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Anti Virus
- Thread starter saladiro
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Neither. Macs are very secure so you don't have to worry about virus software, despite what the anti-virus software companies want you to think.
Welcome to the world of Mac.
Welcome to the world of Mac.
I have the same question - will be switching to Mac after I see what MWSF brings. Was very suprised to see Symantec makes "Norton Anti-Virus for Mac". I thought one of the key mac selling points was that anti-virus wasn't needed?
Edited to ad: Damn my slow typing - question answered!
Edited to ad: Damn my slow typing
- question answered!
I have the same question - will be switching to Mac after I see what MWSF brings. Was very suprised to see Symantec makes "Norton Anti-Virus for Mac". I thought one of the key mac selling points was that anti-virus wasn't needed?
Edited to ad: Damn my slow typing
Actually, one reason they have it is in case you were sent an email with a Windows virus attached.. Obviously the virus wouldn't do anything to your Mac but Norton will pickup on it and make sure you don't forward it to someone else - where it could potentially harm their Windows based computer.
Either way, Norton has been known to cause far more problems than it solves so I'd stay away from it. If you really want an anti virus app (for a situation like the one I mentioned) go for the free ClamXav. It is far better than Norton.
There are NO OS X viruses currently in the wild, although there are a couple of very crude trojans around. Provided you're sensible, you don't need AV.
If, however, you exchange files with Windows users regularly, it can sometimes be handy just to check that a file you're passing on is clean. In which case, I'd recommend ClamXAV, which is the OS X version of the open-source ClamAV package (i.e. free).
Whatever you do, do NOT install Norton AV. It has a habit of causing problems with OS X.
If, however, you exchange files with Windows users regularly, it can sometimes be handy just to check that a file you're passing on is clean. In which case, I'd recommend ClamXAV, which is the OS X version of the open-source ClamAV package (i.e. free).
Whatever you do, do NOT install Norton AV. It has a habit of causing problems with OS X.
Aperture, Just was looking at the posts and saw your mention of Norton. Absolutely right on the money. Norton is a virus unto itself. It so entangles and dominates ones activities that it can make your PC, and I would presume Mac, experience a Migraine. I had it installed on an HP laptop. Could not get rid of it until I spent three hours getting it unentangled from the registry and file systems. Stay away from Norton. Though I haven't used it, I hear the same horror stories from the other "Big One".
Also norton puts at a mac version for the people in the corporate would who works for a company that has a policy that all computers on the network must have up to date anti-virus. Which is a logical policy, but it doesn't make sense for macs.
I've also been having this question on my mind and would like to ask. How if you've inserted a thumb-drive and you want to make sure it doesn't have a virus? Isn't there anyway to scan it for viruses without having to get Anti Virus programs? There's an in-built Anti Virus in all Macs, right?
If I happened to open an email or a thumb-drive with a virus in it, would it get into my computer (not affecting it, but, I don't know, like hiding or stowing away in it)? Could the virus perhaps get into the computer and be passed to another computer through email or thumb-drive? Sorry if my question isn't very clear, I'm trying very hard to explain myself, but it's hard because my question itself might not make sense. I don't understand very much about Mac since I've just started about a few days ago.
If I happened to open an email or a thumb-drive with a virus in it, would it get into my computer (not affecting it, but, I don't know, like hiding or stowing away in it)? Could the virus perhaps get into the computer and be passed to another computer through email or thumb-drive? Sorry if my question isn't very clear, I'm trying very hard to explain myself, but it's hard because my question itself might not make sense. I don't understand very much about Mac since I've just started about a few days ago.
OK.. Here's the bottom line.
Macs and OSX doesn't have any viruses. If your a PC user and you insert a PC thumb-drive that's contaminated with a virus, your Mac will simply ignore it, since 99.9% of all current viruses are platform pacific.
PC virus are an application, of sort..
However, Viruses from a PC won't run on a Mac and they can't infect a Mac in any shape or form. PC virus on a Mac can't make you lose data! At all!! Even if you had 50 PC viruses on a Mac, your Mac would be safe! And the data, safe!!
However, you can pass a PC virus from you Mac to another Windows user, who might not be protected. Follow me?
Ok. I think I get it now. Macs are universally safe, unless of course I become dumb and let in a trojan (let's hope now... ^_^").
But viruses CAN in a way, get into the computer. It's won't affect it, but can still get into it that it can be passed to another computer.
Correct? Just checking. This sounds like the basics, so I'd like to get it right.
Although there are no mac viruses, for sake of our Windows friends I would download this antivirus which is free. It works well and actually has caught me when I have surfed stupidly and downloaded a PC virus.http://www.clamxav.com/
Hey,
I am one of the few that have gotten a mac virus if that is what you call someone moving my mouse around my screen. It happens when you open a virus in Crossover for mac which if you don't know, lets you run windows and mac apps side-to-side. ClamXav cleansed me of it and I am fine now.
IMcD23
I am one of the few that have gotten a mac virus if that is what you call someone moving my mouse around my screen. It happens when you open a virus in Crossover for mac which if you don't know, lets you run windows and mac apps side-to-side. ClamXav cleansed me of it and I am fine now.
IMcD23