It seems that Apple has finally acknowledged that there is a need to protect their users from malicious software, in particular the “Mac Defender” (also known as MacProtector, MacSecurity as well as MacDefender).
In an article titled “How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware“, posted yesterday on the http://support.apple.com site, you can find out how to avoid this inconvenience and remove it.
The following quote gives hope that Apple has had a change of heart and will indeed address the issue:
“In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants. The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware.”
If you are ever prompted for your administrator password, give great consideration to WHY you would need to provide those privileges. Doing so gives whatever requested it full ownership of your Mac.
Should you feel more may be going on with your Apple Mac OSX system than meets the eye, see a computer service professional immediately. Symptoms of an infected machine include, but are not limited to: Computer seems slow, your sent email is being rejected, windows appear or programs open (or close) that you did not initiate, unexpected shutdowns, etc.
If you have fallen for the Mac Defender scam and input your credit card, call your credit card company immediately and inform them.