Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Apple Adds Malware Blocker in Snow Leopard

Via ZDNet -

Apple’s commercials may give the impression that Macs are virus-free (.mov) but the company isn’t taking any chances with the newest Mac OS X refresh.

Apple has quietly added a new Snow Leopard feature to scan software downloads for malware, a no-brainer move that coincides with a noticeable spike in malicious files embedded in pirated copies of Mac-specific software.

The malware blocker, first spotted by the folks at Intego, appears to be scanning installation packages for signs of known Mac malware.

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It is not yet clear how Apple is handling the package scans for signs of malicious software.

I have confirmed that Apple is not using the open-source ClamAV engine to handle these scans so it’s likely the company has entered into an agreement with a commercial anti-virus company.

This isn’t the first official acknowledgment from Apple that the Mac operating system may be susceptible to malware. This Web page on Mac OS X security actually recommends the use of third-party anti-virus software to get “additional protection.”

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Apple has confirmed that its new operating system, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, will be released on 28 August.

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