• How I became a Mac security researcher

    From David Brooks@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jun 8 17:12:04 2022
    XPost: alt.computer.workshop

    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:- https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From John Hill@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Wed Jun 8 17:57:14 2022
    XPost: alt.computer.workshop

    David Brooks <DGB@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:- https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/


    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.

    J.

    --
    Winning isn't everything, but losing isn't anything - Snoopy.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Wolffan@21:1/5 to John Hill on Wed Jun 8 15:08:18 2022
    XPost: alt.computer.workshop

    On 08 Jun 2022, John Hill wrote
    (in article <t7qntq$mveh$1@dont-email.me>):

    David Brooks <DGB@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:- https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old,

    the vile one likes to exhume long-dead posts
    and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.

    the vile one likes to link to malware


    J.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to John Hill on Wed Jun 8 21:21:29 2022
    XPost: alt.computer.workshop

    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <DGB@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other >> times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/


    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.

    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware
    software to be installed on Apple devices.

    --
    I was pleased to learn today that things have become a little easier for
    you at home. 🙂

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From whisky-dave@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Thu Jun 9 06:53:45 2022
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got >> into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With >> a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂 >>
    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/


    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .


    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware
    software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.

    Then it's to find out if such software works and what other impact it might have on Apple OS.

    I know people die from shark attacks but I haven't as yet built myslef or bought a commercail shark cage for protection,
    and I have seen the film sharknado 3 headed shark attack and 7 headed shark attack.
    Which is also why I don't wear a bikini, especailly on a beach , that's just asking for trouble.
    ;-)



    --
    I was pleased to learn today that things have become a little easier for
    you at home. 🙂

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to whisky-dave on Thu Jun 9 16:20:46 2022
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my >>>> views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other >>>> times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got >>>> into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why >>>> my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With >>>> a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂 >>>>
    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/


    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .

    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)

    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware
    software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.

    What do YOU believe?

    Then it's to find out if such software works and what other impact it might have on Apple OS.

    I know people die from shark attacks but I haven't as yet built myslef or bought a commercail shark cage for protection,
    and I have seen the film sharknado 3 headed shark attack and 7 headed shark attack.
    Which is also why I don't wear a bikini, especailly on a beach , that's just asking for trouble.
    ;-)

    I love the way your mind functions, Dave! :-D

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From whisky-dave@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Mon Jun 13 05:54:51 2022
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my >>>> views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the >>>> first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why >>>> my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a >>>> rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware >>>> researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/


    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware
    software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Then it's to find out if such software works and what other impact it might have on Apple OS.

    I know people die from shark attacks but I haven't as yet built myslef or bought a commercail shark cage for protection,
    and I have seen the film sharknado 3 headed shark attack and 7 headed shark attack.
    Which is also why I don't wear a bikini, especailly on a beach , that's just asking for trouble.
    ;-)
    I love the way your mind functions, Dave! :-D

    :-D

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to whisky-dave on Mon Jun 13 15:21:53 2022
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my >>>>>> views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the >>>>>> first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why >>>>>> my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a >>>>>> rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware >>>>>> researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With >>>>>> a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂 >>>>>>
    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/


    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware
    software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html


    <snip>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From whisky-dave@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Mon Jun 13 08:54:40 2022
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the >>>>>> first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a >>>>>> rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware >>>>>> researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has >>>> been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware >>>> software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.
    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html


    <snip>

    Not really.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to whisky-dave on Mon Jun 13 22:59:51 2022
    On 13/06/2022 16:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my >>>>>>>> views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the >>>>>>>> first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why >>>>>>>> my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a >>>>>>>> rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware >>>>>>>> researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has >>>>>> been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware >>>>>> software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html

    Not really.

    How DO you check that /your/ Mac has not been compromised in any way?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From whisky-dave@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Tue Jun 14 02:44:02 2022
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 22:59:54 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 16:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>> On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the >>>>>>>> first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a >>>>>>>> rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has >>>>>> been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware >>>>>> software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html
    Not really.

    How DO you check that /your/ Mac has not been compromised in any way?

    I don't check. I don;t check for aliens moving my tape measure or phone.
    You see those that set up cameras in the house to detect such things seem to always find them.

    I have had a very distressed friend coming over to my place as he believed that aliens had come to his flat
    and beamed out the contents of one can of larger (he had left 3 cans in the fridge) he had this empty can that hadn't been opened
    in a locked case as evidence. He took it out and showed me yes I agree there was no sign anyone had opened it.
    He placed it underwater and said that if it had leaked air bubbles would come out, and they didn't, so there was his proof.
    I said it was probbbaly an error at the filling factory , he said that isn't possible they check.
    I asked if he checked when he picked up the 4 pack did it feel any lighter than normal, he said he didn't notice.
    I asked him why would aliens travel so far and for just one can of lager why not take the other 3s contents.
    After rejecting all my comments and noticing his stress levels increasing.
    I advised him to contact his mental health advisor at homerton
    hospital (the person named on the card he was given on his previous appointment) taking his evidence with him.
    Which he did at around 2am, and I went to bed.
    The next day he was much calmer and had forgotten all about his alien lager abduction.
    It's like it just never happened.


    A month or so later a knock on my door about midnight, he wanted my help and there was no one else he knew that had a good camera.
    So could I take a photo with a knife in a pose of himself and rat in my garden he'd just killed in his house and print it out for him. So he could put it up in his
    flat as a warning to any rats that may think about entering his flat.
    I said no, it'll frighten the neigbours.
    ---------------

    So what I'm asking is that you provide any instances of how malware has arrived on a mac and then what effect it had
    on the computer or the person using it and in what way. Then I'll see if there's a product I can buy that will stop it happening to me.
    A porn site offering free photos provided you give your bank account details, name, address, Just for proof of age no money willl be taken from your account,
    does not apply or concern me.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    When I got the email below I did not reply to it either.
    I just kept in it a draft for future amusment.
    --------------
    Subject: Join The Great Illuminati Brotherhood Now
    I am Maester, Sire Bobby Hilton a brother from the Illuminati brotherhood Ontario District, I'm inviting you to Join the Great Illuminati Brotherhood Organization now to become a Billionaire, For Fame, Power, Business, Lucrative Position, Each new member
    will receive $10,000,000 00 USD as benefit, $100,000.00 USD as monthly payment and A New house in any country of your choice. and also a Golden Mercedes Benz- SUV 2022 MODEL , if you are interested reply via ..........

    I mean just ONE country how can they expect me to decide on just ONE country when there's so many,
    and I wanted a metalic purple SUV, Gold is just so crass.
    _________________

    Please let me know if you'd like Sire Bobby Hilton email addrress and I'll send it to you.
    Please supply your name address and bank account details so I know it's you :-)



    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to whisky-dave on Tue Jun 14 12:29:08 2022
    On 14/06/2022 10:44, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 22:59:54 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 16:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>>>> On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the >>>>>>>>>> first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a >>>>>>>>>> rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has >>>>>>>> been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware >>>>>>>> software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html
    Not really.

    How DO you check that /your/ Mac has not been compromised in any way?

    I don't check.

    OK ;-)

    I'm delighted to learn that you, too, believe that what's claimed here
    is bullshit! https://www.clamxav.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From whisky-dave@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Tue Jun 14 08:37:49 2022
    On Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 12:29:11 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 14/06/2022 10:44, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 22:59:54 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 16:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>>>> On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know. >>>>>>>>>>
    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware >>>>>>>> software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html
    Not really.

    How DO you check that /your/ Mac has not been compromised in any way?

    I don't check.
    OK ;-)

    I'm delighted to learn that you, too, believe that what's claimed here
    is bullshit! https://www.clamxav.com

    I"ve never said anything about that site I've never claimed it's bullshit or any other type of shit, as I have no idea.

    In the past I've used littlesnitch but gave up on it because I was spending too much time worrying about what was happening
    behind the scenes of what software does especailly google stuff.

    I was asked by someone that worked for norton whether I'd like to join their team for writing anti-virus software.
    This was in the late 90s, but I had little or no interest in such a things so declined the offer.

    Today and for the forseable future If I had a habit of going on porn sites or 'sharing' the latest music and films via downloads or torrents whether the dark web or not
    I may well think of buying such a product(s) but more likely to download it for free via a torrent anyway.
    Just like an airbag will stop me from serious injury, but not having a car and rarely travling in one I don't see a need for buying one.
    That goes for wearing a life jacket too, but if on a boat at sea I sould do, or even on a canel, and I cross regents canal at least once per day.


    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to whisky-dave on Tue Jun 14 23:08:33 2022
    On 14/06/2022 16:37, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 12:29:11 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 14/06/2022 10:44, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 22:59:54 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 16:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>>>> On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>>>>>> On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know. >>>>>>>>>>>>
    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>>>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has >>>>>>>>>> been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware >>>>>>>>>> software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html
    Not really.

    How DO you check that /your/ Mac has not been compromised in any way?

    I don't check.
    OK ;-)

    I'm delighted to learn that you, too, believe that what's claimed here
    is bullshit! https://www.clamxav.com

    I"ve never said anything about that site I've never claimed it's bullshit or any other type of shit, as I have no idea.

    That site claims that protection is essential if you operate an Apple
    computer.

    You've said that /you/ take NO preventative measures.

    That's a dichotomy.

    In the past I've used littlesnitch but gave up on it because I was spending too much time worrying about what was happening
    behind the scenes of what software does especailly google stuff.

    I was asked by someone that worked for norton whether I'd like to join their team for writing anti-virus software.
    This was in the late 90s, but I had little or no interest in such a things so declined the offer.

    You probably have been bored silly.

    Today and for the forseable future If I had a habit of going on porn sites or 'sharing' the latest music and films via downloads or torrents whether the dark web or not
    I may well think of buying such a product(s) but more likely to download it for free via a torrent anyway.
    Just like an airbag will stop me from serious injury, but not having a car and rarely travling in one I don't see a need for buying one.
    That goes for wearing a life jacket too, but if on a boat at sea I sould do, or even on a canel, and I cross regents canal at least once per day.

    Be sure not to fall in, Dave! ;-)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Brooks@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jun 15 09:39:11 2022
    On 14/06/2022 23:08, David Brooks takes advantage of BT's free provision!

    https://imgur.com/gallery/7UXS8SI

    The result pleases me! :-D

    --
    Warm regards,
    David

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From whisky-dave@21:1/5 to David Brooks on Thu Jun 16 06:39:51 2022
    On Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 23:08:37 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 14/06/2022 16:37, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 12:29:11 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 14/06/2022 10:44, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 22:59:54 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 16:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Monday, 13 June 2022 at 15:21:56 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote:
    On 13/06/2022 13:54, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 16:20:51 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>>>> On 09/06/2022 14:53, whisky-dave wrote:
    On Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 21:21:32 UTC+1, David Brooks wrote: >>>>>>>>>> On 08/06/2022 18:57, John Hill wrote:
    David Brooks <D...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    Copy/paste
    **********


    How I became a Mac security researcher!

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other
    times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know. >>>>>>>>>>>>
    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware
    researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    *Great reed*, here:-
    https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/ >>>>>>>>>>>>

    I see at the very end:
    Posted on
    February 20, 2020
    Author
    thomasareed
    Tags
    adware, Genieo, Mac, malware, Malwarebytes, VSearch

    So (1) it's two years old, and
    (2) one of the tags is adware.
    The age is immaterial, John.

    Mr Reed is now a Director of Malwarebytes Inc.

    Which is also immaterial

    all it means is a salery .
    The pun was lost on you, my friend! ( A great READ!)
    Whenever I have discussed security matters with Apple Support it has
    been emphasised that the macOS requires no third-party anti-malware
    software to be installed on Apple devices.

    If they are wrong you'll be able to find evidence of this therefore proving that
    3rd party anti-malware is needed.
    What do YOU believe?

    I'm not really a believer, I prefer fact based evidence.
    I sometimes waste my time watching things like ancient aliens on TV and many of those paranormal on camera
    and monster hunts, few show any real evidence just blurry pictures of ghosts or a yeti which could quite easily be faked.
    But therre's lots of money to be made from these TV shows and thats from just the ads between them.
    People are very gullible, that's why they removed the word from english dictionaries(UK versions) in the mid 90s.

    Does KnockKnock provide the evidence you seek?

    https://objective-see.org/products/knockknock.html
    Not really.

    How DO you check that /your/ Mac has not been compromised in any way? >>>
    I don't check.
    OK ;-)

    I'm delighted to learn that you, too, believe that what's claimed here
    is bullshit! https://www.clamxav.com

    I"ve never said anything about that site I've never claimed it's bullshit or any other type of shit, as I have no idea.
    That site claims that protection is essential if you operate an Apple computer.

    And where exactly does it claim that ?


    You've said that /you/ take NO preventative measures.

    I don't visit dodgy porn sites or any site that looks suspicious.
    Same as I don't go mountain climbing which means I'm very unlikely to need the mountain resue service.
    I've never had a sporting injuring since school because I don't play sports.



    That's a dichotomy.

    no it's not.

    In the past I've used littlesnitch but gave up on it because I was spending too much time worrying about what was happening
    behind the scenes of what software does especailly google stuff.

    I was asked by someone that worked for norton whether I'd like to join their team for writing anti-virus software.
    This was in the late 90s, but I had little or no interest in such a things so declined the offer.
    You probably have been bored silly.

    Yep.

    Today and for the forseable future If I had a habit of going on porn sites or 'sharing' the latest music and films via downloads or torrents whether the dark web or not
    I may well think of buying such a product(s) but more likely to download it for free via a torrent anyway.
    Just like an airbag will stop me from serious injury, but not having a car and rarely travling in one I don't see a need for buying one.
    That goes for wearing a life jacket too, but if on a boat at sea I sould do, or even on a canel, and I cross regents canal at least once per day.
    Be sure not to fall in, Dave! ;-)

    They won;t open the doors of the bus (partly due to the bloody cycle lane, which is far more dangerous to me)
    I dont; wear a helmet either.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David G. Brooks@21:1/5 to All on Sat Nov 26 12:27:35 2022
    How I became a Mac security researcher

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got
    into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    “Macs don’t get viruses”

    In January of 2006, I joined Apple’s discussion forums, termed “Apple Support Communities,” or ASC for short. Around this same time, I was attempting a poorly-thought-out transition to teaching high school
    science, which I would soon learn I was not cut out for. A few years
    later, I failed at it and quit before I could finish paying off the debt
    from getting my Master’s degree. My self-esteem was at an all-time low,
    and I vented steam at people on the forums. It was not a time I’m particularly proud of.

    At that time, I firmly believed that the Mac’s malware problems from the early days were a thing of the past. Before OS X, Apple’s “Classic” system (as we call it now) had all manner of malware. In fact, the first widespread computer virus – the Elk Cloner virus, which appeared in 1982
    – actually affected the Apple II computer, a precursor of the Macintosh,
    and not a PC running DOS or Windows.

    Disinfectant logo
    The early Macintosh was no stranger to threats, and antivirus software
    was soon to be considered important. John Norstad’s Disinfectant,
    introduced in 1989, was considered by many to be the best, though other
    early pioneers in the antivirus industry were also offering some of the
    first antivirus software on the Mac, such as McAfee’s VirusScan.

    Working in the campus computer lab as a college student, I encountered
    my first piece of malware, a virus known as WDEF, which spread from disk
    to disk automatically, infecting any floppies inserted and spreading to
    the next Mac that used it. (The virus infected the “desktop file”
    present on every disk on the Classic Mac system.) Despite this, my
    interest in malware would not truly start until nearly two decades later.

    Once Apple transitioned to the Unix-based OS X, all the old malware was suddenly obsolete. OS X was a drastically different system, viruses
    written for Classic systems no longer worked. On ASC, I routinely told
    people that Macs didn’t get viruses, thanks to my preconceived notions
    and lack of knowledge to the contrary, and, frankly, acted like a bit of
    a jackass.

    Information tips the balance

    At some point, someone – and I couldn’t tell you for the life of me who
    it was, or precisely when this happened, at this point – challenged me
    with some concrete information. I set out on a frenzy of research to
    refute his (her?) arguments. But my determination to prove that I was
    correct took a turn that would change my life: I learned that I was
    actually wrong!

    Needless to say, this was a humbling experience. More importantly,
    though, I felt like I was glimpsing the periphery of a hidden world. I
    decided I wanted to know more.

    Over the next few years, I believe that I dug up information on every
    piece of OS X malware that ever became publicly known. I knew the
    symptoms, the dangers, and how to remove every obscure piece of malware
    that nobody ever saw anymore. I started monitoring for and documenting
    the emergence of every new piece of malware. In 2011, I created The Safe
    Mac to serve as a repository for this knowledge and a way of educating
    people about the potential dangers.

    The Safe Mac logo
    I was still, at that time, a bit negative on the benefits of antivirus software. I was not nearly as rabid about it as I once was, of course,
    as I realized that it could provide a valuable service to some people,
    though I felt I personally did not need it, and that others who shared a similarly technical mindset didn’t need it either.

    Adware Removal Guide

    I started noticing an increase in a particular kind of malware that
    become known as adware, because its goal was to steal from advertisers,
    search engines, and other affiliate programs in general. In 2013, I knew
    I was onto something big when an adware company I had blogged about
    threatened to sue me if I didn’t remove all content about them from my website.

    Genieo legal threat
    Threat posted publicly in the comments on The Safe Mac
    This was a particularly scary event, as this legal threat could
    jeopardize my family’s financial future. I ended up refusing their
    demands. They backed down, I breathed a sigh of relief, and I continued
    with my (unpaid) work.

    In hindsight, this outcome probably could have been predicted due to the
    fact that Genieo rather amateurishly posted the threat publicly, for
    anyone to read. Still, this was an eye-opening event that underscored to
    me the idea that “adware is malware with a legal team.”

    Since the adware problem had been on the rise, I was answering large
    numbers of questions on ASC about adware removal. In late 2013, I
    decided to create a set of pages on The Safe Mac that I called the
    Adware Removal Guide. These pages provided information to help the user
    figure out what adware they were infected with, and how to remove those infections.

    Heading into 2014, I had learned that people had great difficulty
    following manual removal instructions. I do not mean to imply that they
    were stupid, as some would uncharitably say; they were simply unsure of themselves, or over-sure of themselves, or perhaps just not particularly careful readers. Whatever the case, I went through many iterations of my instructions, and through trial-and-error learned a lot about how to
    write those instructions clearly.

    Creation of TSMART

    TSMART code
    In an ironic twist, it was the actions of that same adware company I had
    butted heads with that spurred me to try something different. Genieo’s
    adware was installing files in such a way as to render the system
    incapable of starting up if one file were removed without removing
    another. Countless people ran afoul of this issue after failing to
    follow my removal instructions to the letter, and some of them became
    very irate with me over the issue, as if it were my fault.

    This, coupled with a timely suggestion from someone (who, I can no
    longer recall) that a shell script might be handy to automate removal,
    sparked an idea. Soon, the abysmally named TSM Adware Removal Tool
    (abbreviated TSMART) was born. This tool was written in AppleScript,
    compiled into an application to make it easy to run, and it automated
    removal of everything described in my removal instructions.

    It wasn’t long before the adware makers escalated with techniques like randomizing file names, making my script more difficult to maintain.
    Every change required a complete update of the script, and although I
    built functionality to alert the user when an update was available, it
    just became too cumbersome.

    I did a thing…

    AdwareMedic logo
    Thus was born the idea for AdwareMedic: an application that supported
    flexible identification logic coded into rules, which could be updated independently of the application itself. It certainly wasn’t my
    intention to build an antivirus program – indeed, AdwareMedic was specifically meant to target adware, not malware – but evolution
    sometimes results in two different paths to the same end.

    The first version of AdwareMedic was written in a very short time – a
    weekend for the first prototype, and about a month for something that
    could be released, if memory serves. It was done as a fun project that
    could help some people. Next thing I knew, it had become a huge success.
    I didn’t have a formal way to track its usage, but I firmly believe that
    by early 2015 there were hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of
    Macs running AdwareMedic. I began to hear that Apple Geniuses were
    recommending it to people!

    AdwareMedic became, I believe, the first real challenge to adware
    companies on the Mac platform. So much so that I saw adware responding
    and changing behaviors based on AdwareMedic detections. At one point,
    one piece of adware, called VSearch (also known as Pirrit), began
    fighting back by modifying the content of the AdwareMedic website when
    viewed from an infected machine… in the initial stages, by redirecting
    the Download button to the MacKeeper website.

    I fought back, of course, with scripts designed to detect those
    modifications and show the user information about how to combat the
    issue. The VSearch folks escalated each time, eventually going so far as
    to block access to the AdwareMedic site by replacing the site’s content
    in the infected browser with a fake “server not found” page.


    This behavior directly resulted in Apple adding rules for VSearch to the XProtect antimalware feature in macOS.

    rule VSearchA
    {
    meta:
    description = "OSX.VSearch.A"
    condition:
    Macho and
    filesize <= 2000000 and
    ( hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="6c6acb179b232c0f1a6bb27699809320cc2c1529" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="cebb19fee8fd72c0975ea9a19feea3b5ce555f94" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="1503f1d7d275e976cd94cfd72929e0409e0cf76a" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="c50adfa949a70b33d77050d7f0e2f86bccbc25cf" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="40346b3946d7824d38f5ba71181f5c06805200af" )
    }
    Do you have time for a quick chat?

    Next thing I knew, I got an e-mail from Malwarebytes CEO Marcin
    Kleczynski. I didn’t know much about them, but what I read was
    intriguing, and Marcin was very straightforward.


    When I flew out to California for a meeting, I learned that Malwarebytes started out in an almost identical fashion. Marcin started out on
    forums, after having infected the family computer. He built up a
    foundation of knowledge, with the help of some friends made on forums,
    and built a product. In a million years, I couldn’t have imagined a
    better fit.

    Once I was on board at Malwarebytes, a whole world of possibilities
    opened up. With AdwareMedic, I had never dared to remove certain things.
    My experience with Genieo made me gunshy. I simply couldn’t afford to
    risk a lawsuit, and yet adding and later walking back a detection would
    be nearly as bad, as it would show that I could be bullied into submission.

    Malwarebytes does not tolerate PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and isn’t afraid to go to court when threatened by PUP vendors. With
    Malwarebytes at my back, I was finally able to start doing things that AdwareMedic users had been requesting for a long time – like removal of MacKeeper!

    The end…?

    Thus ends the story of how I went from rabid Mac malware denier to a
    creator and proponent of security software. If you were to ask me to sum
    up with one single thing that pulled me in this direction, that thing
    would be knowledge. It’s easy to have strong opinions in a position of ignorance. It’s also easy to keep those opinions if you never challenge
    your own preconceptions. But it’s very hard to maintain an opinion in
    the face of contrary information, and you’ll never discover that
    information if you don’t seek it out.

    Of course, this is only the end of the story of how I got here. I’ll
    have more stories to tell from the trenches in the future, as I fully
    intend to keep fighting the scumbags that are intent on turning my
    favorite platform into a cesspool of malware and crapware.

    My years of research and experience in the trenches taught me an
    important lesson: people need help. It’s not their fault that they’re getting infected. The creators of malware, adware, and other unwanted
    programs are extremely good at tricking people, and they’re not going to stop. We’re slowly heading towards a world where Mac malware becomes as sophisticated as what’s seen on Windows.

    Even now, not all threats involve tricking the user… sometimes, malware spreads through stealthy techniques that infect even the most savvy
    among the tech community. As an example, read the story of how Panic,
    Inc got hacked.

    My request to you, dear reader, is this: *spread the word*. Mac malware
    does exist. Mac adware is just a millimeter shy of malware, and you
    don’t want that infection any more than you want malware. In fact, I’d willingly infect myself with certain pieces of malware before I would do
    the same with most of the adware out there!

    Am I saying you have to force your friends and family install antivirus software? No. I believe it is a useful tool for many people, but I also
    admit it’s not a silver bullet. I make antivirus software, and I’m
    telling you my software is not, and never will be, perfect! Anyone
    telling you differently about their own software is lying to you.

    Whatever you do, if you are able, help those you know to stay safe
    online, in whatever way suits them best. Just keep in mind that what
    suits someone best is not always what suits you best… that’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, repeatedly.

    Ref:- https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Commander Kinsey@21:1/5 to David G. Brooks on Sat Nov 26 21:08:29 2022
    On Sat, 26 Nov 2022 12:27:35 -0000, David G. Brooks <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    How I became a Mac security researcher

    Over the years, I’ve been attacked and criticized many times over my
    views on security. At times, it’s been completely justified, while other times, it stems from not knowing the things that I know.

    Thus, spurred on by events that are ultimately unimportant, for the
    first time publicly, I’ve decided to tell the entire story of how I got into security, how I ended up at an antivirus company, and how and why
    my views have changed. This is the story of someone who went from a
    rabid “Macs don’t get viruses” fanboy to a professional malware researcher, and why exactly such a strange turn of events occurred. With
    a smattering of stories about the history of Mac malware thrown in. 🙂

    “Macs don’t get viruses”

    In January of 2006, I joined Apple’s discussion forums, termed “Apple Support Communities,” or ASC for short. Around this same time, I was attempting a poorly-thought-out transition to teaching high school
    science, which I would soon learn I was not cut out for. A few years
    later, I failed at it and quit before I could finish paying off the debt
    from getting my Master’s degree. My self-esteem was at an all-time low,
    and I vented steam at people on the forums. It was not a time I’m particularly proud of.

    At that time, I firmly believed that the Mac’s malware problems from the early days were a thing of the past. Before OS X, Apple’s “Classic” system (as we call it now) had all manner of malware. In fact, the first widespread computer virus – the Elk Cloner virus, which appeared in 1982 – actually affected the Apple II computer, a precursor of the Macintosh, and not a PC running DOS or Windows.

    Disinfectant logo
    The early Macintosh was no stranger to threats, and antivirus software
    was soon to be considered important. John Norstad’s Disinfectant, introduced in 1989, was considered by many to be the best, though other
    early pioneers in the antivirus industry were also offering some of the
    first antivirus software on the Mac, such as McAfee’s VirusScan.

    Working in the campus computer lab as a college student, I encountered
    my first piece of malware, a virus known as WDEF, which spread from disk
    to disk automatically, infecting any floppies inserted and spreading to
    the next Mac that used it. (The virus infected the “desktop file”
    present on every disk on the Classic Mac system.) Despite this, my
    interest in malware would not truly start until nearly two decades later.

    Once Apple transitioned to the Unix-based OS X, all the old malware was suddenly obsolete. OS X was a drastically different system, viruses
    written for Classic systems no longer worked. On ASC, I routinely told
    people that Macs didn’t get viruses, thanks to my preconceived notions
    and lack of knowledge to the contrary, and, frankly, acted like a bit of
    a jackass.

    Information tips the balance

    At some point, someone – and I couldn’t tell you for the life of me who it was, or precisely when this happened, at this point – challenged me
    with some concrete information. I set out on a frenzy of research to
    refute his (her?) arguments. But my determination to prove that I was
    correct took a turn that would change my life: I learned that I was
    actually wrong!

    Needless to say, this was a humbling experience. More importantly,
    though, I felt like I was glimpsing the periphery of a hidden world. I decided I wanted to know more.

    Over the next few years, I believe that I dug up information on every
    piece of OS X malware that ever became publicly known. I knew the
    symptoms, the dangers, and how to remove every obscure piece of malware
    that nobody ever saw anymore. I started monitoring for and documenting
    the emergence of every new piece of malware. In 2011, I created The Safe
    Mac to serve as a repository for this knowledge and a way of educating
    people about the potential dangers.

    The Safe Mac logo
    I was still, at that time, a bit negative on the benefits of antivirus software. I was not nearly as rabid about it as I once was, of course,
    as I realized that it could provide a valuable service to some people,
    though I felt I personally did not need it, and that others who shared a similarly technical mindset didn’t need it either.

    Adware Removal Guide

    I started noticing an increase in a particular kind of malware that
    become known as adware, because its goal was to steal from advertisers, search engines, and other affiliate programs in general. In 2013, I knew
    I was onto something big when an adware company I had blogged about threatened to sue me if I didn’t remove all content about them from my website.

    Genieo legal threat
    Threat posted publicly in the comments on The Safe Mac
    This was a particularly scary event, as this legal threat could
    jeopardize my family’s financial future. I ended up refusing their
    demands. They backed down, I breathed a sigh of relief, and I continued
    with my (unpaid) work.

    In hindsight, this outcome probably could have been predicted due to the
    fact that Genieo rather amateurishly posted the threat publicly, for
    anyone to read. Still, this was an eye-opening event that underscored to
    me the idea that “adware is malware with a legal team.”

    Since the adware problem had been on the rise, I was answering large
    numbers of questions on ASC about adware removal. In late 2013, I
    decided to create a set of pages on The Safe Mac that I called the
    Adware Removal Guide. These pages provided information to help the user figure out what adware they were infected with, and how to remove those infections.

    Heading into 2014, I had learned that people had great difficulty
    following manual removal instructions. I do not mean to imply that they
    were stupid, as some would uncharitably say; they were simply unsure of themselves, or over-sure of themselves, or perhaps just not particularly careful readers. Whatever the case, I went through many iterations of my instructions, and through trial-and-error learned a lot about how to
    write those instructions clearly.

    Creation of TSMART

    TSMART code
    In an ironic twist, it was the actions of that same adware company I had butted heads with that spurred me to try something different. Genieo’s adware was installing files in such a way as to render the system
    incapable of starting up if one file were removed without removing
    another. Countless people ran afoul of this issue after failing to
    follow my removal instructions to the letter, and some of them became
    very irate with me over the issue, as if it were my fault.

    This, coupled with a timely suggestion from someone (who, I can no
    longer recall) that a shell script might be handy to automate removal, sparked an idea. Soon, the abysmally named TSM Adware Removal Tool (abbreviated TSMART) was born. This tool was written in AppleScript,
    compiled into an application to make it easy to run, and it automated
    removal of everything described in my removal instructions.

    It wasn’t long before the adware makers escalated with techniques like randomizing file names, making my script more difficult to maintain.
    Every change required a complete update of the script, and although I
    built functionality to alert the user when an update was available, it
    just became too cumbersome.

    I did a thing…

    AdwareMedic logo
    Thus was born the idea for AdwareMedic: an application that supported flexible identification logic coded into rules, which could be updated independently of the application itself. It certainly wasn’t my
    intention to build an antivirus program – indeed, AdwareMedic was specifically meant to target adware, not malware – but evolution
    sometimes results in two different paths to the same end.

    The first version of AdwareMedic was written in a very short time – a weekend for the first prototype, and about a month for something that
    could be released, if memory serves. It was done as a fun project that
    could help some people. Next thing I knew, it had become a huge success.
    I didn’t have a formal way to track its usage, but I firmly believe that
    by early 2015 there were hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of
    Macs running AdwareMedic. I began to hear that Apple Geniuses were recommending it to people!

    AdwareMedic became, I believe, the first real challenge to adware
    companies on the Mac platform. So much so that I saw adware responding
    and changing behaviors based on AdwareMedic detections. At one point,
    one piece of adware, called VSearch (also known as Pirrit), began
    fighting back by modifying the content of the AdwareMedic website when
    viewed from an infected machine… in the initial stages, by redirecting
    the Download button to the MacKeeper website.

    I fought back, of course, with scripts designed to detect those
    modifications and show the user information about how to combat the
    issue. The VSearch folks escalated each time, eventually going so far as
    to block access to the AdwareMedic site by replacing the site’s content
    in the infected browser with a fake “server not found” page.


    This behavior directly resulted in Apple adding rules for VSearch to the XProtect antimalware feature in macOS.

    rule VSearchA
    {
    meta:
    description = "OSX.VSearch.A"
    condition:
    Macho and
    filesize <= 2000000 and
    ( hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="6c6acb179b232c0f1a6bb27699809320cc2c1529" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="cebb19fee8fd72c0975ea9a19feea3b5ce555f94" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="1503f1d7d275e976cd94cfd72929e0409e0cf76a" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="c50adfa949a70b33d77050d7f0e2f86bccbc25cf" or
    hash.sha1 ( 0 , filesize ) =="40346b3946d7824d38f5ba71181f5c06805200af" )
    }
    Do you have time for a quick chat?

    Next thing I knew, I got an e-mail from Malwarebytes CEO Marcin
    Kleczynski. I didn’t know much about them, but what I read was
    intriguing, and Marcin was very straightforward.


    When I flew out to California for a meeting, I learned that Malwarebytes started out in an almost identical fashion. Marcin started out on
    forums, after having infected the family computer. He built up a
    foundation of knowledge, with the help of some friends made on forums,
    and built a product. In a million years, I couldn’t have imagined a
    better fit.

    Once I was on board at Malwarebytes, a whole world of possibilities
    opened up. With AdwareMedic, I had never dared to remove certain things.
    My experience with Genieo made me gunshy. I simply couldn’t afford to
    risk a lawsuit, and yet adding and later walking back a detection would
    be nearly as bad, as it would show that I could be bullied into submission.

    Malwarebytes does not tolerate PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and isn’t afraid to go to court when threatened by PUP vendors. With Malwarebytes at my back, I was finally able to start doing things that AdwareMedic users had been requesting for a long time – like removal of MacKeeper!

    The end…?

    Thus ends the story of how I went from rabid Mac malware denier to a
    creator and proponent of security software. If you were to ask me to sum
    up with one single thing that pulled me in this direction, that thing
    would be knowledge. It’s easy to have strong opinions in a position of ignorance. It’s also easy to keep those opinions if you never challenge your own preconceptions. But it’s very hard to maintain an opinion in
    the face of contrary information, and you’ll never discover that information if you don’t seek it out.

    Of course, this is only the end of the story of how I got here. I’ll
    have more stories to tell from the trenches in the future, as I fully
    intend to keep fighting the scumbags that are intent on turning my
    favorite platform into a cesspool of malware and crapware.

    My years of research and experience in the trenches taught me an
    important lesson: people need help. It’s not their fault that they’re getting infected. The creators of malware, adware, and other unwanted programs are extremely good at tricking people, and they’re not going to stop. We’re slowly heading towards a world where Mac malware becomes as sophisticated as what’s seen on Windows.

    Even now, not all threats involve tricking the user… sometimes, malware spreads through stealthy techniques that infect even the most savvy
    among the tech community. As an example, read the story of how Panic,
    Inc got hacked.

    My request to you, dear reader, is this: *spread the word*. Mac malware
    does exist. Mac adware is just a millimeter shy of malware, and you
    don’t want that infection any more than you want malware. In fact, I’d willingly infect myself with certain pieces of malware before I would do
    the same with most of the adware out there!

    Am I saying you have to force your friends and family install antivirus software? No. I believe it is a useful tool for many people, but I also
    admit it’s not a silver bullet. I make antivirus software, and I’m telling you my software is not, and never will be, perfect! Anyone
    telling you differently about their own software is lying to you.

    Whatever you do, if you are able, help those you know to stay safe
    online, in whatever way suits them best. Just keep in mind that what
    suits someone best is not always what suits you best… that’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, repeatedly.

    Ref:- https://whitehatmac.com/how-i-became-a-mac-security-researcher/

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling points to the &*^% that buy them!

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From nospam@21:1/5 to CK1@nospam.com on Sat Nov 26 16:42:07 2022
    In article <op.1v9ecfw2mvhs6z@ryzen.home>, Commander Kinsey
    <CK1@nospam.com> wrote:


    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware
    than windows.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David G. Brooks@21:1/5 to nospam on Sat Nov 26 22:47:34 2022
    On 26/11/2022 21:42, nospam wrote:
    In article <op.1v9ecfw2mvhs6z@ryzen.home>, Commander Kinsey
    <CK1@nospam.com> wrote:


    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware
    than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the
    use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From nospam@21:1/5 to DavidB@always.invalid on Sat Nov 26 18:05:03 2022
    In article <aIwgL.1615353$YC96.1211872@fx12.ams1>, David G. Brooks <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling
    points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    he was not.

    this is a common (and false) claim of those who are ignorant about macs
    and apple in general.

    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware
    than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the
    use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    so what?

    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware?

    what makes you think that's a desired goal?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From WolfFan@21:1/5 to nospam on Sun Nov 27 08:22:36 2022
    On Nov 26, 2022, nospam wrote
    (in article<261120221805030555%nospam@nospam.invalid>):

    In article<aIwgL.1615353$YC96.1211872@fx12.ams1>, David G. Brooks <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    he was not.

    Yep.


    this is a common (and false) claim of those who are ignorant about macs
    and apple in general.

    Typically posted with comments about ‘Crapple’ and ’the Mac idiot
    tax’.


    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the
    use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    so what?

    Our David lacks the sense that God gave a goose.


    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware?

    what makes you think that's a desired goal?

    Our David only has one working neuron. He can’t think.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David G. Brooks@21:1/5 to WolfFan on Sun Nov 27 14:06:51 2022
    On 27/11/2022 13:22, WolfFan wrote:
    On Nov 26, 2022, nospam wrote
    (in article<261120221805030555%nospam@nospam.invalid>):

    In article<aIwgL.1615353$YC96.1211872@fx12.ams1>, David G. Brooks
    <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling >>>>> points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    he was not.

    Yep.


    this is a common (and false) claim of those who are ignorant about macs
    and apple in general.

    Typically posted with comments about ‘Crapple’ and ’the Mac idiot tax’.


    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware
    than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the
    use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    so what?

    Our David lacks the sense that God gave a goose.


    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware? >>
    what makes you think that's a desired goal?

    Our David only has one working neuron. He can’t think.

    Can YOU locate THIS post on the ASC forums?

    https://jmp.sh/oXTukoC7

    --
    David

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From WolfFan@21:1/5 to David G. Brooks on Sun Nov 27 09:28:42 2022
    On Nov 27, 2022, David G. Brooks wrote
    (in article <%9KgL.2607712$%q2.119780@fx15.ams1>):

    On 27/11/2022 13:22, WolfFan wrote:
    On Nov 26, 2022, nospam wrote
    (in article<261120221805030555%nospam@nospam.invalid>):

    In article<aIwgL.1615353$YC96.1211872@fx12.ams1>, David G. Brooks <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling
    points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    he was not.

    Yep.


    this is a common (and false) claim of those who are ignorant about macs and apple in general.

    Typically posted with comments about ‘Crapple’ and ’the Mac idiot tax’.


    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    so what?

    Our David lacks the sense that God gave a goose.


    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware?

    what makes you think that's a desired goal?

    Our David only has one working neuron. He can’t think.

    Can YOU locate THIS post on the ASC forums?

    https://jmp.sh/oXTukoC7

    Vile one, I don’t click on your links. I especially don’t click on your deliberately obfuscated links. You know this. You know why. You’re scum.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David G. Brooks@21:1/5 to WolfFan on Sun Nov 27 15:24:01 2022
    On 27/11/2022 14:28, WolfFan wrote:
    On Nov 27, 2022, David G. Brooks wrote
    (in article <%9KgL.2607712$%q2.119780@fx15.ams1>):

    On 27/11/2022 13:22, WolfFan wrote:
    On Nov 26, 2022, nospam wrote
    (in article<261120221805030555%nospam@nospam.invalid>):

    In article<aIwgL.1615353$YC96.1211872@fx12.ams1>, David G. Brooks
    <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling >>>>>>> points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    he was not.

    Yep.


    this is a common (and false) claim of those who are ignorant about macs >>>> and apple in general.

    Typically posted with comments about ‘Crapple’ and ’the Mac idiot
    tax’.


    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware >>>>>> than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the >>>>> use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    so what?

    Our David lacks the sense that God gave a goose.


    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware? >>>>
    what makes you think that's a desired goal?

    Our David only has one working neuron. He can’t think.

    Can YOU locate THIS post on the ASC forums?

    https://jmp.sh/oXTukoC7

    Vile one, I don’t click on your links. I especially don’t click on your deliberately obfuscated links. You know this. You know why. You’re scum.


    Kurt Lang has replied to my question. You can view the full discussion
    in Communities.

    *Seeking help for my friend. Can anyone assist, please*?

    //Signing in here with a user's iCloud account (Apple ID) is how most
    people do it. So it's very highly unlikely that was the reason for the ban.

    But no, there's no security risk to simply create a new forum account. A
    login ID can be any verifiable email account you want. Yahoo, Google,
    you name it. Just make sure to use a good password and turn on two
    factor ID.//

    =

    I've still got an email message if you'd like to see it.

    --
    David

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From WolfFan@21:1/5 to David G. Brooks on Sun Nov 27 13:29:44 2022
    On Nov 27, 2022, David G. Brooks wrote
    (in article <liLgL.1616731$YC96.630061@fx12.ams1>):

    On 27/11/2022 14:28, WolfFan wrote:
    On Nov 27, 2022, David G. Brooks wrote
    (in article <%9KgL.2607712$%q2.119780@fx15.ams1>):

    On 27/11/2022 13:22, WolfFan wrote:
    On Nov 26, 2022, nospam wrote
    (in article<261120221805030555%nospam@nospam.invalid>):

    In article<aIwgL.1615353$YC96.1211872@fx12.ams1>, David G. Brooks <DavidB@always.invalid> wrote:

    Oh but we all know Macs can't get viruses. That's one of their selling
    points
    to the &*^% that buy them!

    it's never been a selling point.

    He was being facetious!

    he was not.

    Yep.


    this is a common (and false) claim of those who are ignorant about macs
    and apple in general.

    Typically posted with comments about ‘Crapple’ and ’the Mac idiot tax’.


    what was a selling point is that macs have significantly less malware
    than windows.

    Are you aware that Apple Support (by telephone) sometimes advocate the
    use of Malwarebytes to scan Apple computers for malware?

    so what?

    Our David lacks the sense that God gave a goose.


    How do you check YOUR Apple devices to ensure they are free from malware?

    what makes you think that's a desired goal?

    Our David only has one working neuron. He can’t think.

    Can YOU locate THIS post on the ASC forums?

    https://jmp.sh/oXTukoC7

    Vile one, I don’t click on your links. I especially don’t click on your deliberately obfuscated links. You know this. You know why. You’re scum.

    Kurt Lang has replied to my question. You can view the full discussion
    in Communities.

    I don’t care what lies you perpetuated elsewhere.


    *Seeking help for my friend. Can anyone assist, please*?

    //Signing in here with a user's iCloud account (Apple ID) is how most
    people do it. So it's very highly unlikely that was the reason for the ban.

    But no, there's no security risk to simply create a new forum account. A login ID can be any verifiable email account you want. Yahoo, Google,
    you name it. Just make sure to use a good password and turn on two
    factor ID.//

    =

    I've still got an email message if you'd like to see it.

    The vile one is, again, offering to _publicly_ share to _uninvolved 3rd parties_ a _private_ email, and sees nothing wrong with doing that. Possibly because he’s vile, and not very smart.

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