Not even a techno-religion is immune from security snafus, as the folks at Apple are steadily discovering. After years of watching the bad guys use crimeware kits like Zeus against Microsoft, the iGang finally got a malware construction tool to call its own in May of this year. Modeled on the ubiquitous Zeus, the new Apple OS X crimeware kit consists of a builder, an admin panel, encryption support, and the ability to steal browser forms, according to the Danish researchers at CSIS, who first encountered the malware tool. And if that wasn’t enough, in July, security researcher and Apple expert Charlie Miller found a way to completely disable the batteries on Apple laptops, making them permanently unusable. The method, which involves accessing and sending instructions to the processor and firmware resident on Apple’s “smart” batteries, could also be used for more malicious purposes down the road, Miller warned.
Think Safer
Not even a techno-religion is immune from security snafus, as the folks at Apple are steadily discovering. After years of watching the bad guys use crimeware kits like Zeus against Microsoft, the iGang finally got a malware construction tool to call its own in May of this year.
