Apple Issue Mac Security Warning

Over the past couple of days, Apple have released warnings about the security to Macs as over 500,000 units have been declared infected. It is a malware infection (aka malicious software) know as a Trojan that compromises the security of your passwords and usernames. Naturally, this can result in outsiders determining such details from online forums to banking details.

How the Mac Trojan infect my Mac?

This malware is typically contracted and self installs after users visit legitimate websites that have been infected. Unfortunately there’s no knowing exactly which websites have been infected. So without the proper protection, you’re a sitting duck!

How can I protect against Mac Malware and the Mac Trojan?

Apple have released some java updates which can help to reduce the chance of infection, but it won’t necessarily removed the infection itself. This still leaves you with the underlying problem that your passwords and usernames could be compromised. As such the best way to curb any issues is by using a legitimate Mac cleaning software such as Mac Keeper. They even have a free trial.

The latest security scare has come as a shock to Apple but they’re confident that with constant software updates and the appropriate Mac cleaning software, no Macs should be compromised.

If you have any further Mac security concerns, you could visit the Mac Keeper website.

So what do you want to target?

RAM -  Mac OS X usage of RAM is quite efficient. Applications generally dynamically adjust the amount of memory they use, even if all your RAM is actively in use. A virtual memory system allows Mac OS X to use a portion of the hard disk to extend RAM, automatically swapping data between the disk and the physical RAM as needed. But of course there is a limit. You should keep an eye on how much RAM is being used. If the free RAM drops near zero, close windows, quit applications, or even restarting. Better yet, add more RAM where possible.

Disk usage – Hard disk capacity is always rising, so you’re not likely to run out of space. Nevertheless, running out of space can yield severe consequences. As your hard disk approaches its maximum capacity, your Mac will run more slowly as files become fragmented. Or data could be lost as your Mac has no space to save a file. And even more seriously, your computer may hang, crash, or fail to start up if it runs out of physical RAM and disk space to use for virtual memory.

To be safe, leave at least 10 to 15 percent of your hard disk space empty to provide breathing room for file storage, virtual memory, disk image creation, and other tasks. When you reach this figure, you should, delete unneeded and unnecessary files, and archive unused files to CD, DVD, or external hard drives. Your downloads folder is a good place to start!

More on Mac Maintenance soon!

It’s fair to say that ‘generally speaking’ Mac users are well protected from spam, malware, trojens and the like, and hence ‘generally speaking’ there’s not much need for a Mac Cleaner that will protect you against such things. I use the ‘general speaking’ term very generally. Because there are exceptions. For example in June 2010, Mac antivirus software begun detecting the spyware called OSX/OpinionSpy. Typically this was inadvertently downloaded through MP3 converters and screensavers. It tracked personal data from safari and iChat. Of course there have been noted cases where Mac service representatives actually uploaded viruses and spyware onto Macs, but this is pretty extreme and hardly worth worrying about.

If you feel as though you really want a Mac Cleaner with anti virus or anti-spam capabilities, there are several on the market and are reasonably priced. Norton do a version (probably one of the better ones), however it’s not guaranteed to pick up everything. When you do start looking and eventually decide to download one, make sure it will remove blacklisted tracking cookies without removing saved usernames, passwords, and saved websites, as this is just a huge pain. Some such Mac Cleaners, will also offer to clean Internet browsers and offer complete privacy wipes by deleting caches, browsing histories etc. MacScan’s blacklisted cookie scanner allows users to quickly remove unwanted tracking cookies without disrupting saved information such as usernames, passwords, or preferences for websites.

Of course the ultimate way to prevent viruses on a Mac and often any computer, is to only use trusted websites and download only what you know is safe

There now appears to be a good number of Mac Cleaning products on the market. New software is being available all the time and it’s probably difficult to keep up with which software will clean your mac most effectively. There are some Mac software programs that are free and may just do the job you want it to do, however downloading from an unknown and potentially untrusted source can be dangerous to your Apple Mac health

Furthermore, the mac cleanings software you require, will depend somewhat on what you’re wanting to achieve. You might find that a simple and manual computer clean up of your Mac HD will be effective enough. Though if you’re not confident or tech savvy, then maybe purchasing mac cleaning software is better for you. For Mac applications relating to anti virus for mac, malware, and the like then you’re going to need something a little different from the standard Mac OS X software that cleanses your Mac of cookies, logs and history files. In such a case, purchasing a good quality and reputable Mac Cleaner is really worth the price. A few dollars may save you hours of work and lost files later down the track.

This Mac Cleaner Mac blog is going to be regular thing, so please stay tuned over the coming days and weeks for topics such as:

 -> Mac Spyware Cleaners

 -> Mac Antivirus

 -> Latest Mac OS X Lion cleaning software

 -> Mac Security

 -> More on Mac maintenance