 |
In a transcript of the call, the unnamed AppleCare rep went on to say the policy was in place to avoid setting an expectation that the centre would be able to remove all malware in the future.
"EB: So you are supposed to tell them that the Terms of Service don’t allow you to help them remove it, and they should … what?
"AC: Well, in the agreement for AppleCare, it does state we don’t help with malware. However, just because we’re told we’re not to help people get rid of it, most of us do."
The report also reveals that despite Apple (predictably) downplaying the threat, the number of people falling for the Mac Defender (and all its variants) ruse is increasing. The rep estimated 50 percent of calls pertained to the malware.
It seems that Mac Defender's success stems from two origins: that Mac owners are often lead to believe that their computers are impervious to viruses (rather than just a less-likely target for the writers of malware/viruses) and; Mac Defender's professional-looking design.
The programme needs your admin password to run, so if you download it but don't install it all that's needed is to drag the file to trash.
If you have already installed it, try the following steps courtesy of macrumors.com:
If that still doesn't work, you might want to consider a real anti-virus programme like something like ESET Nod32's new Mac software, check it out here.1. Open Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor and quit any processes linked to MACDefender.
2. Delete MACDefender from the Applications folder.
3. Check System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items for suspicious entries
4. Run a Spotlight search for "MACDefender" to check for any associated files that might still be lingering.
