Fake Flash update malware targets gullible Apple users Security watchers have spotted a shareware scam targeting Apple users that features malicious code signed with a legitimate Apple developer certificate. The dodgy software poses as an Adobe Flash update, typically presented to potential marks as a pop-up reminder. Those who fall for the ruse will end up unwittingly …
This may seem like nitpicking, but Adobe don't require you to log in with a password to install flash on ANY platform. OSX does, which is something it inherited from BSD (the version of Unix upon which it is based).
That said, it's good advice not to install anything if you don't need it, which is why when I re-install my Mac or PC, I tend to install software as and when I need it, rather than just install a whole list when I re-install the OS.
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Boy, are you ever correct.
It seems humanity (esp. Americans) are DE-volving.
I've used macs for a long time, and I DO know what I'm doing, but, every once inn a while, I'll have a question, and whenever I get results back - which come from the Apple boards, 'm utterly gobsmacked at the high-level of utter stupidity.
People who don't know what they're doing, much less talking about - are endlessly giving 'advice,' which well, here's an analogy (I'm making this up); I have 'no-fault' insurance, so, I'm protected, and my car's horn sounds a little-bit off, so, even though I know nothing about auto mechanics, I decide to take apart my entire car - piece-by-piece, and whilst doing this, I come across a 'thingy', which - I just think it's not supposed to be there, so, I looked on Google, to see if anyone else ever saw this 'thingy', and you-know-what? There was some guy, who said if it looks sort of like a fork, but, instead of tines, it's got tweezers, and I knew he knew much more than....'
They're out of their minds.
These are the type of people who think an antI-virus software will 'cure' everything', so no matter what stupid thing they do - what thing pops up on their screen, and says 'click on me', they do, so,thinking; 'nothing bad can happen - I've got antI-virus protection.'
I really have no patience for morons. As I said, I've had Macs a long time, and I do know what I'm doing, and I do take risks, but, in all my years, not ONCE have I EVER had ANY malware, or anything else installed (downloaded yes. NOT installed).
Yeah, they are called Mac users. How many of them really understand what they are doing? In my experience supporting them, I have not seen many. Most of them are typical clueless users who would just as easily click on an OK button to install malware on a Wintel box.
Frankly, I'm surprised that more of this hasn't been seen. Knowing the average Apple users, this seems like easy pickings...
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Do I use it to clean floors?
Only joking.
When I migrated to a new MacBook Pro (from a 2009 model) last year, I removed flash and it won't get installed on it. Ok, so I can't play videos on some sites such as the Beeb but hey, at least I don't have to go through the almost weekly security update patching cycle with that bit of crapware called Flash.
It's time has past. Please Adobe bury it and let us move on.
Which works well - but then some sites (I think the Guardian is one of them) insist that it must be a mobile device, therefore you will get their crappy interpretation of a 'mobile' page - even on a decent sized tablet. However losing flash in favour of HTML5 (seems to be mother and take up less bandwidth than flash on my desktop) is worth it.
I have to have it installed for my son's online maths homework. He uses the mac because I reckon it's safer than him going online with Windows.
I always treat Flash update notifications with huge suspicion and go and do the update myself. The fact that their notification has a 'click here' button is a great enabler for the bad guys - it should be a notification, not a link to anything.
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