IMPORTANT INFO TO MAC USERS - Mac Defender "anti-virus" software is malware - Click here to find out how to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware.

A recent phishing scam has targeted Mac users by redirecting them from legitimate websites to fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus. The user is then offered Mac Defender "anti-virus" software to solve the issue. 

This “anti-virus” software is malware (i.e. malicious software). Its ultimate goal is to get the user's credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes. 

The most common names for this malware are MacDefender, MacProtector and MacSecurity.

Apple released a free software update (Security Update 2011-003) that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants.

The Resolution section below also provides step-by-step instructions on how to avoid or manually remove this malware.