14 DAY TRIAL // Softpedia has scored an interview with Mr. Ondřej Vlček, chief technology officer at Avast Software, and learned that the software vendor is planning the release of a free antivirus solution for Mac OS X amid a growing concern regarding malware targeting the Apple user base.
The interview covers a number of important topics, like the company's new product line, avast! 6, attacks on unsecured public wireless networks, and plans for Android solutions.
Most importantly for readers of our Apple news section, our IT Security editor was careful to ask about AVAST’s plans with the Macintosh.
Asked by Softpedia whether he saw Mac malware taking off, amid recent reports of Mac RAT trojans emerging, Vlček said:
“Yes, we see more of these. We definitely see more malware, more attacks, on the Mac platform and the Mac browser, Safari. And also malware distributed as .dmg installation packages. It is slowly taking off.”
The security expert admitted that Mac malware was nowhere near Windows malware in terms of real threat / popularity, “but the potential is there,” he said.
“Right now, worldwide, Mac OS is probably still on below 10% of home computers. On the other hand, I think, statistically richer people tend to buy more Macs.”
He went to elaborate saying that, since Macs are more prevalent in richer families, “attackers might have a monetary interest, like going after people with more money so they can steal more from their credit cards, etc..”
Vlček then revealed to Softpedia that AVAST Software is rolling out an antivirus specifically targeting the Mac.
“There is definitely a change and we will be releasing a new Mac product quite soon,” he said, but did not mention what it would be called.
“The beta should go out in just a few weeks and it will be a free product that will provide like real-time protection,” Vlček told our security news guy.
Asked to detail the functionality, Vlček said it will have a full-featured Web Shield.
“It's an HTTP proxy independent of the browser. It scans all scripts, all iframes and all binaries that get downloaded and is able to stop all malicious sites, including the already blacklisted ones, of course,” he explained.
All in all, most elements comprising the forthcoming Mac-centric solution from AVAST will have to be the equivalent of those in the Windows environment, therefore “should keep Mac OS users safe.”
The program will also detect Windows malware, so that Mac users don’t pass on anything to their PC buddies.