The Mac Observer’s code wizard Adam Christianson has been hard at work making Safe Download Version even better, and this latest update adds the ability to update to the most recent definition list file from within the application. Safe Download Version is a Mac OS X application that shows the version number for Apples safe files definition list, along with when the list was last updated on user’s computers.
Snow Leopard users that installed Apple’s Security Update 2011-003 can get daily safe file updates Safari uses to help make sure malware doesn’t find its way onto their Macs. Apple doesn’t, however, offer an easy way to tell when your definitions list was last updated, or what list version number is installed, so The Mac Observer whipped up Safe Download Version to handle that task for you.
Safe Download Version is a Mac OS X application that shows which safe downloads definition list version is installed, along with the date and time the definition list was last updated on your computer. The brand new version 0.4.1 update added the ability to manually update to the latest version of Apple’s definitions list.
Apple released Security Update 2011-003 in response to a trojan horse malware threat called MacDefender. The trojan horse looks like a legit application that scans your Mac for viruses.
MacDefender displays dialogs claiming it found malware, and then asks users for their credit card account information. To help reinforce the illusion that it found viruses, it forces Web browser windows to open to porno Web sites.
As new variants of MacDefender hit the Web, Apple will continue to update its safe download list with new malware definitions. Macs with Security Update 2011-003 installed will auto-check for the new definitions daily.
Safe Download Version 0.4.1 is free and available for download at the TMO Web site.