefollowing:



1. Neveruseanadministratoraccountforday‐

to‐daycomputing

2. UseasandboxedbrowsersuchasGoogleChrome

3. Uninstall/disablethestandaloneFlashPlayer

4. Uninstall/disableJava

5. KeepyourMacoperatingsystemandthird‐partysoftwareup‐to‐datewiththelatestpatches

6. Usesecurepasswords(theMacincludestheKeyChainpasswordmanager)

7. Deactivate

anyservicessuchasAirport,BluetoothorIPv6thatyoudon’tuse

8. ConsideremployingsecuritysoftwareonyourMac



http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/19/us-apple-hackers-idUSBRE91I10920130219