1. How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware by Apple Support
A recent phishing scam has targeted Mac users by redirecting them from legitimate websites to fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus. The user is then offered Mac Defender “anti-virus” software to solve the issue. This “anti-virus” software is malware (i.e. malicious software). Its ultimate goal is to get the user’s credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes.
The most common names for this malware are MacDefender, MacProtector and MacSecurity.
2. Apple to issue Mac OS X update ‘in the coming days’ to remove malware by 9to5Mac
Apple has announced in a new support document that an update to Mac OS X will be issued in “the coming days” to find and squash malware. This malware comes through supposed anti-virus software that is actually built to steal private information like credit card numbers.
3. Remove Mac Defender (Uninstall Guide) by bleepingcomputer
Mac Defender is a fake rogue anti-spyware program that for the Mac OS operating system. This infection is spread through the use of advertisements on web sites that pretend to be fake online scanners. When these fake scans are finished, it will state that your computer is infected and then automatically download the Mac Defender program onto your computer. Once the program has finished downloading, the installer will start and prompt you to install the program.
4. MAC Defender Rogue Anti-Virus Analysis and Removal by SFGate
SecureMac reports that a new privacy and security threat is targeting computers running Apple’s Mac OS X disguised as an anti-virus program called MAC Defender. The rouge anti-virus program will “detect” nonexistent threats as being present on the user’s system in an effort to persuade them to hand over their credit card information and purchase a “subscription” to the program. If that doesn’t do enough to convince the user to buy the fake anti-virus program, it will start popping up pornographic websites to create an actual problem on the system
