I have got a Mac, and I could never get a virus, I am far too smug for that to happen... Just like I have got a Diesel car and I will always pay far less for fuel than you sad petrol users...


Oh.

Andrea, Kent, UK

To those with their heads in the sand like Dave, Cleveland, how does that work when you have major security flaws like in the Safari browser which would allow files to run automatically (a default setting)? And that is just the tip of the iceberg, there is more to come as vx'ers change their methods

Mark C, Antwerpen, Belgïe

One last point. Windows malware has the same issues. Generally it takes an idiot to actually open or run something before the virus/trojan will be installed/executed. That stupidity transcends all platforms, and the article says as much.

Mark C, Antwerpen, Belgïe

Funny how a Mac was the first machine to fall at a hackers convention recently. When asked why they targeted the mac they said "we knew it would be the easist to compromise".

Mac users are still in la la land. Obscurity was your main defense and that is going away.

James, Tallahassee,

The real issue is that many private sector organizations either do not take this threat seriously or are not willing to spend the time and money to build adequate systems security. Every computer on the network is a potential weapon waiting to be loaded and used.

Kevin Coleman, Technolytics, Pittsburgh, USA

Beware of security flaws that are reported by those who make a profit by selling you software or services! If there were any real power to this so called malware, there would be huge headlines about it, not some obscure note from those hoping to scare you in to using their software or services.

Cliff, Seattle, USA

Mac is like an island country. It has defenses in place, yet could be invaded. However, the guard is alert, the enemy is known, and the will to protect is strong.

Richard L Sharp, Ocala, United States

I doubt MAC users are quivering in their boots over this, MAC is a very secure platform.

I surf the web quite happily on a PC without anti-virus - making the switch to Linux definitely has its advantages. :)

Jonathon Staples, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Have these viruses actually spread in the wild? That is the important thing. There have been hundreds of viruses written to attack Linux, Unix, and Unix based Macs before, but none have been able to spread in the wild before because of the vastly more secure permissions model in Unix based systems.

SPM, Cambridge,

PCs and Macs are now part of our daily lives, I find it pariculary worrring that neither Microsoft or Apple have taken a hard look at their respective OS's to make them safe from hackers, I sometimes fell it in their interest to allow what is in effect badly written code that make the OS vunerable.

WHUNTE, Croydon, UK

I must say that 3 identified virses for the Mac is worrying but hardly a "trend" you need to counter this with figures for the PC. Say, 15,000 virses for the PC in the same timeframe? (I was told there is something like 1000 new items of Malware for the PC a week).

andyp, Farnham, UK

Clive from Bristol I have a windows XP also with antivirus and firewall ad like you I have not had a problem

chris, Leeds,

There are zero Mac viruses in the wild.
They exist in laboratories and require the user's action to have any affect (as Dave mentioned in the first comment).

Steve, New York City, USA

For a trojan to affect a Mac you have to make 3 mistakes as a user. First you have to be tricked into downloading it, then you have to actually install the program, THEN you have to enter your admin password for it to make any changes to your system. At that point you deserve what you get.

Dave, Cleveland,

I don't think there any viruses attacking OS X. And I'm not sure how many of these trojans have appeared in the wild...

S C Cheese, Garsington, Oxfordshire

Wow, three viruses already. The Mac is surely doomed. Luckily I have professional antivirus and firewall software on my Macs.

clivex, Bristol, England