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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, Dr. Bombay Computer Column: Wise Up and Guard Against Mac Attacks

Posted on: Thursday, 13 April 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Dr. Emilio Bombay, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

Apr. 13--Wise up and guard against Mac attacks

Dear Dr. Bombay: I have been told that a Mac computer cannot be infected with a virus. Is this information correct?

-- Misinformed

Dear Misinformed: So why are you asking me? No matter what I say about a Macintosh, every brainwashed Mac fanatic in the world will start flaming me far and wide, arguing -- and not without some validity -- that my head is full of mush.

The truth is, I don't like Macs and never did when I had to use them. I found the selection of software sadly lacking, the hardware overpriced and the interface too simplified. But that's neither here nor there. Each to his own, as the woman said while kissing her cow.

Now, here's what's going to get the Mac cult really stirred up: Yes, even the "impervious" Mac OS X is susceptible to viruses.

In case you haven't read the news lately, there have already been a couple of viruses that managed to sneak their way onto Macintoshes. By PC standards, that's some pretty lame hacking. After all, the bad guys have come up with thousands of nasty little surprises for PC owners. What are you guys waiting for?

I can understand why the disparity exists. Apple's operating system is based on Unix, which is inherently hard to goober up. On top of that, Apple's minuscule market share makes Macs a less attractive target for the weasels who thinks it's fun to mess with somebody else's computer. All operating systems can be exploited, but why go after 4 percent of computers instead of 96?

I really hope all of you Mac owners out there will break lockstep long enough to realize that there's a possibility -- however remote you may perceive it to be -- that you could become infected, because there's one thing all viruses, Mac or PCs, rely on: stupidity. Things like opening e-mail attachments without knowing what's in them, downloading "free" utilities that turn out to be trojans or running programs you don't know anything about. Don't think different, as the grammatically incorrect ad suggests. Think smart.

And with the release of Boot Camp, Apple's free utility that allows Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP, the risk of infection has skyrocketed exponentially. Not only can Mac users now run the thousands of software titles unavailable in Mac format, they also can get all the same viruses that we do. Welcome to the club, guys. Feel free to send me your XP questions.

In all the years I've used PCs, I've never gotten a virus, at least not one so bad that I had to rebuild the computer. That's because I never, ever use a computer without virus protection software. I don't like the added expense, the hassle of scanning or the slight drop in performance caused by the memory-resident portion of the software, but as long as there are dweebs out there who think they can impress people by attacking computers, it's something we all have to do.

Dear Dr. Bombay: I need help immediately. My computer has the Vundo trojan on it, and I went to the McAfee Web site to figure out how to get rid of it. All the instructions are written in technogeek language. Is there anywhere that tells how to get rid of this thing in language a regular person can understand? Or can you tell me how?

-- Helen of Troy

Dear Helen: Why is it always me? Didn't you just read that last letter? I have all those Mac guys to help now. This is all just too much. I need a vacation.

So while I'm sunning myself in the Bahamas, you'll have to fend for yourself. Look, I know the language you find at antivirus Web sites is convoluted, and the instructions always assume you know more about your computer than you do. But if I could learn to do it, anybody can. Believe me, I'm not that smart.

Vundo is a nasty one to get rid of. Antivirus software companies don't really have a handle on it, so a regular scan may not be able to kill it. For the time being at least, you'll have to fall back on manual removal to get rid of some infections.

But try this first: Download a couple of free removal tools from Symantec, FixVundo (securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/FixVundo.exe) and FxVmonde (securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/FxVMonde.exe). If you have Windows XP, disable System Restore (instructions are at support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310405) and restart the system in Safe Mode by pressing F8 as the computer reboots and choosing it from the menu.

Now run the removal tools and keep your fingers crossed. If it doesn't work, I'm sorry. You'll just have to keep Googling for a better solution. Someone hand me the cocoa butter.

Dear Dr. Bombay: I sent you an e-mail about one or two weeks ago requesting help. I don't read the local paper much because it isn't the best place to get good news. I would at least like an answer, as I need help. At least let me know if you got my request.

-- All About Me

Dear All: Sure, let me just drop everything I'm doing and concentrate on your piddly little problem, whatever it was. If you're not going to bother to read the newspaper, I'm not going to bother to help you. And unlike Santa Claus, I don't answer every letter I get, especially if the answer won't help a significant number of people.

Dear Dr. Bombay: First, let me tell you how much I look forward to your articles. ... I really learn a lot. Now, can you help me? My menu drop-down bar in Word is gone. It is still in Power Point, Excel and Access, but not in Word.

-- Kissup

Dear Kissup: Thank you. Go to support.microsoft.com/kb/291484, where you'll find full instructions for deleting the standard Word page template and restoring it. Yours has become corrupt. See? I can be nice when I want to.

-----

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Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)

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