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Apple 'officially recommends' antivirus...
- Thread starter Smacky
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i dont think they would "recommend" antivirus, i mean nobody bothers hacking into those or fooling around with them. besides its a totally differnt code than windows.
So...it looks like Apple is 'recommending' antivirus to sell more software to people that have recently switched to Macs?
Nonsense. The notion that marketshare plays a role in the threat posed by viruses arose from a 1999-era assertion by Bill Gates. He made the assertion to deflect blame from Microsoft at a time when Windows was facing a withering barrage of viral attacks. Gates did not then, nor did anyone since then, present any evidence to support the assertion.MacBlogz said:
I recently read an article about why the lack of viruses on OS X can't be attributed to market share. I think bookmarked it on my MacBook. I'll see if I can't dig it up.
I think it would be a sever lack of judgment if Apple would take the position that Macs could not get viruses. Whether there is a current threat or not.
I'd believe the system architecture (security model) plays a role here... maybe that's why Vista is trying to mimic what other *nix boxes had been doing ...
The only time I use Anti Virus is to make sure the file IS infected before sending to my ignorant PC friends.
So is anyone familiar with free and/or open source antivirus software? I have found commercial packages (especially Norton!!) are more trouble than their worth.
iAntiVirus looks interesting, but I know nothing about it...
Oh, wait... I just found that Clam has a Mac version: ClamXav.
That's probably going to be the best option. Clam is tried and true.
iAntiVirus looks interesting, but I know nothing about it...
Oh, wait... I just found that Clam has a Mac version: ClamXav.
That's probably going to be the best option. Clam is tried and true.
T
Tonerl
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Apple's Anti-virus Advice
At http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2550, I read:
Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult. Here are some available antivirus utilities:
* Intego VirusBarrier X5, available from the Apple Online Store
License: commercial
* Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11 for Macintosh, available from the Apple Online Store
License: commercial
* McAfee VirusScan for Mac
License: commercial
Does this herald a new approach by Apple and should I now install at least two anti-virus programs on my iMac?
At http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2550, I read:
Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult. Here are some available antivirus utilities:
* Intego VirusBarrier X5, available from the Apple Online Store
License: commercial
* Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11 for Macintosh, available from the Apple Online Store
License: commercial
* McAfee VirusScan for Mac
License: commercial
Does this herald a new approach by Apple and should I now install at least two anti-virus programs on my iMac?
Antivirus
The last time Symantec launched a anti virus program for Apple, the only vulnerability was the anti virus program itself. It created a security hole which could be exploited.
I'm very skeptic about this announcement
The last time Symantec launched a anti virus program for Apple, the only vulnerability was the anti virus program itself. It created a security hole which could be exploited.
I'm very skeptic about this announcement
Are they insane? "multiple antivirus", asking for trouble, I don't care what they say. If you must run AV, pick one and stick with it.
I agree. Norton and McFee don't play well together. In fact I don't know any AV that plays well with another especially Norton.
Looking at Intego's site http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier/ under the screenshots tab, it seems like it's only able to find Windows viruses from a Mac
All the scanned files are .exe-files. They can't even fabricate a Mac-virus
Here is a direct link: http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier/zoom.asp?screen=vbX5_logs_big.png
All the scanned files are .exe-files. They can't even fabricate a Mac-virus
Here is a direct link: http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier/zoom.asp?screen=vbX5_logs_big.png
I would think it would look into word documents and other files which are likely to have viruses on them. Its highly unlikely they will hurt your machine, but it is good to know and stop them in case you send them to a windows PC which doesn't have any protection on it.
Good point, although that makes it a trojan rather than a virus, which no anti-virus scanner can protect against. What you need there is the common sense to query why you're being asked for Admin rights when running the app.