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New Yorkers Dumbfounded As Computer Virus Affects At Least 600,000 Macs

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The latest assault on computer users has targeted 600,000 Macs and counting worldwide.

About half of those were infected with the so-called Mac Flashback Trojan here in the United States, which comes as a major surprise to Mac users who thought they had absolutely nothing to worry about.

1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg reports

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After all, remember this one in a part of a series of commercials touting Mac's superiority? The lack of viruses is part of the centerpiece of Apple's advertising campaign.

Mac vs PC : Windows 7 by GangstaGriIIz on YouTube

Mac has always had a reputation of being more immune to viruses than PCs.

"One of the reasons why I switched to Mac -- because I'm a programmer for PC -- is because I heard that Macs do not get viruses," one Bronx man told 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg.

An ex-hacker says that Mac users should look at this as a wake-up call.

"It's better to lock all your doors and bolt all your windows instead of letting all the problems in and waiting for the burglar to come in," he told Sandberg. "They're just as vulnerable as the rest of the world."

Most Mac users admit they've grown confident, perhaps even complacent, with Apple.

"Being that it's a Mac, I really don't consider any protections for it," another New Yorker admitted. "I think it's automatically there."

The first signs of the Mac Flashback Trojan appeared last September.

Mac users, how concerned are you? Do you see this as a wake-up call, or do you trust that the issue will be resolved in a timely fashion? Share your thoughts below...

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