New Malware concerns?

According to the article they can hack my camera and microphone - but only if I am using them at the time?

http://thehackernews.com/2016/10/ma...Security+Blog)&_m=3n.009a.1339.fe0ao06xsz.s9e

Since I never use them and even if they did hack them all they could see or hear are an old couple creaking around, I am sure they would be bored to death.

Lisa

Don't forget to wear your tin foil bonnet when you're anywhere near WiFi!

Cute! And it smashes my hair and ruins the look so I gave up my tin foil hats! ;D

Lisa

I hope they hack mine and see my ugly mug when I first get up in the morning. It might scare them!

lclev said:

According to the article they can hack my camera and microphone - but only if I am using them at the time?
… … …
Lisa

Click to expand...

I can't see any reason they'd even want to bother with any of our Macs or iDevices and they'd probably just die of boredom if they did… what a bore and waste of time that would be for them…



- Patrick
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It's allright for you Lisa! Down Under they reckon it can make you sterile!

At my and my husband's age sterility is a blessing - it's senility that is a worry! Still not too worried about someone watching and recording our happenings. If they are that desperate and bored .... seriously??

Lisa

Which statement is correct in that article?

The bad news for Mac users is that malware targeting webcams and microphones has now come up for Mac laptops as well.

Click to expand...

Patrick Wardle...discovered a way for Mac malware to tap into your live feeds from Mac's built-in webcam and microphone to locally record you even without detection.

Click to expand...

I am guessing the 2nd statement is the correct one.

Sounds to me like there is one individual that has figured out how to do this and it is not something that has been seen in the wild.
Thus, just more scaremongering of something that is not a threat to the masses.
It also sounds to me like he waited until after he had developed his own software to combat his own piece of malware before even reporting it.

Of course, before the hole even has the possiblity of being patched, he's now going to show the world how to do it, thus creating the need for his own software.

This seems to be a pretty common theme to me related to OS X.
Make something where there is nothing.
Create a reason for Mac owners to have to start paying the A/V companies.

bobtomay said:

Sounds to me like there is one individual that has figured out how to do this and it is not something that has been seen in the wild.
Thus, just more scaremongering of something that is not a threat to the masses.
It also sounds to me like he waited until after he had developed his own software to combat his own piece of malware before even reporting it.

Of course, before the hole even has the possibility of being patched, he's now going to show the world how to do it, thus creating the need for his own software.

This seems to be a pretty common theme to me related to OS X.
Make something where there is nothing.
Create a reason for Mac owners to have to start paying the A/V companies.

Click to expand...

Except what he is offering is free. It is basically code that triggers a warning if the camera or mic is being used. He is not advocating A/V.

Whether it is a problem or just another scare is really up to the individual to determine for themselves. I say this given I have yet to convince my girlfriend who covers her camera with tape - clear tape....that the government is not spying on her through her computer camera. I personally believe given my incredibly slow internet, if they hack my camera or mic they will become as frustrated as me with my service and just give up. I do believe it is an "in the wild" issue but I found it interesting and something to be aware of.

Lisa