Mac computer virus has hit 200 students in the last week

When Rebecca Goldstein received an email warning her of a computer virus, she didn’t think much of it.

But several days of spotty Internet access finally prompted the freshman to take her Mac to the Information Technology Services Response Center.

There, she learned her laptop had been attacked by a virus — one that has infected 600,000 Apple computers worldwide in just the past few months.

At UNC, 200 students have found the virus on their computers in the last week, said Stan Waddell, executive director for information security.

He said the virus, called Flashback, is of a type that typically captures private information like passwords and credit card numbers when a user types in the information online.

Users can get it from links on innocuous websites like Facebook, he said, and infection can occur with just one click.

The virus might also be capable of disabling anti-virus software and enabling other malware, he added. The virus does not affect iPads or iPhones.

“It’s designed to gain a toehold in the system to allow other software to be run that you wouldn’t intend to run.”

The growing popularity of Macs could be making the brand a more likely target for attack.

Bruce Egan, director of the response center, said the breadth of this attack is unprecedented. “This is the first time Macs have been hit really hard,” he said.

Egan said the University network recognizes when a computer has a virus. The virus can be traced to the specific computer, which is then blocked from accessing the Internet within about 10 minutes.

“We can block when we have to, to protect you,” he said.

Blocking an infected computer’s Internet access prevents the virus — and whatever remote actor controls it — from accessing a user’s information.

Matthew Belskie, supervisor of ITS walk-in services, said ITS blocked 120 computers Saturday and Sunday.

“You are on a campus that has a very proactive security group,” he said.

Egan said there were still 140 people waiting to regain Internet access on Monday.

He said clearing the virus takes only a few minutes, but it can take up to 24 hours for a user’s computer to regain access to the Internet.

Freshman Ian Priola, whose computer was infected, still didn’t have Internet access 24 hours after ITS removed the virus.

He received an email from ITS warning him against visiting banking websites, but he cared more about getting Internet back.

“I was just more concerned that I couldn’t do homework and stuff,” he said.

The virus is especially dangerous because there are no obvious signs that a computer is infected. For those who don’t use the campus network, the virus is virtually undetectable.

“I had no idea I had the virus,” sophomore Eli Howells said.

The virus was discovered last September, and Apple released an update targeting the Flashback trojan earlier this month.

Egan said he expects the rate of infection to drop by the end of the week due to Apple’s recent release of a new protective tool, which can be downloaded online.

“We’re already seeing a lessening,” he said.

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.