Apple to support reps: "Do not attempt to remove malware"
By Ed Bott | May 19, 2011, 5:00am PDT
Apple is actively conducting an internal investigation into the Mac Defender malware attack I wrote about yesterday (here and here). An internal document with a Last Modified date of Monday, May 16, 2011 notes that this is an “Issue/Investigation In Progress.”
The document (shown below) provides specific instructions for support personnel to follow when dealing with a customer who has called AppleCare to request help with this specific attack.
According to this document, if the caller says he or she has not installed the software, the support rep should “suggest they quit the installer and delete the software immediately.” That is followed by this disclaimer:
AppleCare does not provide support for removal of the malware. You should not confirm or deny whether the customer’s Mac is infected or not.
If the software is already installed, support personnel are instructed to make sure all security updates have been installed using Software Update. They are then to direct the customer to the “What is Malware?” Help document using Finder. The final step is clear:
Explain that Apple does not make recommendations for specific software to assist in removing malware. The customer can be directed to the Apple Online Store and the Mac App Store for antivirus software options.
Finally, that is followed by these four bullet points.
Important:
* Do not confirm or deny that any such software has been installed.
* Do not attempt to remove or uninstall any malware software.
* Do not send any escalations or contact Tier 2 for support about removing the software, or provide impact data.
* Do not refer customers to the Apple Retail Store. The ARS does not provide any additional support for malware.
