Security

Question

Security

I have twice now received a message while working on my computer that says it is from Apple Security Center and that my computer is infected. It then lists a number of files that it says is infected? What is going on?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on May 9, 2011 5:36 AM

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Answer 1

May 9, 2011 7:30 AM in response to Community User

There're a batch of trojans out there trying to get your credit card info. Apple doesn't have such a service. When it appears, don't click any of the buttons, just quit your browser.

If you have interacted with the warning, check your Downloads folder for bogus AV installers (probably as .zip files)

Search the forums for MacDefender, MacProtect, MacSecurity to see how to deal with them.

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Answer 2

May 9, 2011 8:46 AM in response to Community User

I also saw this message, and it as very realistic.

The clues that told me it was fake:

* The message was a Safari window, not a "Apple Security Center" app.

* The numbers of affected files kept blinking to get my attention. Apple doesn't usually do that sort of thing.

I closed that window immediately.

I have a question for anybody who might know...

* The Safari window with the "Apple Security Center" warning listed the number of infected files on my hard drive -- and it displayed the top level of my finder window! Does this mean that my computer has already been infected in some way? Or is it normal behavior for a web site to be able to discover anything about the contents of my hard drive?

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Answer 3

May 9, 2011 9:19 AM in response to Community User

Thank you both! It was very odd to me.

I did call apple directly and as was said above- just close for force quit on safari. They had me look in my finder - system- library- startupitems folder to make sure there was nothing there and in my system preferences software update to make sure there was nothing there either.

It was so odd that they could see and display my top level of my finder window.

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