Filed under: Security
'MacGuard' double-plus ungood, avoid
The fine folks at Intego sent out a warning this morning about MacGuard, a bogus piece of software that claims to clean up your system and remove adware, spyware, and trojans. It doesn't.
According to the warning, MacGuard is simply a clone of a Windows app called WiniGuard. The company releasing the software, Innovagest 2000 SL, may be using the credit card numbers they harvest during the purchase process for "nefarious purposes."
WiniGuard "hijacks the user's desktop and typically displays exaggerated or false claims of spyware found to frighten the user into paying for the program," according to Sunbelt Malware Research Labs.
While our fine readers wouldn't get suckered into such a scheme, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles might not be so educated. If you know someone with a Mac who might fall for this, do them a favor and forward them this warning.
The MacGuard website is at macguard.net.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
KomputarGuy said 4:17PM on 10-17-2008
Scumbags...
Reply
Dave Barnes said 4:48PM on 10-17-2008
One tip off is that there is no "real" contact info on their website. No postal, physical, email, phone. Lack of such data does not engender trust.
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Mo said 8:38PM on 10-17-2008
WHOIS information for: macguard.net:
[whois.enom.com]
=-=-=-=
Visit AboutUs.org for more information about macguard.net
AboutUs: macguard.net
Registration Service Provided By: NameCheap.com
Contact: support@NameCheap.com
Visit: http://www.namecheap.com/
Domain name: macguard.net
Registrant Contact:
Paul Aspen
Paul Aspen
10711 WEYMOUTH AVE
Dublin, Dublin 43017
IE
Administrative Contact:
Paul Aspen
Paul Aspen (paul.aspen111@gmail.com)
+373.545462895
Fax: +1.5555555555
10711 WEYMOUTH AVE
Dublin, Dublin 43017
IE
Technical Contact:
Paul Aspen
Paul Aspen (paul.aspen111@gmail.com)
+373.545462895
Fax: +1.5555555555
10711 WEYMOUTH AVE
Dublin, Dublin 43017
IE
Status: Locked
Name Servers:
ns1.macguard.net
ns2.macguard.net
Creation date: 17 Sep 2008 14:44:34
Expiration date: 17 Sep 2009 14:44:34
Corey said 4:56PM on 10-17-2008
The people that make this kind of stuff should be shot.
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Øivind said 5:11PM on 10-17-2008
So it finally came to the mac ...
Agree with above poster.
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Cory Schulz said 6:34PM on 10-17-2008
Agreed, shoot the worthless bastards.
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Jesse said 6:46PM on 10-17-2008
You must be an idiot if you believe a site with this on its front page (direct copy-and-paste):
"Statistics approve that virus and trojan attacks damage more than $3 million/hour and the new virus appears each hour. One of them, virus Sasser. A, infected million of computers at the first hours after let out and caused billions damages. It had been corrected within a lot of months."
Yes: "within a lot of months." I honestly wish I could have made this up.
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Greg said 8:18PM on 10-17-2008
Things like this have been around for a long time.
On the other hand, why did I just see a *full screen* HP/Best Buy ad?
Weird, with all the Microsoft/Windows bashing you do, I'd be surprised an ad like this would be seen on this site.
Speaking of Microsoft bashing, why do you post about/diss, for example, the Gates/Seinfeld ads? This is The Unofficial *Apple* Weblog. Just because this is an Apple blog, you have to bash Microsoft? You give a bad name to Apple fans that are not rabid fanboys.
On the other hand, I guess Microsoft bashing will be eaten up by the fanboys that do read this blog.
Lastly.. good job on posting recently, it's the first time you've posted about news before engadget.. which is honestly rare. I'd be happier to see things posted here first.. as you do devote 100% of your blog to Apple.
Alright, rant over.
--Not a rabid Apple or Microsoft Fanboy
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Digaos said 9:27PM on 10-17-2008
Did anyone notice the "Mac" they put in the front page?
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Josso said 9:47AM on 10-19-2008
Yeah, it's pretty ... 'hackintosh'- ish... :p
Bloobie said 12:35AM on 10-18-2008
I love how they "have experienced significant growth in the last few years", yet were founded in 2008. :P
http://macguard.net/index.php?page=CompanyPage
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Sam said 2:08AM on 10-18-2008
"I love how they "have experienced significant growth in the last few years", yet were founded in 2008. :P"
Exactly what I was gunna say :D
Yazdgerd said 8:12AM on 10-19-2008
That text is taken from here:
http://www.hamiltonitsolutions.us/AVG_Authorized_Reseller.html
They have copied the exact phrase:
"AVG has experienced significant growth in the last few years, becoming the world's fourth largest vendor of anti-virus software.."
michas_pi said 1:07AM on 10-18-2008
This can't beat the power of Windows Optimizer 2008.
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8 said 2:31AM on 10-18-2008
Can someone please email the registrant of the macguard site, a certain Mr. Paul Aspen (paul.aspen111@gmail.com), and ask him exactly which 10,000 virus' and spyware his software is scanning for on the mac?
Last time I checked, the mac didn't have one, unless of course you have his program - which would count as "1". False advertising. False claims and BAD COPY. Gives dublin a bad name.
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derekJAB said 3:09AM on 10-18-2008
What's with the ageism?
I'm one of your "fine readers", a grandpa to 5, and to each of whom and their parents I am an unpaid IT consultant.
My grandchildren think I'm really cool because I use Macs, have a fine collection of iPods, play my music wirelessly.
Sheesh! Don't make me come round there.
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iBearTouch said 10:12AM on 10-18-2008
Wouldn't it be a gas to e-mail him the link to this page?
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Shannin said 10:12AM on 10-18-2008
thank you for the newspeak
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Level 5 said 11:17AM on 10-18-2008
I think that mainly has to do with alot of people think that Macs are impervious to viruses and malware. Even Apple itself suggests that you do NOT need any protection against malware, viruses and spyware. Alot of the *nix fans share this sentiment as well, which is naive and frankly, a little dumb IFAIC.
Get used to it guys. The Mac is gaining market share at a fairly rapid pace, and as it does, it becomes more and more of a target for software like this.
So yay, joy.. I guess not only can Mac users look forward to more Windows-esque sneaky software, but they can also look forward to equally worthless scanning software that doesn't do its job. Glee.
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cormier6083 said 11:18AM on 10-18-2008
Nice 1984 reference there guys. :P
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