Microsoft speaks about virus laden iPods

This is bad bad news for companies' security. The threat endpoint devices pose is pretty scurry! GFI just issued an article in response to this Apple ipods shipping out with malware issue... it's at: http://www.gfi.com/news/en/ipodvirus.htm - seems like threats are rising and keep on rising!

RE: Zune shipping with a MacOSX virus in retaliation.

Go for it - not sure I know any Mac-users that are going to be lining-up to BUY a Zune... but - go for it!

:)

I equate it to the makers of Playboy air-fresheners intentionally engineering their product to not work with Jaguar vehicles. Gee... who's it gonna hurt?

:)

Let's get a couple things straight. Anything that can run code can run malware. OSX is no exception. Mobile phones, MP3 players, and even your computerized kitchen refrigerator can have malware. It's not the platform that's to blame; it's the malware authors that are to blame.

A primary motivation for malware authors is money. They use malware to send spam, run software on computers that they've taken over, launch attacks, etc. These things make money for them.

Now, if you're going to write malware to make money, why would you target the Mac platform? There are FAR more Windows users. Your profit potential is much greater there. Hmmm... Make $5.00 or make $500.00. It's a no-brainer.

Here's more information about vulnerabilities in Apple products:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798

http://www.apple.com/support/security/

Now, those comments from Apple were hypocritical, childish, and very typical for Apple. If they think that they're winning over people like that, then they just don't "get it".

Everyday apple is becoming lesss and less appealing. The only reason I use my mac is the lack of malware etc, but as the company grows and captures more people´s attention it will become crippled with viruses. Believe me: market share=hackers delight... OS X is not virus free, its just a niche product.

And by the way people blame microsoft for monopoly, what do you think will happen the day apple gets over 50% share of worldwide computer usage? Dont you think they will need a policy change (Dell´s running macs)? Look at the Ipod 'ecosystem': total monopoly. Why cant people get past the 'pretty computer' thing, and look at these things with common sense? I own 2 mac laptops (both had its faults) so im no hater, i respect the company, but im not blind, and I can see where they are going as a company.

Bashing Microsoft is an old trend, and Apple is at its best and its still miles away from Microsoft´s status.

Padriac - the doctor is going to tell you to switch to the guys who started shipping pre-contaminated pills vs. the ones who shipped the pills that only got contaminated after you left them sitting on top of the toilet? That makes a lot of sense.

i find this all very amusing... im glad the virus got into the ipods... and no, i dont believe that apple should have to make sure their software wont hurt a windows machine... we are mac users for many reasons, one of them being security and i think (to a certain extent) this will help get people to realize just how wonderful macs really are

@Mikek: I wasn't aware that lower market share made you invulnerable to attacks. I thought the reason was BETTER PROGRAMMING. Get a grip, people. There have been plenty of challenges by people offering prizes for the first Mac virus ever written. Guess what? It didn't happen. Nobody ever wrote the virus. I guess it's just because of that market share....

Also, in the case of this story, Apple isn't solely to blame. Microsoft's faulty programming left the holes for this worm to get in to and lower the security of the system (even further). That's more an issue of quality control than Apple's small amount of iPods with the worms on them.

To everyone suggesting this is a windows issue let me remind you that the only thing prventing mass distribution of a Mac virus is lack of market share. Nothing is stopping a virus from being written for a Mac other than its not worth the time to do.

Of course, but MOST of them work and it works a LOT better than Windows. Apple was just "frustrated" and didn't say Microsoft was stupid or it was ALL their fault. Grow-up. No one ever said that apple is perfect, but we rather claim that Apple is better

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But they can't survive without Windows and Microsoft! If Microsoft stops supporting Apple, Apple goes down the drain. More than 90% of the world use Windows, IT IS A FACT and people NEED windows, not everyone has a Mac. Besides, even Apple gave in and introduced Boot Camp, why? They acknowledge that Windows is the most widely used OS and people depend on it!

My bad guys, could someone tell me what platform the virus was written for?

Word!