antivirus worth it?

[yishy]

just got a mac and i was wondering if its worth installing an antivirus program. Also do antivirus programs slow down the computer?

[iLikeMyiMac]

just got a mac and i was wondering if its worth installing an antivirus program. Also do antivirus programs slow down the computer?
No. There are no real viruses for 10.3 yet.

[phonemonkey]

well, you may want to get one cause even though it wont infrect your sestem you can still spread them through email, networks, etc.
phonemonkey

[thecow]

You don't really need it. I have never had AV software on my powerbook in its 3 years of life and its fine.

[ChrisFromCanada]

just got a mac and i was wondering if its worth installing an antivirus program. Also do antivirus programs slow down the computer?

1. no
2. yes

[Miner Willy]

It would seem that a few of the Mac community are a little bit selfish. Just because there aren't any viruses per se for the mac doesn't mean that you shouldn't worry about them. You risk passing on virii on to your PC based friends and spreading them again.

I personally think you should have some anti-virus software on your machines; the question is there any good anti-virus software out there I can use?

Without it think about you machine as an incubator for viruses, keeping them alive until you send that infected attachment out.... :rolleyes:

[JFreak]

antivirus for email is unnecessary, because windows attachments will not activate in mac and therefore you can safely drop the virus mail in the trash. however, if windows people send you some real attachments (word file anyone?) that CONTAIN a windows virus, you may not notice that virus without an antivirus app - and therefore your mac may in time have a lot of windows virii that you may or may not send to another poor windows user.

so yes, for windows people's sake, it would be good to have that anti-virus app available. they just are so sluggish and big nowadays that i don't want to install one :)

[Miner Willy]

antivirus for email is unnecessary, because windows attachments will not activate in mac and therefore you can safely drop the virus mail in the trash. however, if windows people send you some real attachments (word file anyone?) that CONTAIN a windows virus, you may not notice that virus without an antivirus app - and therefore your mac may in time have a lot of windows virii that you may or may not send to another poor windows user.

so yes, for windows people's sake, it would be good to have that anti-virus app available. they just are so sluggish and big nowadays that i don't want to install one :)

I totally agree with you that they won't email trojans or whatever won't affect the mac, but what I was trying to say was why should we harbour virii and pass them on. Not everybody is totally computer savvy or know how viruses work and could be using a mac for ease of use unaware that they may be spreading virii.

[tomf87]

I totally agree with you that they won't email trojans or whatever won't affect the mac, but what I was trying to say was why should we harbour virii and pass them on. Not everybody is totally computer savvy or know how viruses work and could be using a mac for ease of use unaware that they may be spreading virii.

Yeah, I agree with you here. But I don't agree that they slow you down a lot. I just deployed Norton Corporate 9 on our network, and it hasn't really slowed down even our 1.2Ghz machines.

I think we all need to watch out for each other...

[bubbamac]

I don't believe Virex recognizes Windows virii, so it's not going to help rid the world of them - nor protect your email recipients.

I think the new version of Norton AV recognizes the Windows virii, but I wouldn't let anything Norton within 10 feet of my Mac, so that's no use to me.

Yea, there aren't any virii written for the Mac yet - but I don't want to be the first unwitting victim. Part of the problem in the Windows world is the attitude that "...it won't affect me..." Sound familiar?

[Mord]

I don't believe Virex recognizes Windows virii, so it's not going to help rid the world of them - nor protect your email recipients.

I think the new version of Norton AV recognizes the Windows virii, but I wouldn't let anything Norton within 10 feet of my Mac, so that's no use to me.

Yea, there aren't any virii written for the Mac yet - but I don't want to be the first unwitting victim. Part of the problem in the Windows world is the attitude that "...it won't affect me..." Sound familiar?

it's all virex dose, it's the most pointless thing ever.

there are less linux users than mac users but they still get the odd virus, os it will be a while before there is a mac virus

[Savage Henry]

Part of the problem in the Windows world is the attitude that "...it won't affect me..." Sound familiar?

It's all about the performance versus security trade-off. I've had Virex for 3 years and I'm thinking of taking it off.

I don't recommend that to everyone, but I'm choosing performance.

[JLS]

If all windows users had antivirus then there would be no need to have one on a mac... I would rather keep performance and let windows users look after themselves.

[MisterMe]

If all windows users had antivirus then there would be no need to have one on a mac... I would rather keep performance and let windows users look after themselves.Unenlightened self-interest. Most likely, you display the enlightenment of the 14 year-old. Windows viruses have made everyone's Internet experience worse, inlcuding Mac users. One of the most direct consequences in the world of work is that our employers install virus filters that delete email attachments sent from our Macs and other non-Winodws-based computers. Similar filters delete email attachments that we hope to receive. Another is that Windows viruses steal our email addresses from our Windows-using friends' and colleagues' address books. There are many other instances where Mac users are collateral damage in the war between the virus writers and Windows. Whether you like it or not, we are all in this together. If we don't take a side against the viruses, we accept them by default.

[JLS]

Unenlightened self-interest. Most likely, you display the enlightenment of the 14 year-old. Windows viruses have made everyone's Internet experience worse, inlcuding Mac users. One of the most direct consequences in the world of work is that our employers install virus filters that delete email attachments sent from our Macs and other non-Winodws-based computers. Similar filters delete email attachments that we hope to receive. Another is that Windows viruses steal our email addresses from our Windows-using friends' and colleagues' address books. There are many other instances where Mac users are collateral damage in the war between the virus writers and Windows. Whether you like it or not, we are all in this together. If we don't take a side against the viruses, we accept them by default.

Im 18, not that a 14yr old doesnt have a brain either you freaking bigot...

I have used windows computers all my life, and im using one right now. If you are a windows user who is too stupid/cheap to have antivirus protection then its nobodys fault but your own if your infected... nothing to do with mac users.

[jsw]

Im 18, not that a 14yr old doesnt have a brain either you ________ _____...Direct personal insults are a bannable offense... just FYI.

[Mord]

even though i'm in the "i don't give a crap about windows users picking up attachments camp" that's a little harsh and offensive JLS.

it's not my problem it's the problem of people who choose to use windows.

[Timelessblur]

even though i'm in the "i don't give a crap about windows users picking up attachments camp" that's a little harsh and offensive JLS.

it's not my problem it's the problem of people who choose to use windows.

you might like to know that those mass windows virus do effect mac uses indrictly at least. Weather it internet slow down, increase secirty at the ISP/network making a lot of things just harder to do.

Sadly it because people refuse to bother to simple safty in dealing with attachments in cluding a lot of mac usesr which just pass them on. exe files are harder to send because now ISP are very picky about them. Large unknow file types get stop quite a bit so that trick to get around when I need to send stuff no longer works nor does ziping the file because now the ISP unzip and check the file. Slowing email down plus making it a pain in the ass for legit useage of sending files. Reason I learned a lot of the tricks is to turn in homework to teachers. VB files are almost impossible to sended unless you know tricks.

Just remeber it just a matter of time before there is some nasty Mac virsue out there that spreds like wild fire. The ones with AV will be safe but the vaste majority of them will pay the price and dont exept any one who runs AV to feel sorry for them. A lot of windows users dont run good AV and they get nailed.

The number game is really not a valid argument because general there is less than 100 virse (or varints there off) that are actitly spreeding around the net at any momemt in time. The older virse are general killed off for good by ISP and what not so they kill the spreed of it.

Is it currently safe to run no AV on a mac. Yes it is. will it be for ever hell no. its just a matter of time before something big hits macs

[JLS]

Direct personal insults are a bannable offense... just FYI.


Well

Unenlightened self-interest. Most likely, you display the enlightenment of the 14 year-old

is just as insulting to me... resulting in my response.

I think the word bigot is an accurate description of somebody that thinks younger people are stupid.

..is intolerant of those who differ
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bigot

Sorry if anyone is offended by my views in this instance.

[jsw]

I'm not trying to take sides either way - I've just seen people warned or banned for similar posts.

And I don't think the original poster was implying that young people were selfish. Just more self-centered. Not agreeing or disagreeing.

[MisterMe]

you might like to know that those mass windows virus do effect mac uses indrictly at least. Weather it internet slow down, increase secirty at the ISP/network making a lot of things just harder to do.

Sadly it because people refuse to bother to simple safty in dealing with attachments in cluding a lot of mac usesr which just pass them on. exe files are harder to send because now ISP are very picky about them. Large unknow file types get stop quite a bit so that trick to get around when I need to send stuff no longer works nor does ziping the file because now the ISP unzip and check the file. Slowing email down plus making it a pain in the ass for legit useage of sending files. Reason I learned a lot of the tricks is to turn in homework to teachers. VB files are almost impossible to sended unless you know tricks.

Just remeber it just a matter of time before there is some nasty Mac virsue out there that spreds like wild fire. The ones with AV will be safe but the vaste majority of them will pay the price and dont exept any one who runs AV to feel sorry for them. A lot of windows users dont run good AV and they get nailed.

The number game is really not a valid argument because general there is less than 100 virse (or varints there off) that are actitly spreeding around the net at any momemt in time. The older virse are general killed off for good by ISP and what not so they kill the spreed of it.

Is it currently safe to run no AV on a mac. Yes it is. will it be for ever hell no. its just a matter of time before something big hits macsYou are correct about one thing and wrong about another. My firm's email Exchange system will not allow me to send .zip files as attachments. My personal feelings about .exe files is that they should be banned. Period.

The thing that you are wrong about is the notion of a nasty Mac virus that spreads like wildfire. It will simply not happen. Viruses are so bad in Windows for a very simple reason. Windows is designed that way. It has nurtured user and developer cultures that perpetuate ever worse security threats. These cultures are not going to disappear anytime soon.

[fuijin]

antivirus for email is unnecessary, because windows attachments will not activate in mac and therefore you can safely drop the virus mail in the trash. however, if windows people send you some real attachments (word file anyone?) that CONTAIN a windows virus, you may not notice that virus without an antivirus app - and therefore your mac may in time have a lot of windows virii that you may or may not send to another poor windows user.

so yes, for windows people's sake, it would be good to have that anti-virus app available. they just are so sluggish and big nowadays that i don't want to install one :)

to argue the opposite of your point. Is it every mac users responsibility to protect windows users? Shouldnt it be the responsibility of the windows user to protect their own PC? not trying to be rude, but they do get email from more places they just mac users. so i would probably say that no, an anti-virus program is not needed. imo.

[Timelessblur]

to argue the opposite of your point. Is it every mac users responsibility to protect windows users? Shouldnt it be the responsibility of the windows user to protect their own PC? not trying to be rude, but they do get email from more places they just mac users. so i would probably say that no, an anti-virus program is not needed. imo.


no it not that. general it everyone respiblity to try to keep down the spread of viruses. Most windows users have AV on there computer but general take a very same % of the computer out there to bring things to a crashing halt and to cause an huge amont of damage.

what this tread does prove is how stuck up mac users are and how little they care. They seem to think they are invible to virus which they are not and they seem to beleive that they never will get a virus or so. If that is the case then why are secuirty updates release by apple if there OS is so perficet. OH YEAH because it is not and it has it holes in it. Problem is a lot of people dont keep there computer upto date. You are dumb to think that there never will be a Mac virsue that spreeds like wild fire.

Is it likely to happen soon or with in the next year no it is not. The question is no if there ever will be. the correct question is when will it happen. Sad part is it more than likely going to use a secruity patch release by Apple that is seveal months old. Kind of like Blaster did on windows. The hole it used was patch 6 months before blaster came out. People who keep there computer updated or had upto date AV software where more or less immuend to it.

is there going to be any real for warning before it happens no. It will basicly crop up over night.

[JLS]

My personal feelings about .exe files is that they should be banned. Period.

I agree.

.exe files (even if in zip files) are banned on Gmail, which I agree with. Its very rare that anyone would need to send an exe file via email anyway, so this might be a move thats built into software email clients by default too..

[Timelessblur]

I agree.

.exe files (even if in zip files) are banned on Gmail, which I agree with. Its very rare that anyone would need to send an exe file via email anyway, so this might be a move thats built into software email clients by default too..


I personly would be ticks if I lost the ablitly to email exe. Mainly because I yes I email them to friends when they ask for it and I have to email in assments that are exe. I think people who program will understand how bad that would be. General there is a simple rule in dealing with attachments that are programs. first if you dont know who it is from. DONT OPEN IT. 2nd rule if you where not expecting it dont open it.

Those are my rules for dealling with most attachments. If I dont know who it is from or if I was not expecting it I dont open it. The only attachment that vollnt that rule are from my school and those are maybe a word file or a pdf type file. But then again I do know there sorces and they are sent though my schools email address that is among the worst in dealing with viruses.

[MisterMe]

I personly would be ticks if I lost the ablitly to email exe. Mainly because I yes I email them to friends when they ask for it and I have to email in assments that are exe. I think people who program will understand how bad that would be. General there is a simple rule in dealing with attachments that are programs. first if you dont know who it is from. DONT OPEN IT. 2nd rule if you where not expecting it dont open it.

Those are my rules for dealling with most attachments. If I dont know who it is from or if I was not expecting it I dont open it. The only attachment that vollnt that rule are from my school and those are maybe a word file or a pdf type file. But then again I do know there sorces and they are sent though my schools email address that is among the worst in dealing with viruses.Autoexecuting .exe email attachments are a convenience on the Windows platform that were developed to mitigate several of the OS's weaknesses. This convenience was then exploited to become a major threat vector. We see this with lots of convenience developments on Windows. They get exploited to become vulnerabilities in the system.

One specific weakness that autoexecuting .exe files mitigate is that the Windows set of essential standard utilities is woefully incomplete. Missing is standard archiving software such as .zip. MacOS X has .zip built into the OS. Every Mac and every copy of MacOS X ship with a copy of Stuffit Expander. MacOS X includes a built-in disk image mounter for .dmg and img files. Every MacOS X users is guarranteed access to three archiving technologies, not just one.

The MacOS 9 version of DiskCopy allowed the creation of self-mounting disk images, .smi files. This feature makes no sense on a preemptive multitasking OS like MacOS X. The self-mounting image feature was removed from the MacOS X version of DiskCopy/Disk Utilities. Aladdin Systems (now Allume Systems) followed suite with Stuffit Deluxe. You can create a self-extracting archive (.sea) for MacOS 9, but you can't do it for MacOS X. I have never heard of a MacOS 9 exploit based on .smi or .sea (Stuffit, Compact Pro, or Zip). However, Apple chose not to develop self-extracting archive technology in MacOS X. Although they could jumped into the breach to satisfy the crybabies, no third-party Mac developer did so. The end result is that a totally unnecessary exploit path was never created. And what's more, this makes an executable file attached to email automatically suspect.

Now, for your little rule about not opening email from people that you don't know. Where have you been? That guarantees you nothing. There are worms out there that copy your email address from your Windows-using friends's address books. They then capture an unprotected computer in Guam or Geneva or someplace and send emails in your cousin's name to you.

[Chaszmyr]

My personal feelings about .exe files is that they should be banned. Period.

I seriously hope that you just mean banned from being emailed. Without .exe files Windows would have fewer programs than OSX

[Timelessblur]

Now, for your little rule about not opening email from people that you don't know. Where have you been? That guarantees you nothing. There are worms out there that copy your email address from your Windows-using friends's address books. They then capture an unprotected computer in Guam or Geneva or someplace and send emails in your cousin's name to you.

read rule 2. If I am not expacting the actment I dont open it either. I know when I have one be sent to me. If I didnt know that it was coming I check with that friend or they contact me telling me about it so I know what it is.

[~kilroy~]

Virii is not an English word. The correct usage is Viruses

[MisterMe]

I seriously hope that you just mean banned from being emailed. Without .exe files Windows would have fewer programs than OSXThe context of the post is email attachments. Just in case you are confused, I am speaking of the autoextracting compressed files that Windows-users attach to their emails. I was not including other .exe files, but now that I think about it....

[7on]

no it not that. general it everyone respiblity to try to keep down the spread of viruses. Most windows users have AV on there computer but general take a very same % of the computer out there to bring things to a crashing halt and to cause an huge amont of damage.

what this tread does prove is how stuck up mac users are and how little they care. They seem to think they are invible to virus which they are not and they seem to beleive that they never will get a virus or so. If that is the case then why are secuirty updates release by apple if there OS is so perficet. OH YEAH because it is not and it has it holes in it. Problem is a lot of people dont keep there computer upto date. You are dumb to think that there never will be a Mac virsue that spreeds like wild fire.

Is it likely to happen soon or with in the next year no it is not. The question is no if there ever will be. the correct question is when will it happen. Sad part is it more than likely going to use a secruity patch release by Apple that is seveal months old. Kind of like Blaster did on windows. The hole it used was patch 6 months before blaster came out. People who keep there computer updated or had upto date AV software where more or less immuend to it.

is there going to be any real for warning before it happens no. It will basicly crop up over night.


Ummmm, Anti-virus does not prevent future viruses from attacking. It was a Windows Patch that stopped the virus from infecting certain computers. And if a virus comes out for OSX, I'd rather install a patch from Apple than run anti-virus. Anti-virus is worthless. Didn't run it when I had a PC and I don't run it as a Mac user. Mainly because Premiere warns you to disable antivirus before running... but that is besides the issue ;P

[Timelessblur]

Ummmm, Anti-virus does not prevent future viruses from attacking. It was a Windows Patch that stopped the virus from infecting certain computers. And if a virus comes out for OSX, I'd rather install a patch from Apple than run anti-virus. Anti-virus is worthless. Didn't run it when I had a PC and I don't run it as a Mac user. Mainly because Premiere warns you to disable antivirus before running... but that is besides the issue ;P


ummm you are wrong there. All good antivirus have a thing called bloodhound built into them. anything that is run the AV looks at it really quickly. If it a new virse that not been discoved yet but have virse like props it will warn you and recomended a solution. Normal it to quantien or block it from running. You can always over ride that. I had to do it when for a add on in firefox call Firefox view. When I ran it from in IE my AV warned me about it since it was a script designed to kick up another program from another location (which was firefox) a normal virse trick. I over road it and told it that it was ok and it was happy.

Premieres tells you to turn it off because you are dealling with HUGE files and lots of them. those big files are going to draw a lot more system resorces when you start editing since it going to need to be scaned a lot. When you install something it is a good idea to turn it off because it speeds up the install and what not.

Lastly even a fully updated computer can get a virse from a file they put on there manual (Some document file for example) No patch is going to see that nor stop it. An AV on the other hand would and most of the time it can remove the virus with out damaging the file.

[MisterMe]

Ummmm, Anti-virus does not prevent future viruses from attacking. It was a Windows Patch that stopped the virus from infecting certain computers. And if a virus comes out for OSX, I'd rather install a patch from Apple than run anti-virus. Anti-virus is worthless. Didn't run it when I had a PC and I don't run it as a Mac user. Mainly because Premiere warns you to disable antivirus before running... but that is besides the issue ;PThat is so wrong on so many levels. Without antivirus software, there is simply no way that you know if your computer is infected by a virus or not. Not all viruses display symptoms that are immediately obvious. Among the things that antivirus software does is to disinfect your infected files. OS patches to not remove viruses. If you patch an infected OS, what you have is an infected patched OS. It is quite possible for your infected files to still infect a lot of unpatched computers. To avoid your computer being the Typhoid Mary of cyberspace, you need antivirus software on your Wintel computer. Installing antivirus software on a Mac is one of the marks of a good citizen.

[nesuser2]

All windows users should have AV software. Macs don't particularly need it so much, because really...who cares if you pass along viruses to windows machines. As long as they have AV software...which they should, then it won't matter. Viruses aren't so hard to stay away from, unless you don't know what you're doing...which is quite often the case. ;)

[Timelessblur]

All windows users should have AV software. Macs don't particularly need it so much, because really...who cares if you pass along viruses to windows machines. As long as they have AV software...which they should, then it won't matter. Viruses aren't so hard to stay away from, unless you don't know what you're doing...which is quite often the case. ;)

well passing virus a long some ISP and email server will deleted you account. I know here at my school if you send out to many virse though your email they just cut off your internet. so even for the mac users need that proctetion. Oh and they dont always cut you much slack.

The more imporant thing to have is the firewall.

[nesuser2]

Very much agreed on the firewall and most routers do a sufficient job. But as far as email...I don't think I've ever received a virus in email. I rarely ever receive attachments and I'm a "computer networking major" currently so I usually know about new viruses and old viruses are pretty easy to spot for me. If you can't catch your own viruses......probably just as easy to get AV software. (I changed sides!!)

[Timelessblur]

see so basicly you average mac uses needs it because lets be honsted the average computer user is an idiot (Mac or Windows). The dont know what they are doing and they open up almost any attachment or email (example I love you virus) The average person knows knowthing and is blind. They ask the people who know stuff about computers for help and what to do. Those people say oh you dont need AV for emails as long as you dont break the rules. All the average person heard was you odnt need AV and so they will contiun to spreed the virus around.

If you know what to look for and follow the rules then you are fine. Other wise you need it. So if you have to ask you need it because you are an average user who going to break the rules. The average person is an idiot when it comes to computers.

[fuijin]

so whats a good cheap/well intergrated anti-virus program for mac?

[Kirkus]

Im 18, not that a 14yr old doesnt have a brain either you freaking bigot...

I have used windows computers all my life, and im using one right now. If you are a windows user who is too stupid/cheap to have antivirus protection then its nobodys fault but your own if your infected... nothing to do with mac users.

I'm with JLS on this one. (BTW, I'm 45 years old so being too young won't negate my opinion). Why should I purchase and install virus protection on my Mac to protect Windows users who don't purchase and install virus protection? And we're NOT "all in this together". I'm smart enough to use a Mac... one of the perks? I don't have to worry about a wide spread virus.

[Kirkus]

what this tread does prove is how stuck up mac users are and how little they care. They seem to think they are invible to virus which they are not and they seem to beleive that they never will get a virus or so. If that is the case then why are secuirty updates release by apple if there OS is so perficet. OH YEAH because it is not and it has it holes in it. Problem is a lot of people dont keep there computer upto date. You are dumb to think that there never will be a Mac virsue that spreeds like wild fire.

How dare you generalize like that. Mac users are no more "stuck up" than Windows users are mindless robots who believe everything the big "M" tells them.

The fact is, a very small percent of computer users are on Macs. Viruses are written to attack Windows because the vast majority of computers being used run Windows. There have been Mac viruses in the past and there may be in the future. But they will not spread like wild fire for the simple reason that the arsonist isn't going to light a small grove of trees on fire. He's goin' after the forrest.

Please answer one simple question for me: Why should I, as a Mac user buy and install VP software to protect the Windows users who don't buy and install VP?

It's insane to believe that's my responsibility.

[nesuser2]

While structure won't be picked apart by me, it does help if everybody knows how to spell and doesn't accidetly foret letters because it's more agivating than you thik it is. :D