Re: [NTLK] [OT] Virus attacks on NTLK/Newton-related mailaccounts

From: Martin Joseph (martyNT_at_barknaturalpet.com)
Date: Fri Apr 16 2004 - 16:51:49 PDT


On Apr 16, 2004, at 1:53 PM, Peter H. Coffin wrote:

> On Fri, Apr 16, 2004 at 11:32:06AM -0700, Martin Joseph wrote:
>>
>> On Apr 16, 2004, at 10:48 AM, Joel M. Sciamma wrote:
>>>
>>> I see that Apple's market share is now down to 2.5% and take-up of
>>> Mac
>>> OS X
>>> is just 40% of the installed base - what self-respecting virus
>>> creator
>>> is
>>> going to bother having an impact on so few? ;-)
>>>
>> This is a dangerously wrong attitude:
>>
>> http://www.caida.org/analysis/security/witty/
>>
>> All platforms are potential targets although using "obsolete kit"
>> (macOS (preX))) is pretty safe :~)
>
> I'm curious as to what the attack vector to a Macintosh is for the
> Witty
> worm that you cite.
Witty didn't affect mac. It's an example of a virus that attacks a
small community though, much smaller then Mac in fact.
> <snip> There's probably more Windows
> machines "protected" by BlackICE on the net right now than there are
> Macs of *any* vintage connected.
>
Not even remotely close.

According the article I linked:

" the vulnerable population of the Witty worm was only about 12,000"

Can't say how many black ice installs and kin there are total as ISS
doesn't release that info, but I would bet heavily it's no where near
the number of macs Apple sells in a year (about 3.5M).

Marty

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