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Anti-virus program

gregd33 said:
That said, as osx becomes more popular as I am sure it will, I think the virii will appear.

I think there is some truth to the windows mindset but I also believe that if the same number of malicious folks were looking at osx code for vulnerabilities, there will be some that get uncovered.
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Eventually I'm sure someone will figure out how to write the first virus for OS X. It hasn't happened yet in 10 years, but that's not to say it couldn't happen tomorrow.

However, until that happens, any antivirus software you run today would have nothing to go on as far as detecting it, so it's pointless either way.

Plus, the first Mac virus outbreak will be huge headline news in the tech world ("It's finally happened!" etc.) So unless you were one of the very first people infected, you'd probably have plenty of warning.

In short: for now, "careful computing" is all you need. Don't install anything you didn't specifically download yourself (like that auto-downloading "Mac Defender" trojan everyone was talking about yesterday), don't give your admin password to programs without thinking about why they might need it, don't download things from shady sites. That'll cover you for malware, which is right now the only real threat that exists on OS X.
 
THX1139 said:
In 15 years of constant daily use I have never had a virus. Period. And that is after going to questionable sites and also downloading the occasional software/movies/music.
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I'm not calling you out specifically but this is something that always bothers me. Why doesn't anyone just say "I have visited porn sites/used torrent hosting sites" instead of some alternative phrase?
 
Hastings101 said:
I'm not calling you out specifically but this is something that always bothers me. Why doesn't anyone just say "I have visited porn sites/used torrent hosting sites" instead of some alternative phrase?
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Because it's not limited to porn and torrent sites, for one.

Even legitimate looking sites can be booby trapped. Lots of people reported downloading that MacDefender program while visiting Google Images or Yahoo. And I get spammed with a pile of strange links from friends on Facebook, who knows what will happen if I click on some of them.

It's one of those "walking alone in a dark alley" things - people need to learn when something doesn't feel right.
 
gregd33 said:
Looking at this from a virus writers POV. Why write a virus that targets 5% of the population as opposed to 90-ish%? the answer is more chaos if successful.
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Look at this from an elite virus writer's POV: imagine the accolades in being the creator of the first ever (in the wild) Mac OS X virus. Did we cheer on Ocean's Eleven because they were trying to break into a bunch of fairly easy to infiltrate casino vaults or because they were trying to break into one of the most secure? Sure, most virus writers are probably going for widespread chaos. But is it so hard to believe that there isn't a handful that would try to invade Mac OS X, if only to knock down Apple's perceived smugness a ton of notches?
 
dejo said:
Look at this from an elite virus writer's POV: imagine the accolades in being the creator of the first ever (in the wild) Mac OS X virus. Did we cheer on Ocean's Eleven because they were trying to break into a bunch of fairly easy to infiltrate casino vaults or because they were trying to break into one of the most secure? Sure, most virus writers are probably going for widespread chaos. But is it so hard to believe that there isn't a handful that would try to invade Mac OS X, if only to knock down Apple's perceived smugness a ton of notches?
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I completely agree with this! It can't intelligently be argued that there isn't even one malware developer out there who wouldn't be motivated to be known as the developer of the first Mac OS X virus. Not all malware has been or is developed for economic reasons.
 
GGJstudios said:
I wouldn't trust or recommend iAntiVirus. They make bogus claims about threats just to justify their software. Read the link I posted in post #5.

Sophos can actually increase your Mac's vulnerability. Read the link in post #5, specifically the section "What about sending files to Windows users?"
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Never had any problems - it correctly identified a nasty from a PC download - that's the only positive I've had. It updates itself and is unobtrusive.

I've tried other products which have not played nicely with other software on my system - the sophos beta version would not work with my systems at all
 
I can see why virus writer targets windows pc is because they know 80 percent of businesses like federal, states, even bank use computers running varity of Windows and OSX only run in some universities and in movie industries.
 
I have recently replaced my custom built PC with one of the new iMacs, and I too feel a bit open without an antivirus solution. I have however decided to takes everyones advice and not waste system resources, I have gotten used to having no AV software on Linux, so I can do the same with Mac OS X.

I also disagree with the market share argument, people always say that nobody bothers to develop viruses for Mac and Linux. The fact of the matter is that both of the operating systems are A LOT more secure out of the box than Windows.
 
gregd33 said:
Being that this is my first Mac after 28 years of PCs, I cannot over the feelIng of impending doom without an AV program running on my Mac. Some folks go so far ad to say it's not required which, I think, is a disaster waiting to happen...
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1. You don't need antivirus software on the Mac.
2. If someone tells you you need it they are talking nonsense.
3. If a website says you have a virus they are lying.
4. If you get a phone call from "Virtual PC Doctor" saying there is a virus on your computer, they are lying.
5. If you install something that calls itself anti-virus software because some website says you have a virus, then you have found one of the few ways to get software installed on your Mac.
 
MacmancUK said:
Apple Macs now seen as a 'soft target' for spreading viruses

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...n-soft-target-spreading-viruses.html?ITO=1490
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The article is pure nonsense. First, it's talking about MacDefender, which is NOT a virus.... it's not even a trojan... it's just an installer package that the user elects to install or not. Second, there has never been a virus in the wild that affects Mac OS X since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some education and common sense and care in what software you install:
The first section of that link deals specifically with the MacDefender/MacSecurity/MacProtector issue. I encourage you to read it.
 
GGJstudios said:
...First, it's talking about MacDefender, which is NOT a virus.... it's not even a trojan... it's just an installer package that the user elects to install or not...
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Um that's exactly what a trojan is... A program that tricks the user into installing it under false pretenses.

FTR - Mac's are susceptible to true viruses. There have been many proof of concept virus over the years, but never a widespread outbreak of a malicious one.

To a certain extent Apple has weathered the storm. Traditional viruses are on the decline for all OS's. The current trend is Trojans because they are very powerful, easy to create and do not rely on un-patched vulnerabilities.
 
err404 said:
Um that's exactly what a trojan is... A program that tricks the user into installing it under false pretenses.
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No, a trojan is a program disguised to look like something else. MacDefender is exactly what it says it is.
err404 said:
FTR - Mac's are susceptible to true viruses. There have been many proof of concept virus over the years, but never a widespread outbreak of a malicious one.
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No one is saying Macs are immune to viruses; only that none exist in the wild. Proof-of-concepts have no affect on Mac users, because they don't exist where a user can encounter them.
 
a trojan will need the admin password to get installed but what about malware?

my example is:
lest say you go to a sight and even though your browser has a pop up blocker a pop up ad opens up a new window, you click to close that window and you get a message talking about win a free iPad or something like that and are you sure you want to close the window.

does clicking "yes" install malware or something like malware?
 
Merkyworks said:
a trojan will need the admin password to get installed but what about malware?

my example is:
lest say you go to a sight and even though your browser has a pop up blocker a pop up ad opens up a new window, you click to close that window and you get a message talking about win a free iPad or something like that and are you sure you want to close the window.

does clicking "yes" install malware or something like malware?
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A trojan IS a form of malware. If you're referring to the pop-up ads that infest websites, those aren't malware. They're simply annoying ads. If you respond to them, it's not installing malware, but if you give them your information, it can result in spam, credit card charges, etc. For the vast majority of such cases, clearing your browser cache and cookies removes all traces of such ads.
 
GGJstudios said:
No, a trojan is a program disguised to look like something else. MacDefender is exactly what it says it is.
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MacDefender claims to be a security program; it's not. It's an app that displays fake virus warnings. I was under the impression that it installed a back door, but I can't find any info on the actual payload (if any).
 
err404 said:
MacDefender claims to be a security program; it's not. It's an app that displays fake virus warnings. I was under the impression that it installed a back door, but I can't find any info on the actual payload (if any).
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No, only the website displays fake virus warnings. The app doesn't, and it doesn't contain a back door.
 
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