AV makers start focusing on Mac

Yahoo News reports three anti-virus firms have announced new security software for Mac OS X to cash in on the somewhat increased threat of Mac malware. Sophos published the free Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition, ESET will soon reveal a Mac version of its subscription-based anti-virus software and Trend Micro focuses on SMBs with the Worry-Free Business Security 7 software.

As other Mac security vendors have had to admit, all three of these vendors acknowledge that, while Mac malware is technically feasible, the threat of it may not be immediate or pervasive. As part of its sales pitch, for example, Sophos cites such less-than-imminent threats as those pirated iWork ’09 installers that contained trojan horses. Trend Micro reminds us that even Apple has said that Mac users should have some kind of malware-detection software at hand.