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Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
i need a malware software for mac what is the best software

What's that I hear coming. Footsteps in the distance. Why it's GGJstudios on his way to tell you that there is built in malware protection, make sure Firewall is on, Java is off, and that user education and care is all that is needed to protect against malware.

Only he'll say it much better, and give you links to explain everything you need to know about malware on Macs.

That is, he'll show up if your lucky - he really knows about all this stuff.:D
 

keith4594

macrumors member
Jul 15, 2010
78
0
you might need some malware protection it all depends on what you are doing and on what websites you are doing it on i personally wouldn't use it because my macbook like all the others are built for SPEED and you don't what to take it away but if you are a big downloaded and wouldn't miss a few seconds of your life then mcafee will do the job
 

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,539
941
i need a malware software for mac what is the best software
You don't need any 3rd party antivirus app to keep your Mac malware-free. 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 10 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.
download the fake adobe flash update youl find a really good piece of malware there..
Of course, downloading it won't be enough to infect a Mac. You'll have to manually install it.
you might need some malware protection it all depends on what you are doing and on what websites you are doing it
It doesn't matter what websites you visit. The only Mac OS X malware in the wild requires the user to actively install it, which usually involves entering your admin password. You can surf all day long without risk of infecting your Mac, as long as you're not installing anything.
mcafee will do the job
McAfee is a joke. Don't use it. ClamXav is a good choice if you insist on running antivirus, since it isn't a resource hog, detects both Mac and Windows malware and doesn't run with elevated privileges. You can run scans when you choose, rather than leaving it running all the time, slowing your system.
 

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
You don't need any 3rd party antivirus app to keep your Mac malware-free. 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 10 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Of course, downloading it won't be enough to infect a Mac. You'll have to manually install it.

It doesn't matter what websites you visit. The only Mac OS X malware in the wild requires the user to actively install it, which usually involves entering your admin password. You can surf all day long without risk of infecting your Mac, as long as you're not installing anything.

McAfee is a joke. Don't use it. ClamXav is a good choice if you insist on running antivirus, since it isn't a resource hog, detects both Mac and Windows malware and doesn't run with elevated privileges. You can run scans when you choose, rather than leaving it running all the time, slowing your system.

See, I told you he'd give you the full dope.;):D
 
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0000757

macrumors 68040
Dec 16, 2011
3,894
850
yeah shrink, he really does know his stuff.

but theres one thing i would like to know,

what does happen if you do install some bad stuff?

This is the only "serious" issue and even then, it can easily be removed.

Otherwise with generic trojans, your system just gets slow.
 

shyam09

macrumors 68020
Oct 31, 2010
2,228
2,498
wait sry dumb question, but do mac have a firewall built in? is it turned off by default? or is this a 3rd party firewall we are talking about

lol sry for those dumb question :p
 

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,539
941
wait sry dumb question, but do mac have a firewall built in? is it turned off by default? or is this a 3rd party firewall we are talking about

lol sry for those dumb question :p
Yes, the firewall is built in.
Yes, it's off by default.
No, it's not a 3rd party firewall.
To turn it on (which you should), go to System Preferences > Security > Firewall and enable it.
No, it's not a dumb question. :)
 

MisterMe

macrumors G4
Jul 17, 2002
10,709
69
USA
...

Otherwise with generic trojans, your system just gets slow.
This is a very popular misconception. The purpose of malware is not to slowdown your computer. A system slowdown may, however, be a characteristic of badly written malware. That said, there is no MacOS X malware in the wild. If your Mac experiences a slowdown, then this is no reason to suspect malware. OTOH if you are running Windows without protection, then you may rest assured that you have malware. This is true even if the Windows system is humming along.
 

0000757

macrumors 68040
Dec 16, 2011
3,894
850
This is a very popular misconception. The purpose of malware is not to slowdown your computer. A system slowdown may, however, be a characteristic of badly written malware. That said, there is no MacOS X malware in the wild. If your Mac experiences a slowdown, then this is no reason to suspect malware. OTOH if you are running Windows without protection, then you may rest assured that you have malware. This is true even if the Windows system is humming along.

Notice I said "Trojans" and not "Malware" :)
 
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