Intego warns against MacGuard malware

by Peter Cohen, Macworld.com

Intego, makers of VirusBarrier and other security software for the Macintosh, issued a security warning for Mac users on Friday advising them against the use of an application called "MacGuard." The company describes MacGuard as "a rogue program."

Intego says MacGuard claims to be "Macintosh antivirus software." But MacGuard is allegedly a clone of a Windows application called Winiguard, which is also malware which hijacks a user's computer and displays exaggerated claims of spyware.

Clues as to the software's dubious background include poorly-pasted Apple graphics, language containing many spelling errors, and a lack of features consistent with a Mac-specific security program, according to Intego.

Intego suspects the developers of the MacGuard software may be trying to harvest credit card numbers or may be laying the groundwork for an even more invasive attempt at distributing Mac malware in the future.

"Intego is issuing this memo to help Mac users understand that not every program that claims to protect Macs is indeed reliable, and that this one is potentially dangerous," said a statement provided by the company.