[X4U] Flashback Followup

[Shawn King]

On Apr 8, 2012, at 2:59 AM, Randy B. Singer wrote:

> While I have no doubt that Flashback is real, and that it is a good idea to do all that you can to protect yourself from it, I'm beginning to think that much of this scare was hype invented by anti-virus software firms in Russia, from whom the original report eminated.

And you'd be wrong.

> Some research on the Web turns up reports that the "600,000 infected machines" written about may not have necessarily been Macs.

And that "research" is likely wrong.

> The problem is that when there is a panic about a new virus, there will always be a few folks who aren’t deep thinkers who will rush to tell you that they have been infected

And there are many people who *are* "deep thinkers" who do think about these things and have reported seeing the trojan in the wild.

> Also, the media has reported that “security experts” have confirmed that Flashback is a huge threat. There is a problem with consulting with security experts. I call it the “to a hammer, everything looks like a nail” problem. These are folks who have been trained to recognize the millions of viruses that exist for Windows.

Except for the Macintosh Security experts I spoke to.

> To them, everything in the entire world is a huge security threat. I've never heard of a security expert who has said: " Just relax; start worrying if and when there are verifiable reports of computers being infected."

Just because you've never heard of them, doesn't mean they are not out there. I interviewed one on Friday about exactly this issue:
<http://yourmaclifeshow.com/inthenews/2012/04/06/interview-rich-mogull-discussing-flashback-trojan>

> I wouldn't be surprised if, after all is said and done, that not a single one of us will be infected by Flashback, and not a single one of us will know anyone first-hand who has been infected by it.

Wrong again.

> Macworld now has an article about Flashback:
> <http://www.macworld.com/article/1166254/what_you_need_to_know_about_the_flashback_trojan.html>

Didn't you just say, "There is a problem with consulting with security experts." The guy who wrote that article, and who I interviewed, is the foremost Mac Security expert in the community.

> I hope that you find this message useful.

Not particularly.
-- 
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com