FPR Blog 33: Own a Mac then read this because you're vulnerable.

NO SAY IT AIN'T SO. I don't want to believe it, but I have always wondered how.



Macs do not, I repeat do not get viruses. I have all sorts of computers and anything PC I keep offline. Part of my project's (fpr) work is done offline.




In my personal experience, PCs are better offline computers. Computers you would use for editing audio, video, writing and anything else you don't need to be online for and at the same time want complete security. Maybe I'm paranoid, but the only way I feel my files are completely secure is when they're stored offline. I do not trust this cloud thing.

I recommend carrying a small flash drive. I use a couple 64-gigabyte drives for my chrome.


My chrome has become my everything else computer. It's useless offline unless you get a simple text editor then you can at least write. The best part, you can save it to your flash drive. You're not obligated to store on your google drive. However, you're holding a piece of plastic if you have no internet.

Seriously, though, this chrome has been a treasure for my work. It's perfect for writers who need to post their work online quickly.

Now onto my macs. My precious, precious macs. My ultimate research computer. I can go anywhere online and not worry.

Thankfully I am a paranoid person so I don't go download and click link crazy. Nor do I porn surf so I've been very lucky. But, compared to a PC where looking at a facebook page will knock you out, the MAC is a Roman soldier at the height of power.

I guess like the Romans, macs will eventually, if not already be beaten too.

So why am I panicking and writing about this?

RT has reported that security consultants designed a worm that makes it very easy to penetrate.

The worm puts us at DEFCON 10. Just buying some ethernet cables on eBay put us mac users at risk.

I surfed around a bit just to make sure there were more sources. I found a lot of alternative media sites, blogs, forums and a couple of tweets.

I also found this article on Forbes.com by Tim Worstall on Mac's virus issues...

In 2013, Mac and Facebook were hacked. It was an internal issue having to do with a bad site and a hole in their javascript and it's since been plugged up. But, what he goes on to predict seems to be possible..

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/02/20/yes-apple-really-does-have-a-serious-problem-with-computer-viruses-and-malware/

By the way, not one mainstream media site popped up on any searches.

The research (worm) was conducted by two security consultants, Xeno Kovah, owner of LegbaCore, and Trammell Hudson, a security engineer with Two Sigma Investments in order to make sure this doesn't happen. But, just knowing that it's possible has me worried.

I guess it's like the military. You have to trust that they know what they're doing because we don't get attacked too often.

The researchers say that a hacker can attack a MacBook via a phishing email or a malicious website which contains the worm.

Once the worm is activated, the malware would look out for any peripherals connected to the computer. A peripheral would be an Ethernet adapter. Once something like that is connected to a network, you can kiss it goodbye.

The worm would eventually spread to any computer to which an adapter would be connected. Once that's connected, the worm writes malicious code to the firmware of the MacBook.

You wouldn't even have to click a bad link nor do you have to hit malicious sites to get infected. Buying an adapter on eBay or even from the manufacturer can open you up wide.

The consultants said that the worm was developed to showcase vulnerabilities in Apple devices.

Apple has been notified and says it has already fixed one type of vulnerability and partially patched another. Three are still unresolved.

I still believe in Macs. As scared as I am right now, deep down I feel Macs will not fail. Not anytime soon I hope.

I do have to say that I do not condone the way Apple products are manufactured. Some of these plants in Asian countries have young employees and they barely get paid.

For the money, an iPhone costs ($750.00) some of the manufacturing factories could be in the U.S... At least the ones sold here, which happens to be many.

Thanks for reading.

Blog by T. Clavero for Freedom Pop RadiO

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Email t@freedompopradio.com