Anticipating that Macs will take up around 15% of the computer industry relatively soon, Panda Security believes Mac owners need to have a reliable antivirus solution at hand, for when Mac OS X really starts to pique the interest of cyber-crooks.The new
antivirus available for Mac OS X users from Panda Security (“the cloud security company”) is simply, and appropriately called Panda Antivirus for Mac.
According to its makers, this new solution “delivers comprehensive protection against malware affecting Mac OS and Mac OS X”, and also prevents Mac users from transmitting malware to those running Windows or Linux.
What the software does is it scans files and email, detecting and eliminating or blocking many types of threats, including viruses, Trojans, spyware, keyloggers, adware, hacking tools, botnets, dialers, scareware and other threats that have traditionally targeted Windows users.
Simply put, it’s a complete solution for those who believe it’s better to stay on the safe side, despite the general impression that Macs are somewhat immune to malware.
Even though Windows has the spotlight, Panda is predicting that once Macs gain around 15% of the computer market, Mac OS X will suddenly become much more attractive for hackers.
“We are approaching a tipping point, where it will soon be financialy [sic] viable for cybercriminals to target their efforts at Mac users,” says Ivan Fermon, senior vice president of product management, Panda Security.
“When Apple reaches 15 percent marketshare worldwide, which Panda expects will happen very soon, we predict that hackers will begin to aggressively target attacks against this platform. The rapid increase in use of Apple-powered devices – iPhones, iPods, iPads – is also making the Mac platform a much more attractive target.”
In addition to protecting Macs, Panda Antivirus for Mac also scans iPhone, iPad and iPod devices.
“We receive an average of 55,000 new threats every day at PandaLabs. Hackers are always looking to profit from their activity, which is why there are so many different examples of malware,” said Luis Corrons, technical director, PandaLabs.
“Until recently, Apple users were not an attractive target for hackers because the number of potential victims was so small compared to Windows,” Corrons notes.
“But now the market is changing and with Apple’s global reach, the numbers are becoming more financially appealing for cybercriminals,” he adds.
Panda Antivirus for Macintosh is available today from
Panda Security’s website. The software costs $49.95 for a one-year license, including updates, upgrades, and online technical support.
A trial version is available for download as well.
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