It is with mixed feelings when I read the news of a rogue malware plaguing the Macintosh Operating System. Since I am not pro-Mac person, I was a little disappointed that the MacOS has finally reached enough critical mass to attract the attention of malware writers. While I’ll admit grudgingly that in many cases the Mac does some things better than a Windows PC, I am in the opinion that the reason why Apple computers have gone almost virus free all these while is because there simply isn’t any reason for malware writers to do so. After all, releasing a worm like SQL Slammer or Conficker would make a bigger splash since there are simply more Windows PC users in the world, not to mention Microsoft’s dominance in the enterprise. (There is of course also the conspiracy theory that computer virus and malware are released by anti-virus companies, and the reason that a Mac specific anti-virus program will not achieve a return on investment is the reason why there never was any real threat back then.)

However, the fact that a myth (that Macs are impervious to computers virus or malware) is now dispelled made me felt a little smug. In fact, I had really burst out in roaring laughter when I read that Apple allegedly refused to offer support to affected (or ‘infected’) users. I practically felt that I was vindicated for my long time opinion that Apple is even more unscrupulous in business practices than Microsoft.

While Apple has finally posted removal information and announced that it will release a patch to deal with the malware, it pleases me a great deal that there is finally no more safe haven for those computer morons thinking they are L337 elite or superior to PC users. As long as malware continue to evolve to attack the MacOS, computer morons with bad computer usage habits can longer carry on with life without repercussions. I am hoping that this will not be a one time incident, but a recurring problem that will teach some technically deficient people a hard lesson.

I have installed the free Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition on my older generation MacBook Air for precaution, and I was quite surprised that while I was surfing for images for “wedgies” (don’t ask me why I was looking for those), I came across a site containing such an image which automatically start downloading “MacDefender” (also known as “MacProtector”, and “MacSecurity”). Sophos caught it handily once the download has completed but unfortunately it doesn’t remove it automatically. It prompted me to remove the infected file manually and I was fortunate that all I need to do was delete the zip file from the download folder.

Of course, for good measure I search on Google the removal procedures and ensure that I missed nothing. However, no matter how much I wanted to gloat, I must say that the removal procedure was far simpler than doing the same on a Windows PC since there is no registry in a Macintosh. But then again, Windows has come a long way fighting this old scourge and depends on who you ask, it is no longer true that MacOS is more secure than Windows.

Then again, that doesn’t mean a Windows user should be gloating. The fact is, no computer is invulnerable… unless it is not networked, in a secured underground bunker with reinforced concrete under lock and guard, and switched off.

Even then, I will still have my doubts.