Mac Malware

Slashdot It! Mac users have been understandably smug for years, as their machines have rarely fallen foul of malware writers.

That could be about to change -- Mac OS X has become the target of a virus that is a proof-of-concept to demonstrate that the operating system is vulnerable.

Antivirus firm Symantec classifies OSX.Macarena as a level one, "very low" threat because it doesn't deposit any sort of malware on the system other than itself. Its "job" is to self-replicate in whatever folder the Mac owner is using.

Nevertheless, it's a wake-up call for Mac owners, who should be protecting their systems with antivirus software just like Windows users have to.