Infected files

[berthenderson]

A friend of mine uses a Windows computer, and torrents a lot of cracked software. I use a Mac, and all my software is purchased legally. We work together, and he often sends me files for me to edit on my Mac that he's produced on his Windows machine. Can anything 'bad' transfer between the two OS's? Or would the Mac be okay?

 

[stridemat]

The Mac should be ok, especially if you are running Mountain Lion.

Have a quick read of this guide.

 

[justperry]

A friend of mine uses a Windows computer, and torrents a lot of cracked software. I use a Mac, and all my software is purchased legally. We work together, and he often sends me files for me to edit on my Mac that he's produced on his Windows machine. Can anything 'bad' transfer between the two OS's? Or would the Mac be okay?

First tell your #%&#& friend to get a virus scanner, macs are overall "immune" to viruses, there are no known viruses which can infect Macs, there is malware but if you be careful the chance you get infected is "zero"

Your friend is actually a moron not to care about other people, he should scan what he is downloading and giving to friends.

 

[GGJstudios]

A friend of mine uses a Windows computer, and torrents a lot of cracked software. I use a Mac, and all my software is purchased legally. We work together, and he often sends me files for me to edit on my Mac that he's produced on his Windows machine. Can anything 'bad' transfer between the two OS's? Or would the Mac be okay?

Windows applications, including malware, cannot run in Mac OS X, so your Mac cannot be infected by Windows malware. If you forward files from your friend to other Windows computers, they could be infected. To scan such files before sending to Windows users, ClamXav (which is free) is one of the best choices, 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.

macs are overall "immune" to viruses,

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. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). Also, Mac OS X 10.6 and later versions 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. Disable Java in your browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox). This will protect you from malware that exploits Java in your browser, including the recent Flashback trojan. Leave Java disabled until you visit a trusted site that requires it, then re-enable only for the duration of your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Change your DNS servers to OpenDNS servers 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. If you're running Mountain Lion, check your Gatekeeper settings in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General > Allow applications downloaded from. For more information on these settings: OS X: About Gatekeeper
   
   
7. Never let someone else have access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
8. Don't open files that you receive from unknown or untrusted sources.
   
   
9. For added security, make sure all network, email, financial and other important passwords are long and complex, including upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
   
   
10. 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 Mac OS X malware that has ever been released into the wild. While you may elect to use it, 3rd party antivirus software is not required to keep your Mac malware-free.

 

[justperry]

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. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). Also, Mac OS X 10.6 and later versions 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

1. 
   
   Maybe I should have worded it differently, but I said "...." and also viruses not malware.
   
   I know they are not immune but until now they were.

 

[GGJstudios]

Maybe I should have worded it differently, but I said "...." and also viruses not malware.

I know they are not immune but until now they were.

Macs have never been immune to malware of any kind, including viruses. There were many viruses, trojans and other forms of malware that affected Mac OS 9 and earlier. There have been no viruses in the wild that can affect Mac OS X, but that could change in the future. No OS is immune to malware.

 

[berthenderson]

Okay thanks, that clears that up. What about Android viruses? Can they run on OSX? Or even iOS? You see, he often has files saved on his phone which he plugs into my Mac to transfer stuff across. He also downloads app from places other than the Google Play Store. He also sends stuff to my Mac wirelessy from his phone, and I get rather anxious in case 'things that shouldn't be on my Mac' get on there.

 

[GGJstudios]

Okay thanks, that clears that up. What about Android viruses? Can they run on OSX? Or even iOS?

No, as those are 3 separate operating systems. I encourage you to read the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ I posted. It will help alleviate your concerns by giving you facts about Macs and malware.