Codec V - Malware

[marty1990]

Didn't know where to put this sorry.

A friend of mine went on my Pro and went on some video site. It came back saying that he needed to download 'Codec-V'. He started to download it but I realised what he was doing and cancelled it and banned him from my Mac (Y).

Anyway, I googled Codec V and got this;

http://www.removeonline.com/how-to-r...odec-v-trojan/

If it had downloaded, would it affect my Pro/files? Also, would VirusBarrier protect me from such stuff? Is a scan necessary?

Thanks.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by marty1990

A friend of mine went on my Pro and went on some video site. It came back saying that he needed to download 'Codec-V'. He started to download it but I realised what he was doing and cancelled it and banned him from my Mac (Y).

Codec-V is a Windows trojan and cannot affect your Mac in any way.

Originally Posted by marty1990

Also, would VirusBarrier protect me from such stuff? Is a scan necessary?

No, a scan isn't necessary. In fact, I recommend you uninstall VirusBarrier, since you don't need it. 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 over 10 years ago. If you practice safe computing, the only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they 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.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. Uncheck "Enable Java" in Safari > Preferences > Security. Leave this unchecked until you visit a trusted site that requires Java, then re-enable only for your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Check your DNS settings by reading this.
   
   
5. Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
   
   
6. Never let someone else have physical access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
7. Don't open email attachments or other files that come to you from people you don't know and trust.
   
   
8. Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.

That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any virus, trojan, spyware, keylogger, or other malware. You don't need any 3rd party software to keep your Mac secure.