Mac Trojan being used in DDOS attacks
I still like honda's. :-/
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 16,762
Likes: 0
From: Gilbert, AZ
This is not truth.
No user other than the root user (also meaning no applications)... have privileges which permit writing data to directories without authentication. Unless you enable the root user (which is disabled by default) it's even impossible. That's why viruses don't exist for Macs. By design, the shell-based authentication functionality of BSD Unix prevents applications from writing data to the system. So they're completely ineffective. It has nothing to do with the size of a user base.
The Mac user base is actually twice to three times the size of what's reported in these articles. On college campuses nation-wide, it's HALF the users nowadays. Someone is still getting their statistics from 1997.
No user other than the root user (also meaning no applications)... have privileges which permit writing data to directories without authentication. Unless you enable the root user (which is disabled by default) it's even impossible. That's why viruses don't exist for Macs. By design, the shell-based authentication functionality of BSD Unix prevents applications from writing data to the system. So they're completely ineffective. It has nothing to do with the size of a user base.
The Mac user base is actually twice to three times the size of what's reported in these articles. On college campuses nation-wide, it's HALF the users nowadays. Someone is still getting their statistics from 1997.
I'm made of meat!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,580
Likes: 0
From: Richmond, VA
ACDT, ACPT, ACMT, ACHDS 10.4, ACTC 10.4, ACTC 10.5, ACSA, and ACMA.
The technical coordinator stuff (ACTC) is mostly for enterprise server administration, and those were a bitch. I have one easy test to take to finish the ACSA, already took the difficult one... I just haven't had time. I got the ACMA by accident. Registered for the wrong exam and it was non-refundable. Didn't even study.
ACMT is pretty easy but there are 9 questions about CRT safety that are MANDATORY. In other words, you could ace the rest of the test, but if you don't answer those 9 correctly, you still fail. I will confess I took that exam twice. When was the last time servicing a CRT didn't involve throwing it in the trash or recycling it?
About the ACSP... Isn't the ACSP obsolete now? I thought they ditched that cert last year? If not... I want it. I guess I'm a collector.
Yes. An PC users love to go sit in a coffee shop with their iPhone. :expnb:
I'm made of meat!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,580
Likes: 0
From: Richmond, VA
If iTunes encryption could be reversed in less than 36 hours, but Mac OS X has always been unaffected by viruses since it's release, then I'm still skeptical that we're going to see a virus on any version of Mac OS currently out there. Someone would have done it for the medal already.
I really don't think the payoff of writing malicious Mac code banking on the user authenticating so it can install vs. effort spent on that attempt will ever seem wise to a "hacker" as long as Microsoft is in business still releasing easily-exploited OS'es. Intelligent people work smarter instead of harder, and a wise "hacker" will choose the OS that doesn't pop up authentication dialogs anytime launchd tries to execute an installer.
Grifball Player
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 27,249
Likes: 0
From: Foundry
I have...
ACDT, ACPT, ACMT, ACHDS 10.4, ACTC 10.4, ACTC 10.5, ACSA, and ACMA.
The technical coordinator stuff (ACTC) is mostly for enterprise server administration, and those were a bitch. I have one easy test to take to finish the ACSA, already took the difficult one... I just haven't had time. I got the ACMA by accident. Registered for the wrong exam and it was non-refundable. Didn't even study.
ACMT is pretty easy but there are 9 questions about CRT safety that are MANDATORY. In other words, you could ace the rest of the test, but if you don't answer those 9 correctly, you still fail. I will confess I took that exam twice. When was the last time servicing a CRT didn't involve throwing it in the trash or recycling it?
About the ACSP... Isn't the ACSP obsolete now? I thought they ditched that cert last year? If not... I want it. I guess I'm a collector.
Yes. An PC users love to go sit in a coffee shop with their iPhone. :expnb:
ACDT, ACPT, ACMT, ACHDS 10.4, ACTC 10.4, ACTC 10.5, ACSA, and ACMA.
The technical coordinator stuff (ACTC) is mostly for enterprise server administration, and those were a bitch. I have one easy test to take to finish the ACSA, already took the difficult one... I just haven't had time. I got the ACMA by accident. Registered for the wrong exam and it was non-refundable. Didn't even study.
ACMT is pretty easy but there are 9 questions about CRT safety that are MANDATORY. In other words, you could ace the rest of the test, but if you don't answer those 9 correctly, you still fail. I will confess I took that exam twice. When was the last time servicing a CRT didn't involve throwing it in the trash or recycling it?
About the ACSP... Isn't the ACSP obsolete now? I thought they ditched that cert last year? If not... I want it. I guess I'm a collector.
Yes. An PC users love to go sit in a coffee shop with their iPhone. :expnb:
Did you purchase the AppleCare Techician or did you take classes?
I'm made of meat!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,580
Likes: 0
From: Richmond, VA
I figured the ACMT is pretty easy, sorta like the A+. Those CRT ones will problem screw me up as well. I'm guessing you can only get a certain amount wrong. I saw it said 73% to pass. I'm also not sure about the ACSP. Apple still offers it on there website.
Did you purchase the AppleCare Techician or did you take classes?
Did you purchase the AppleCare Techician or did you take classes?
We got this
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 13,041
Likes: 0
From: NYC
:rofl: hhh. yeah. sorta.
I'm a little passionate about this because I carry 8 Apple cert's, but I don't work for Apple (and haven't drank the Kool-Aid)... so I can be honest about my experiences and have no rules to follow about having to be nice. I have been supporting Macs for 18 years and those cert's were expensive, and a pain in the ass to get.
I've got a Mac right here that's got 7 viruses and a host of malware on it. Someone installed Vista on it and thought it was invulnerable "because it's a Mac". Wrong. They didn't install security software. I know where the problems lie. 1 the user, 2 the OS. It's not high in my list of priorities today. Even mac users that think like that irritate the hell out of me.
BTW: I'm not a PC basher. I like games. Take that Mac.
I'm a little passionate about this because I carry 8 Apple cert's, but I don't work for Apple (and haven't drank the Kool-Aid)... so I can be honest about my experiences and have no rules to follow about having to be nice. I have been supporting Macs for 18 years and those cert's were expensive, and a pain in the ass to get.
I've got a Mac right here that's got 7 viruses and a host of malware on it. Someone installed Vista on it and thought it was invulnerable "because it's a Mac". Wrong. They didn't install security software. I know where the problems lie. 1 the user, 2 the OS. It's not high in my list of priorities today. Even mac users that think like that irritate the hell out of me.
BTW: I'm not a PC basher. I like games. Take that Mac.