Can an iPod get a virus?

Answer 1

Technically, yes. Though Ipods are MAC based and most viruses are not created to affect MACS (I don't quite understand why). There was, just recently actually, a press release from Apple that they had an entire shipment of Ipods ship out that contained a virus, harmful only to PC's. So while it is unlikely that your Ipod will catch a virus , harmful to it's operation, it is possible for it to be a carrier of virus(es) that could potentially infect any Window's Based computer you hook the Ipod to.

The Apple website has detailed directions on how to clear your Ipod of the virus under support.

Answer 2

A few months ago, it was in the news that a batch of iPods got a virus in manufacturing during the testing process with a Windows machine. The virus would only spread if the iPod gets connected to a Windows computer.

Generally speaking, there has not been any known viruses designed to attack an iPod. For now, an iPod can only be a virus carrier.

Answer 3

Apple released an alert that "a small number of iPods" shipped after Sep. 12, 2006 left the contract manufacturer carrying the Windows RavMonE.exe virus. Of course, they don't specify what "a small number" actually means. It affects only windows computers, and should be detected by up-to-date virus software. The iPod itself doesn't appear to be harmed, but the virus can infect a PC running windows if left unproteted. Since the virus can propagate over storage media, Apple recommends you scan any USB drives, disks, etc. that may have come into contact with your computer if it is infected.

Answer 4

we can all be glad the apocolypse isn't apon us just yet! no, the iPod cannot get virus's. : )

Answer 5

I've heard that it can from places were music isn't cleaned by itunes...

iPod Virus Fallout
Apple blames Windows for virus-infected video iPods; Microsoft fires back.
Paul F. Roberts, InfoWorld
Thursday, October 19, 2006 06:00 AM PDT

Security and quality assurance experts reacted negatively to Apple Computer's efforts on Tuesday to blame manufacturing problems that resulted in iPod MP3 players shipping with a virus that affects Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Security professionals, including Microsoft's own product release virus scanning chief, called Apple's efforts to deflect blame onto Microsoft misleading and said the batch of factory-infected iPods reveals a troubling lack of thoroughness in the company's manufacturing process.

Small Number of iPods Infected
On Monday, Apple released a statement on its Web site noting that a "small number of video iPods shipped with a Windows virus," which the company identified as RavMonE.exe. The number of affected iPods is small--less than 1 percent of all video iPods available for purchase after September 12, 2006, the company said in its statement, adding "as you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it."

That statement drew criticism from security experts, including Jonathan Poon, the man in charge of scanning Microsoft products for viruses before they ship.

Security Experts Support Microsoft
"It's not a matter of which platform the virus originated [on]. The fact that it's found on the portable player means that there's an issue with how the quality checks, specifically the content check, was done," Poon wrote in a blog entry.

James "Randy" Abrams, who held Poon's job for more than a decade at Microsoft and is not director of technical education at ESET, agreed.

"The Apple iPod incident was not about Microsoft having a hardy operating system, it was all about security and process," Abrams told InfoWorld in an e-mail message.

Viruses on Microsoft's network weren't unusual when Abrams was testing that company's products before shipping them, he said.

"I released software in an environment surrounded by Windows machines. Many machines on the corporate network were infected. We never introduced a virus into the software in the release or manufacturing processes because we had a professional understanding of what it took to release what we were supposed to," he said.

"That Apple would blame Microsoft demonstrates a lack of understanding of remedial security and manufacturing processes. Virus was only a symptom of the problem. Apple didn't know what they were shipping," Abrams said.

Apple did not respond to phone and e-mail requests for comment before this story filed.

Apple Compared to McDonald's
The news about the infected iPods was the second such story in recent days. On Monday, McDonald's admitted that 10,000 MP3 players that were given away in a promotion in Japan also contained a worm, identified as WORM-QQPASS.ADH.

Both Poon and Abrams said that Apple's response to the infected iPods fell short of McDonald's, even though the burger giant has precious little experience in the consumer electronics space.

"The difference in how McDonald's and Apple handled similar incidents paints a stark difference between management integrity and customer service focus," Abrams wrote.

"Both cases were flawed manufacturing processes. Mistakes can happen and smart companies accept responsibility, make things right with the customer, and fix the problems. Lesser companies play the blame game," he wrote.

McDonald's fix: a single link to Trend Micro's "Housecall" online virus scanning service and an open offer to replace infected players for free also won praise over Apple's response: a bunch of links to free antivirus software trials, including Microsoft's OneCare program, Poon wrote.

"Steve, if you need someone to advise on how to improve your quality checks, feel free to contact me," Poon said, referring to Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

Analysis
Software companies have long known about the potential to introduce viruses and other malicious code during the manufacturing process, and have developed procedures to catch such infections.

Two such episodes in a week might indicate that malicious hackers have figured out that consumer device makers are less vigilant in their oversight, said Dennis Szerszen, vice president of marketing and corporate strategy at SecureWave, an end point security software vendor.

Apple may have had more lax oversight around the iPod because it wasn't software and wasn't, in itself, targeted by malicious code, he said.

"There may have been less rigor because they weren't cutting and shipping an OS," he said.

Given that, Apple is lucky that it was a virus that shipped on the iPods rather than pornography, pirated software, or some kind of religious or political propaganda that would have been even more damaging to Apple's name, Abrams said.

iPods and other consumer devices are increasingly finding their way onto enterprise networks, and are an increasingly common vector for attacks, he said.

""The end point is the final frontier in enterprise security, because it's where you and I bring our recreational attitudes and personal choices for how to work to bear," he said.

Companies should set up stringent policies about whether and how to use consumer electronics devices at work, but also set up systems to monitor their use and prevent malicious attacks or infections that might be carried by iPods, PDAs, and other consumer devices, Szerszen said.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127565-page,1/article.html

I hope that this helps and have a nice day...