Security & Privacy + Software & Apps

Back in January, we wrote about a scareware program targeting Mac OS X. The “rogue tool”, Macsweeper, claimed that “The imbibed set of features locates all the junk and useless data on your computer and deletes them to reclaim the wasted space.” In addition to questionable English in the description, the program itself was not only a rip-off, but it was dangerous: while it may have cleaned out some files such as caches, it also deleted more important files, without users even knowing what it removed.

Another program, called iMunizator, has been spotted, and this is nothing more than the same program (with exactly the same interface, features and code) with a new name. The program’s website (which we will not link to) has the same layout and the same description as Macsweeper. Needless to say, there must be some gullible people ready to pay $30 for this program, in spite of the fact that it is a scam, and is dangerous.

VirusBarrier X5, in its virus definitions dated March 27, 2008, blocks this program (which we have called OSX.AngeloScan), so even if you accidentally get a copy of it and try to run it, you will be alerted that the program is dangerous.