Apple releases Java patch to thwart virus
Source: Brett Molina
Apple launched a key security update earlier this week patching a hole in Java that left Mac owners exposed to malicious programs.
Ars Technica has the complete details, citing research from Russian antivirus company Dr. Web.
According to their report, an unpatched portion of Java left Mac users prone to the Flashback Trojan, which can turn the device into a computer bot.
Dr. Web claims more than half a million Macs have been infected, several of which include devices based in Cupertino, California, the home of Apple.
Apple has since patched the Java flaw (hat tip to The Verge), but for those users concerned they may have an infected Mac, security firm F-Secure has details on how to diagnose and fix the problem.
The attacks on Mac computers don't come as a surprise to antivirus firm McAfee, which warns users to stay vigilant by staying up to date on security software and Apple patches.
"Attackers are leveraging years of success from writing PC malware and they're doing the same thing in the Mac world," says Dave Marcus, director of advanced research and threat intelligence at McAfee Labs. "Cybercriminals will attack any operating system with valuable information, and as the popularity of Macs increase, so will attacks on the Mac platform."
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