At long last, Apple has issued a patch for Mac OS X to help defend users against MacDefender malware.
Apple first publicly admitted last week that MacDefender could be a security risk with an advisory release on how to avoid MacDefender.
The ironically named MacDefender is a piece of fake anti-virus software. Unsuspecting Mac users are tricked into believing their systems are infecting by malware and then are offered the opportunity to download and install MacDefender. According to Apple, the ultimate goal of Mac Defender is to get the user’s credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes.
As part of the 2011-003 patch update, Apple is adding in three separate items in a bid to help mitigate the risk of MacDefender.