Report: Apple Instructs Support Team Not to Help Users Infected with Mac Malware

Malware for Macs is a rare thing. Yet, in the security industry, digital or otherwise, there is one basic tenet to how bad guys think – they will go to where the richest bounty can be found. Even as the entire PC market shrinks, Mac computers sales are growing. That means they are becoming a more bountiful target for malware.

Apple does not seem to want you to know this. In recent weeks, a Trojan called Mac Defender has been infecting Mac computers through “poisoned” search links that installs the malware that scans for personal information on your computer, including credit card numbers. According to ZDNet, Apple has instructed members of its support team to avoid telling users how to rid computers of the malware.

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ZDNet reporter Ed Bott acquired the Apple document that outlines what support teams can and cannot do when handling a Mac Defender call. See below.

Sophos security analyst Chet Wisniewski weighed in on the matter on the company’s Naked Security blog; “Apple’s famous PR savvy apparently doesn’t apply to handling security incidents. It is genuinely tragic that such a large number of OS X users are falling victim to this scam, and Apple’s response is less than helpful.”

If these documents are real and Apple is indeed telling its support staff to avoid mentions of Mac Defender or how to get rid of it then it is a very curious move by the public relations staff of Cupertino. Apple is known for having good support, both from its technical lines and through its retail stores. The company likes to tout that Macs are safer from malware than PCs and acknowledging a legitimate piece of malware could be detrimental to burgeoning sales. Then again, frustrating users with inadequate support could do the same thing.

Another ZDNet reporter, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, posted a discussion with an Apple support technician and found the experience to be very helpful. Perhaps the technician was not up to date with the current Apple guidelines or was purposely ignoring them or Bott’s initial reports are inaccurate.

A security researcher told me once, “Macs are fundamentally no safer than PCs. The difference is that Windows controls a huge section of the market and hackers, who are lazy by nature, go where the numbers are. Macs are just not worth it.”

Unofficial Apple blog Tuaw has posted a guide to how to remove Mac Defender if you have downloaded it. Otherwise look for anti-virus applications (free or paid) such as from Sophos or Symantec to help rid your computer of the Trojan.

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