it seem that I’ve made grave mistake by trying to download some content via Uttorent.
Well damage is done and I’ve learned lesson :( As a new user of Mac I would like to ask if anyone could give me a suggestion what shell I do now.
It seem to me that it took over the security and most of all important part of my Macbook pro. ERASER the all disc and what about my TIME MACHINE ?? could I use it to restore my Mac or rather not ? At the time of attack the time machine was doing back up….
thank you !
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Marek
I'm not sure which trojan that is. But yes, you made a big mistake. Torrent is a great technology, but it is completely unsafe. The don't know where the files are coming from. It would be like letting random people into your house while you are away.
So I would do a full restore, wiping the drive first and re-installing OS X. Then re-install applications only from the original installers (on discs or re-download from the sites you bought them from).
Then I would restore document from your Time Machine backup, but only a time that was before the mistake and only documents, no applications at all. Not even little utilities or installers or anything.
Check for the trojan each step of the way.
When you are done, and if all is OK, I'd get a new HDD for your Time Machine backups and start a fresh TM backup. Keep the old TM drive around for a bit, unplugged, in case there is some critical document on it that you forgot to restore.
Hi Gary
Really sorry to hear about Marek's misfortune. As long as I can understand he suffered from a virus attack which erased his HDD. But aren't Macs supposed to be unsusceptible to viruses & other malware? And what about this menace (rIXiDyk), is it a new threat for Mac users? And if yes, is there anything we can do to protect ourselves? (a program or a specific tactic while working on a Mac?)
Well, he never reported back so we really don't know what happened. It wouldn't have been a "virus" but a trojan. With trojans you are actually giving your permission for the software to run. It would be the same as letting a thief into your house. You can't blame the security system if you open the door yourself.
I've never heard of "rIXiDyk." A Google search turns up nothing (except this post). So maybe it is a typo or something. Can't tell much without knowing what it actually is.
All you need to do to protect yourself is what I always teach:
1. Keep your system updated.
2. Don't download from sites you don't trust.
3. Stay informed.