Apple and Viruses. Guest Post by Spring Intern - Michael Senatore

Intern:  Michael Senatore

Topic:  Apple and Viruses

Internship Outline #1

Version 1.0

Date:  25 February 2011

TEASER / TITLE

For years, Apple products have had one up on the PC regarding viruses and malware.  However, due to increased market share, that time may be coming to an end. 

SUMMARY PARAGRAPH

Throughout the history of Apple products there has been a long standing consumer myth that they are incapable of becoming infected with viruses.  Most believe that the Mac Operating System was simply more secure than that of PC.  Although the system may be more secure, it is still vulnerable to malware and other infections.  One needs to look no further than the fact that Apple sells anti-virus software from many of the leading names in the virus protection industry.  What really gave Apple its edge was their lack of market penetration, a result of occupying a small portion of the computer sales industry.  Simply put, if you want to catch a fish, you go to the pond with the most fish.  That “pond” has always been PC’s.  However, along with their growing popularity and rise in market share, Apple products are becoming more vulnerable to viruses and other harmful infections.

BACKGROUND

The myth that Apple products are impervious to viruses is almost like a virus in and of itself.  Only instead of infecting Apple products, it is infecting the way Apple users think about the product.  This “myth” continues to mislead Apple users into believing they are safe from viruses and there is no need for anti-virus programming.  Unfortunately, life would just be too simple if this was the case. From reading forums and discussing the topic with owners of Apple products, it is blatantly obvious that Apple users are completely unaware of the harm to which they are exposing their computers.

            Currently there are several types of viruses that can potentially harm Apple products.  One of the main areas of concern is downloading files that are infected with Trojan horses, spyware, and worms.  These types of files can be found on pirated software and games.  Versions of Microsoft Office infected with viruses can also infect Mac products using the program.  Also, browser plug-ins for viewing video content can harbor malware, making your Mac more vulnerable to other infections.  These problems are really just the beginning because they do not take into account the growth and success of Apple and their products. 

STRATEGIC PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS

-Apple, the company, must do a better job of informing their customers of the risk to their computers.  What was once a selling point, needs to now be addressed as a concern.

-Apple users need to become more educated.  They need to open their eyes to the problem and take appropriate action.

-Acquire an anti-virus program.  Many of the major anti-virus companies, such as McAfee, Intego, Norton and Symantec have all released programs for Apple products. 

ANALYSIS

The main reason for the recent increase in viruses infecting Apple products goes hand in hand with the success of the company.  In just the past two years, Apple has consumed nearly 3% of the entire computer sales in the United States, raising their overall market share to 10.4%.  Although that may not sound like a large increase, Apple’s annual growth is nearly off the charts.  Over those same two years, Apple’s year to year growth has been 24.1%, which dwarfs the overall industry’s growth of 3.8%.  With the wild popularity of the iPad, iPhone and other Apple products, this percentage will only continue to grow.

            In any business venture, success has its drawbacks, and this same theory can be applied to Apple and their current surge in the United States computer sales industry.  As stated previously, the idea that Apple products were incapable of being infected with viruses was a selling point.  Many businesses opted to use Apple computers for their convenience and savings that go along with not having to worry about viruses or spend more money on anti-virus programming.  While Apple products once enjoyed the safety of their own anonymity, they must now accept what comes along with their new found popularity. 

IMPLICATIONS

-The “myth” of Apple products not being able to contract viruses is simply not true.

-Apple has become a mainstay of the computer industry, holding a market share of nearly 11%, a figure which continues to rise.  As a result of the increased penetration, the most secure days of the Mac OS are in the past.

-The vulnerability of Apple products goes hand in hand with the success of the company, which is growing at a rate nearly eight times that of the rest of the computer industry.

-While the sales figures of HP and Dell have plateaued, Apple continues to grow at an annual growth rate of 24.1%.

-Apple currently holds the number four ranking in the computer sales industry, behind HP, Dell, and Acer.  Following market trends, by this time next year, Apple will be well ahead of Acer and catching up to HP and Dell. 

-Due to the wild success of the iPad, iPhone and the Mac OS, there are no signs of Apple’s growth slowing down.

KEY FINDINGS

-The majority of Apple users are completely unaware of the susceptibility of their computers when it comes to malware.  Stay informed with updates from Apple and other security upgrades.

-The easiest way to prevent computers from being infected with viruses is to stop them before they start.  We all know how difficult computers can be to work with when they are infected with any type of virus. 

-Nearly all the major anti-virus companies now sell programs for Apple products.  (A sign of things to come?)

RECOMMENDATIONS

-Verify that your computer is protected by an anti-virus program.  There are some free anti-virus programs available, such as iAntiVirus and ClamXav, however they are not considered as robust as the major companies such as McAfee, Intego, Norton and Symantec.

-Use common sense when surfing the web.  Do not visit websites that are not known to be secure and do not download files or documents from an unknown sender.  Also make sure your virus scanner and security updates are frequently updated with the newest protection.

-Stay ahead of the curve by educating yourself with the current viruses and other problems infecting computers. 

-Happy surfing!

SOURCES

“Do Apple Computers Need Virus Protection”.  Robin Noelle.  eHow.com.  April 1, 2010.

“Apple’s Share of Computer Sales Surpasses 10% in the U.S.”.  Eric Slivka.  Macrumors.com.  October 13, 2010.

“Hey Apple, About This Virus Thing”.  Steven Hodson.  WinExtra.com.  April 27, 2010.

“Antivirus Software On Your Mac:  Yes or No?”.  David Greenbaum.  Gigaom.com.  February 4, 2011.  

iPad Hack on the AT&T Network - Are You At Risk?

Roughly 6 months ago an alert came out that iPad customers might have a potential exposure issue.  At the time, it appeared that a technology company discovered an issue where iPad's were transmitting unique ids that could be matched to email addresses which could create a potential for privacy issues and device compromise.  At the time, the technologists said they wanted to report it to Apple so they would fix it.

Apple says they were never contacted.

U.S. Prosecutors have a different point of view of what happened.  They charged the two men this week with stealing and distributing email addresses for iPad owners.  Roughly 120,000 people were impacted by this.  The list of iPad owners included celebrities, company CEOs, military officials, and average consumers.

The investigators have accused the men of using an attack to extract the data.  They then had a program that would guess at data about each iPad and match it to information on AT&T servers to match names and emails.

The two men provided the information to Gawker, a gossip website.  Gawker published some of the information including that former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, NASA employees, and other government offices were on the list.

Sources:
"Two charged over iPad hacking on AT&T network", Jonathan Stempel, Reuters, January 18, 2011.

"Two Charged in AT&T Hack of iPad Customer Data", Kim Zetter, Wired, January 18, 2011.

Hee Haw - Get Your Video Games and Apple Gift Cards By Way of a Mule?

Was an Apple gift card or video game under the Menorah or Christmas tree this recent holiday season?

Well, it may have come to you via a mule.   Slow down PETA members, I'm actually not talking about a new method of transit via animals, I am talking about money mules.

The Feds recently busted a major, multi million dollar ring involving two exchange students in Minnesota.  The dynamic duo, from Vietnam, are believed to be the masterminds behind a major scheme using counterfeit credit cards and taking advantage of online auctions and online stores.

It is believed that Apple, Dell, Verizon, Amazon, Paypal, eBay, and even Rosetta Stone lost money due to these alleged cybercriminals.

Investigators believe they have uncovered 180+ eBay accounts and roughly 360 PayPal accounts that were established by this ring under false information.  The tally of their evil looting?  Possibly $1.25 million.

How did they pull it off?  With money mules that wired them the money.  Mules are people that might be people duped into "work at home" schemes and have no idea they are part of a mule ring.  Some mules know exactly what they are doing.  The mules are believed to be US based and the scam ran in the U.S., Vietnam, and Canada.


Sources:


"Cyber crime trail leads to Winona State students - Feds say a transnational cyber crime ring based in Vietnam has ties to two exchange students", Dan Browning, Star Tribune, January 3, 2011.


"Foreign-exchange Students Linked to Vietnamese Cyber-Crime Gang", Camille Tuutti, The New New Internet, January 3, 2011.

" 'Operation eMule' Feds Bust Duo with 500+ eBay, PayPal Accounts", John Leyden, The Register, January 5, 2011.

E.T. Phone Home...Coming Soon, Your iPhone May Be Phoning Home to the Apple HQ

Remember the saying, "E.T. Phone Home!" back in the 80s?  An iconic movie.  At one point during the movie, E.T. exclaims he must phone home.  The young boy modifies a Speak and Spell toy so E.T. can phone home.

Well now your iPhone might be the next modified Speak and Spell!  Apple has filed a patent so your phone can phone home in the event that it is lost or it's human owner is lost.

When a professional criminal steals a phone, they typically pull the sim chip out and / or jailbreak the phone.

What is a jailbreak?  Jailbreaking is a techie term for basically breaking into an operating system to make it do things that are usually locked down.  It is often done by the actual owner.  For example, past jailbreaks on iPhones allowed people in foreign countries to use them before iPhone officially made them available in foreign countries.  Apple considers jailbreaking to be a breach of service warranty and highly discourages it.

Apple filed this patent because they feel this next step in technology is necessary to locating stolen phones. In the patent they mention they want to help customers better protect their sensitive information.

Among other things, the patent would allow the device to:

-record the voice of the device's user

-take a photo of the device's users's current location

-detect and record the heartbeat of the device's user

-scan the face of the owner

Some privacy advocates don't agree.  They believe this is another way for companies to collect information, in this case some is biometric, that can be used to track you.  There are some valid points:
1.  What if Apple is hacked and the hackers take your data?
2.  Does Apple have another purpose such as finding customers that have made their warranty invalid by tampering with their phone?

What's your opinion?  A great new advance in safety to assist with kidnapping and finding lost people?  Or, Big Brother's watching?

So what do you worry about more?  Steve Jobs checking in on you or the ability to protect yourself against a professional criminal that wants to tap into your mobile and digital life by stealing your phone?

Sources:

"Steve Jobs Is Watching You: Apple Seeking to Patent Spyware", Julie Samuels, August 23, 2010.


"New iPhone Security Patent App: User Protection or 1984 iSpy?", Brian X. Chen, Wired, August 23, 2010.


"Apple Patent is for Push-Based Location Update", MacTech Blog, December 23, 2010.