Apple apparently refusing to help customers who have malware on their Mac computers

One of the selling points of Apple's Mac computers has long been that they tend to be less susceptible to viruses and other malicious software. Well, any rational person must understand that Macs are just as susceptible to malware as any other computer, it's just that the target for malicious hackers is smaller with Macs, and the hackers tend to go after Windows which has historically had many more users. But, malicious hackers are indeed targeting Apple's Mac OS X, as a recent outbreak of malware proves. Macs are computers. Evil people write malicious code. People click on bad stuff sometimes unknowingly and Macs execute code. But, what's particularly troubling is Apple's attitude towards the threat of malware on Mac OS X.

According to a recent article, Apple has told its AppleCare representatives to not help Apple customers remove malware following a recent outbreak of MACDefender / Mac Security malware programs on Mac OS X. Part of a memo from Apple to its employees reads, "Apple does not provide support or assistance in removal or diagnosis of malware."  In fact, the Apple memo says to its employees, "You should not confirm or deny whether the customer’s Mac is infected or not." Nice.

I wonder how long Apple will continue to stick their heads in the sand and refuse to acknowledge that Macs are impervious to malicious software. I predict that at some future date, Apple will actually take a more active role in Mac OS X security, and perhaps follow the same path that Microsoft did with Windows in providing robust, integrated antivirus software into the operating system. In the meantime, use an antivirus program for Mac OS X to be on the safe side.

UPDATE:  Apple has acknowledged the malware, provided a link on how to avoid or remove Mac Defender, and has issued a security update to Mac OS X to remedy the threat.

Google Announces Music Beta by Google and Movie Rentals for Android Devices

Paul Joyce previewed the new cloud music service "Music Beta" by Google at the Google I/O 2011 conference today. The service allows you to access your music library (apparently including iTunes) via the cloud from an Android device. The service caches recently played songs so that you can still listen while offline. Music data, such as playlists and ratings, etc., are also synced automatically between devices. While in beta, the online music locker service will allow users to add up to 20,000 songs free and is invite-only. Visit music.google.com to request an invite.

The New and Improved Vehicle Warranty Sales Pitch

A while back, I posted about vehicle warranty companies that mail "urgent" notices warning you that your automobile factory warranty is about to expire, and that you need to renew it right away. It appears that these auto warranty companies scrape information from vehicle registration public records to make their sales pitch.

I just wanted to share this new and improved notice from MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION (866-503-4680), complete with an official eagle crest, and the warning "Notification that your dealership warranty is expiring or has currently expired! Extremely urgent and time sensitive - FINAL NOTICE." Interestingly, this one states at the bottom, "Not affiliated with dealer or manufacturer, administered by American Auto Shield, LLC." It's nice to see a little more disclosure on these somewhat deceptive notices before they make their way to the shredder.

Sony to Offer 12-Months of Free ID Theft Protection to PSN Users

Sony announced that they will be offering free identify theft protection services for 12 months to all PlayStation Network users. The service, "AllClear ID Plus" is offered by Debix, Inc. Sony will be sending out email notifications to all users of its PlayStation Network, which suffered a massive data breach where the personal information of millions was leaked. Cool, now let's talk about that free PlayStation Plus subscription, Sony.

This is how all companies should handle potential security breaches

LastPass, the secure, online encrypted password management service does it right. "...It's prudent to assume where there's smoke there could be fire."  That's LastPass's motto.  When their internal log files revealed an unexplained increase in traffic from one of their databases on Tuesday, LastPass notified its users and immediately required everyone to verify their account and change their master password. Way to be transparent, prompt, and open with your users in the face of a security breach, unlike some other companies.

Making Sure Extra Mortage Payments Go Towards Principal

There was an interesting post on the Consumerist blog this week that warned consumers trying to make extra payments towards the principal balance on their home mortgages. The post cautions folks to contact the bank (in this case Wells Fargo) each time they make an extra mortgage payment to make sure that the amount goes towards paying down the existing principal balance, and not future interest. Yes, there are cases when some folks may choose to get ahead on their payments by paying both future interest and principal (such as seasonal or contract workers). But most folks who pay extra on their mortgage usually want the amount to go towards principal in order to reduce the life of the loan and increase savings in the long run.

It depends on the loan contract, but apparently, if you don't specify, it is the default action of most financial institutions to automatically apply the payment towards future interest and then principal whenever they receive a payment over the normal monthly amount.

But what about biweekly draft programs with your bank? I'm enrolled in a biweekly draft program on my mortgage, which reduces the overall life of the loan by several years. I contacted the bank to get more specifics of how the extra payment is applied.