McAfee Updates VirusScan for Mac Leopard | eWeek

McAfee Updates VirusScan for Mac Leopard

Written By
Brian Prince
Brian Prince
Nov 29, 2007
2 minute read
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McAfee has released a new version of its VirusScan product for Apples Leopard operating system with an eye toward easing security processes.

VirusScan for Mac v8.6, one of the first anti-virus products for Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard, can be centrally managed through McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator 4.0 and checks for more than 330,000 pieces of malware on all platforms, according to officials at security vendor McAfee.

Included in the release is on-access and on-demand file caching as part of an effort to enhance scanning, as well as support for incremental signature file updates to reduce the signature size from megabytes to kilobytes and make daily updates faster.

To the delight of some Mac critics and the chagrin of its fans, Leopard has been dogged by talk of bugs and security holes since its release in October. Apple recently issued three security fixes for Leopards firewall.

Click here to read about an exploit for a Windows and Macintosh QuickTime flaw.

Roughly a week ago, researchers at Heise Security discovered that a flaw in Apple Mail previously patched for Apples Tiger operating system had reappeared in Leopard. The vulnerability allows users to inadvertently start a potentially malicious executable by double-clicking an e-mail attachment injected with disguised code that looks like a JPEG.

“No operating system can be completely immune from attack and our Apple customers deserve up-to-the minute protection,” Sridhar Jayanthi, vice president of product development at McAfee, said in a statement.

“With every new operating system, bad guys will try to find new flaws. VirusScan for Mac will help ensure that customers stay protected regardless of which operating system they are using. McAfee is committed to offering our customers total protection,” Jayanthi said.

Check out eWEEK.coms Security Center for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEKs Security Watch blog.

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