It seems the honeymoon is over for Mac users on the malware front. While it has always been possible to do nasty things to Macs via malicious software, up until the past few days, it’s been pretty much a “proof of concept” thing.

Now we have the MacDefender (aka MacSecurity, MacProtector) scam. While not maybe a widespread issue to date, it does signal that Mac malware has left the lab and is now in the wild. There is no need to panic. We’re still far better off than our Windows cousins. According to computer security expert Charlie Miller in a recent cnet report:

There are about 10 pieces of malware that have been written for the Mac, while Microsoft says that one in 14 downloads (on PCs) is malicious.

Still, we should be aware that our days of innocence are over, and we need to begin thinking more seriously about keeping our Macs secure.

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If you own a domain name (or a hundred), and your registrar hasn’t bugged you to death about it already, VeriSign, the official overseer for .com and .net domains, is increasing prices on July 1 – 7% for .com and 10% for .net. Hence, your registrar will be passing the increase onto you.

So if you have a few extra bucks lying around, you can beat the increase by renewing your domains before the price goes up next Thursday.

MacWorld is reporting that cybercrooks are now sending iTunes Phishing eMails to potential victims. Long the target of PayPal, eBay, and pretty much every bank on the planet, this newest incarnation involves users receiving a spam eMail (usually several at once, which should be your first clue) saying that they must correct a problem with their iTunes account.

The eMail includes a link that takes the user to a fake “iTunes Billing Update” page which asks for credit card number (with security code), Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, and other sensitive information.

Let it be known (again): NO legitimate company will ever ask for personal information via an eMail. If by any remote chance, you think the eMail might be legitimate (like, eg, maybe you just moved) – still – DO NOT USE THE LINKS IN THE EMAIL. Open your browser, and go to the website directly, using the URL listed on a bill, other known legitimate document, or a bookmark you have previously verified. Or call customer service and verify over the phone.