Free Macintosh Viruses Research Paper Sample

Most people believe that Macintosh or Mac computers are impenetrable and are virus-free, unlike others that run on other operating systems like Windows. But, that is not the case at all. Mac, just like Windows can be infected with viruses. It is just that mac computers have way more reliable security and the hackers are more familiar with the platform that Windows use. Mac and Windows have fundamentally different operating systems. Nowadays, Mac computer systems are built from one of the oldest and most reliable operating systems, Unix Kernel (Computer Hope, n.d.). But this doesn't immediately imply that they are invincible against viruses. Since there are relatively less mac users, the viruses that can affect them are less likely to spread. It can also be that macs have stored viruses when they came in contact with Windows. Also, anyone that is connected to the Internet can be infected with viruses through third-party applications.
Viruses, as they are programs instead, can break into anyone’s computer as they are meant to run programs. They multiply to affect more users. Recently, mac users feared that they are not safe from these viruses anymore. In 2011, a virus called Mac Defender is introduced as an application. This Trojan virus will enable pop-up ads that won’t cease until you buy the fake software (Haggit, n.d.). The most recent attack on macs happened last year, when hackers found a loophole in the Apple’s security flaw and made the virus called iWorm. This infected almost 18,000 macs that used Reddit to gain server addresses in order to remotely control the affected computers (Halleck, 2014).
When you fear a malware, you start defending your computer by installing anti-virus programs that will help you detect and kill those. Most mac users might start doing this by getting free anti-virus applications. But soon, when the hackers are more familiar with the mac platform, they will start to make complicated viruses that might make you buy the legitimate copy of the application to keep your mac safe.
The bottom line of all of this, Mac computers are relatively safer from every other computer but they are not 100% safe. Anyone that has a computer or laptop must be very careful with the connections they are making and the things that they are inserting to their computers.

References

Computer Hope. (n.d.). Do Apple Macs get viruses?. Retrieved from http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000737.htm
Haggit, C. (n.d.). Can Macs get viruses?. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/macs/can-macs-get-viruses.htm
Halleck, T. (2014, October). Mac Virus Lets Hackers Control Thousands of Computers, Through Reddit. IBT Media Inc. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/mac-virus-lets-hackers-control-thousands-computers-through-reddit-1699227