> No one claimed that this wasn't a "real" Trojan, and therefore I don't
> think anyone here needs "corroboration".

This just validates the fact that the care I take in deciding whether
or not to download a new piece of software is not misplaced paranoia.
Many Mac users are exactly like me.

> But it's a Trojan, which requires user interaction, downloading
> something manually, and expressly granting it administrative
> privileges to your machine.

Trojans are like that, the original "Trojan Horse" needed exactly the
same sort of "user" interaction to grant it easy access to the city of
Troy. All trojans require an invitation to get in! It is a betrayal of
the rules of hospitality.

> I'm just wondering about the future..every time there is a new
> manually executed trojan for Mac OS X, will there be a new post on
> focus-apple and a flood of articles in the IT and mainstream press
> about it?
>
Yes, we can expect this. there are great number of people who would
and do take great pleasure in seeing people or systems fail,
especially ones that have a good track record. I believe they should
seek professional help for this problem.

> We've had dozens of various pieces of malware for Mac OS X; every
> single one of them seems to get a vastly inordinate amount of
> attention, usually followed up with a bunch of commentary about how
> those smug Mac users will finally have to "admit" that their platform
> isn't invulnerable.

We've always known we're vulnerable, the people who will take pleasure
in seeing Apple stumble and fall will never admit that Mac users can
and are careful and wise users of their systems.

> When will this stop? When Mac OS X has has at least much malware as
> Windows?

Of course it won't stop then, they will just add "We told you so" and
gloat. I do not take any pleasure in seeing the problems Windows users
have with their systems. I ran Windows along side my Mac for about 5
years just so I could learn the OS and know what it was like to feel
that vulnerable. Its not fun ... and yes, I messed up several times.
That's one reason I decided to stick with what I liked best and with
what I knew to be more secure than other systems.

The best we can do is to continue talking sanely about security on a
platform we (or most of us) like a lot. We do not have to give in or
take part in the stupidity out there. Mac users are not the only ones
to get this treatment. Linux gets its share of it, mostly from those
who do not know enough technically speaking to be writing about it. So
you take it for what its worth. Nothing.

So, chin up! From what I've seen Leopard is a great system with a few
flaws ... but there are always flaw and we knew there would be. Within
a few months I will install Leopard myself feeling no sense of worry
despite what the cynics are going to say. They'll say it no matter
what.

cheers,
David

--
David Fedoruk
B.Mus. UBC,1986
Certificate in Internet Systems Administration, UBC, 2003

http://recordjackethistorian.wordpress.com
"Music is enough for one's life time, but one life time is not enough
for music" Sergei Rachmaninov

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