OT: Mac Security/Privacy Problems

If any Mac users among you who like I use the popular utilities Dr Cleaner, Dr Antivirus, and App Uninstall owned by Micro Trend please be advised that Apple has booted these anti-malware tools from its App Store after it was discovered that browser data was siphoned off to outside servers.

States The Register, UK, today: “Mac security guru Patrick Wardle noted last week that in addition to the advertised functions of removing adware and malware from Macs, the software also collected people’s personal data including their browsing history, then transmitted that data as a password-protected archive to a server on the internet,” https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/09/10/trend_micro_apple_m….

Mac Security guru Patrick Wardle noted on September 7th that Trend Micro stole user data, https://objective-see.com/blog/blog_0x37.html and Privacy first tweeted the same concerns the following day https://twitter.com/privacyis1st/status/1038391377938341894.

Apple supposedly vets all apps appearing in the App Store. Obviously, Trend Micro, a Japanese multinational cyber security and defense company founded in Los Angeles, California with global headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, a R&D center in Taipei, Taiwan, was not properly vetted and was able to circumvent Apple’s own security protections.

I uninstalled Dr. Cleaners immediately after reading the above.

If you use any Apple devices, s.a. iPhone, Tablet, be aware that the GuardianApp “has discovered that a growing number of iOS apps have been used to covertly collect precise location histories from tens of millions of mobile devices, using packaged code provided by data monetization firms,” https://guardianapp.com/ios-app-location-report-sep2018.html….

I usually turn off location services GPS, Blue-tooth, and WiFi on my iPhone since I resent this type of predatory capitalism where everyone makes money off my name, data, etc. without my knowledge or consent. Since buying my house, I get swamped by unwanted mail and the email address I gave to the Escrow company gets up to 60 pieces of spam a day. Everyone involved in the home purchase has assured me they did not pass it on. I suspect the predatory locusts scoured public records. After living in Germany for a decade, a country with privacy laws almost as strict as Switzerland’s, I have trouble adjusting to this type of capitalism that violates my rights.

I will switch to ProtonMail, incorporated in Switzerland, a country with very strict privacy laws where all servers are located. Proton Mail was founded in 2013 by scientists working for the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva. According to ProtonMail “All emails are secured automatically with end-to-end encryption. This means even we cannot decrypt and read your emails. As a result, your encrypted emails cannot be shared with third parties,” https://protonmail.com. I have studied a good number of reviews and believe this is one of the best email options. Google Mail is one of the worst data miners and privacy gurus recommend not using it if you value your privacy. The same goes for Google Chrome.

Stay safe,

im

14 Likes

I downloaded Norton pop up blocker on my iPads as I kept getting this notice click here you have won some Amazon thing or other. You cannot even go backwards from there but you have to close the browser window. Norton has blocked it out.

I do not have any antivirus or malware program on my MacBook, but I might download a name brand one that I trust if the computer starts to behave funny.

Tinker

I presume the Norton app would also work for an iPhone? I also once a week or so get this Amazon thing pop up…

Have a link Tinker to this actual app? Appreciate it…

Just go to the App Store and look up Norton. There will be 3 or 4 different products and the ad blockers is the one. I have it on two iPAds now and will move it to my third iPad and my phone when the issue pops up again on those devices. it is free and since it is Norton I assume it will not hurt my device but I will probably get peppered with upselling offers or the like. So far nothing, but only been a few days.

Tinker

you guys mind taking this offline or to any multitude of boards devoted to computer/security?

best,
Ethan

6 Likes

Here are some boards that might be more appropriate for this discussion.

http://discussion.fool.com/apple-users-group-112965.aspx?mid=340…

http://discussion.fool.com/apple-ios-help-119738.aspx?mid=339932…

Wiseguy

4 Likes

I do not have any antivirus or malware program on my MacBook, but I might download a name brand one that I trust if the computer starts to behave funny.

Hi Tinker,

My Mac guy turned me onto an anti-malware product called Malwarebytes for Mac. Works great. I scan once a week for malware, which takes a minute. I have never been infected with a live virus, but over the last few years the software did isolate several malware files that had infiltrated my system. It asked if I wanted those files deleted, I said yes, they were immediately gone. I run the weekly scans on all my computers.

Vivienne

4 Likes

Sorry about that.

I know a number of posters here use Apple devices. I did not expect any comments. Anyone who wants to comment, please go here where I cross-posted the above:

Apple User Group, http://discussion.fool.com/mac-securityprivacy-problem-34004122…

and Apple iOS Help, http://discussion.fool.com/mac-securityprivacy-problem-34004124…

Thanks for the links, Wiseguy

im

2 Likes