Security experts create worm that infects Mac firmware and is nearly impossible to get rid of

[FearL0rd]

"Apple?s Macs and OS X have traditionally been viewed as a safer, more secure alternative to Windows, but researchers have proven that?s not the case. Security experts created a worm that attaches itself to a Mac?s firmware and remains there no matter what."

Security experts create worm that infects Mac firmware and is nearly impossible to get rid of

 

[Steve Adams]

Apples marketing at its finest. Mac's are no safer than any other computer/phone/tablet. Apple just made the lemmings believe they were. Typical apple marketing. Now, that being said, up until about 3 years ago there were not enough apple computers out there for hackers to worry about. now that every hipster in town has a mac because they are "COOL", and celebs eat them up for fashion status, the Hackers have something to go after.

Still in the Large scheme of things, There are millions and millions more Windows based machines out there, plus every large corp uses windows based systems because they are easier to use and WAY more cost efficient than an apple based fashion piece. And because Apple has tricked users into believing that their computers are "magically" safer, I think they even Tricked themselves. Ha ha.

 

[tgp]

Any platform with a lower user base is going to seem "safer", in no small part because it is a smaller target. Mac OS, WP, and Linux for example have single digit market shares, and they're the OSs you don't see much malware for.

On the flip side look at Windows (90% market share) and Android (85% market share). Virtually all malware targets those 2 operating systems.

No OS is immune. (For example, WP 8 was compromised shortly after it was released). Big market share, big target. Little market share, little target.

 

[AndyCalling]

No OS is immune indeed, and I am no Mac fan (over priced, I can build one better). However, this is not an OS issue. Macs at the root are UNIX boxes and the OS they use is pretty good security-wise. This attack is to the bios however, which is not part of the Mac OS. A similar trick could be developed for any motherboard I'm sure.

 

[muneshyne21]

I thought Safari was usually the first browser to be exploited in those Hackathon events. Also OSX can be extremely vulnerable not because they are easier to hack but because Apple is slower to send out updates to patch vulnerabilities. Windows, on the other hand, can get annoying since they are constantly patching things. Have you ever not turned on your computer for a week? I swear there are 10GB of patches to catch up on...

 

[thewidnows10guy]

I've never got Malware ever since I started using a Mac (4 years). I'd be doomed if I get one.