CONSOLE LOGs 101

[blewvelvet]

Can everyone (if possible) add to this thread some quick important items to look for when looking at ALL Messages in the console log app?

What to look out for...things such as:


suspicious java activity
hacking
bots
virus activity
server problems
general bugs

etc.

Also...off beat items...like "The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit"..., while not a hack issues..one wonders why a coder would use a suspicious word like "dirty" to describe a memory problem...etc.

Anyway..this would be a very educational thread!

 

[GGJstudios]

suspicious java activity

Java is not preinstalled in OS X, so if a user installs it, it's for a specific purpose, which they would know.

hacking

The chances of an average OS X user having their computer hacked is pretty much zero. If you don't give physical access to your computer and don't plug in strange devices, you don't have to worry about hacking.

bots

If you didn't install a bot or give someone physical access to your Mac, it's safe to assume that you don't have one.

virus activity

Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 12 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). 3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link.

​

Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

 

[blewvelvet]

Zero probability - heh?

Why was my computer hacked back in January AND my wifi last year...I wake up to find someone scrolling through a financial statement at 9am in the morning?

Looking back at the logs...some blackhats from Korea started attempting logins in the middle of the night guessing my password which had variables in it.

Last year..I wake up to find someone accessed my wifi and got my paypal..and transferred $2k from my checking to my paypal account.

Soooooo....yeah...hacking doesn't happen on a mac. (crickets)

I had implemented some of the security items listed on the link shared...and I never open a link first without checking on it. I pretty good at identifying the bad phishes.

We need some Console 101...AND it would be nice to have an app notify you when login attempts are made to your computer. I have looked for a simple notification app which watches the log and if it sees certain activity...attached to the log..it doesn't exist...there is one that you have to do a lot of terminal and server setup to use it. Not happening.

 

[GGJstudios]

Zero probability - heh?

Why was my computer hacked back in January AND my wifi last year...I wake up to find someone scrolling through a financial statement at 9am in the morning?

Your computer was not hacked. The only way someone can access your computer is if you give them physical access or if you actively permit them to gain remote access. All too often users claim malware or hacking when something happens on their computer that they don't expect or understand. The reality is malware is rarely the cause and hacking has never been the case in hundreds of claims of such over the past 7 years in this forum.

Looking back at the logs...some blackhats from Korea started attempting logins in the middle of the night guessing my password which had variables in it.

Unless you're a high-value target such as a government or industry leader, hackers have no interest in hacking into an average user's computer, as there's nothing you have that they want.

Last year..I wake up to find someone accessed my wifi and got my paypal..and transferred $2k from my checking to my paypal account.

Your online accounts can be hacked, usually by guessing a too-simple or predictable password. That has nothing to do with your computer, and can happen even if you don't own a computer.

Soooooo....yeah...hacking doesn't happen on a mac.

Exactly.

We need some Console 101...AND it would be nice to have an app notify you when login attempts are made to your computer. I have looked for a simple notification app which watches the log and if it sees certain activity...attached to the log..it doesn't exist...there is one that you have to do a lot of terminal and server setup to use it. Not happening.

You don't need an app to watch the Console log. If you're paranoid, you can install Little Snitch, but it's not necessary. No one is hacking your computer.