Home » Archives » January 2009 » Dear Idiots: Don't Pirate Software. [Previous entry: "Oliver's Update"] [Next entry: "blog.ohTwentyone.com Visually"] 01/26/2009: "Dear Idiots: Don't Pirate Software."
There's a lot in the news lately about a new Mac virus. Firstly, it's not a virus. It's a trojan. It can't spread on a network or via disk. You have to download it.

Second, it's not new. It's the same one that was rolling around 6 months ago, which was the same one as a year before that. It exploits a security hole that was plugged long ago. Do your updates, kids.

It also requires that you input your admin password in order to install it. So, it's not nearly as dangerous as the bazillion viruses out there for Windows, but it is really dangerous if you're the type to pirate software.

Here's what's up:
• First you download pirated iWork '09 or Adobe CS4 installers from a torrent site.
• Second, you run said installers.
• Third, you input your admin username and password, as you would expect to do while installing software. Especially CS4.
• Fourth, your Mac gets taken over by hackers.

The most annoying part of all of this is that Windows people will be all "Your Mac isn't so hot now, is it?" when really, the people who will get this Trojan would have gotten it on a Mac or PC, or any other computer system they use. The biggest threat to computer security remains between the keyboard and chair, regardless of OS.

Also - It really makes me sad to know that there are Mac users out there torrenting copies of really great, and really cheap, Apple products like iWork instead of just ponying up the $80, and compromising the reputation of the platform in the process. Especially when there is pretty nice, free, well-supported AntiVirus software for the mac out there.