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Where are all the people on this forum that for years proclaimed that Mac OS was virus/spyware free and there would NEVER be viruses/spyware due to OSX being built on Linux.

The reason there is so much PC malware and not much OSX is it is more profitable for malware writers to infect PC's. There are many more PC users (individuals and companies) than Mac users. As Macs become more popular (i.e. Google switching to Linux or OSX), there will be more OSX threats. Linux/Unix is not immune to malware at all.
 
Do Mac users really install screen savers? That seems like a very Windows thing to do.

Huh? Why would it be "a very Windows thing"?! Do you even know what the point of a screensaver is? Or why as of around the year 1999 screensavers were deemed useless (other than for pretty displays when you are not using the computer).

The reason there is so much PC malware and not much OSX is it is more profitable for malware writers to infect PC's. There are many more PC users (individuals and companies) than Mac users. As Macs become more popular (i.e. Google switching to Linux or OSX), there will be more OSX threats. Linux/Unix is not immune to malware at all.

Correct on all points. And this is what you, me, and other intelligent people have been saying for decades.
 
" unrelated applications hosted on several popular download sites." what the hell does that mean and "OSX/OpinionSpy is installed by a number of applications and screen savers" thats nice... WHAT?

so if you go to random sites and download weird software that you dont really know much about you will get infected.

so...? if your a moron, then you get infected by installing odd software you have no idea about. same old stuff. if you give it 'permissions' then it can do what it likes. same as always.

BE CAREFUL AND SMART PEOPLE!
 
Too many people to quote so I'll quote myself...




Sheeeeez...I make 1 *%^&(*ing typo in my tenure here and the Mac Fanboys attack like pitbulls. Yeah, I know I meant Unix and typed Linux by accident. Again, sheeeez. If a simple typo is all you need to get yourself(ves) all wound up, you need a life. I wonder how many more times people will quote my original post and make broad attacks at me.

And yes, I own a Mac...but some of you are too ignorant to read my sig.

-Eric

You came here putting Mac users in their place, yet your so-called TYPO was really your own ignorance and you won't want to admit it. Instead you just tried to save face which doesn't work here. And you're complaining of people attacking you, yet you result to name calling? You got put in your place, just accept it. :p
 
Spyware isn't the fault of the operating system. The user is knowingly clicking a button to install a program they know nothing about.

It's an uneducated computer users fault.

Where are all the people on this forum that for years proclaimed that Mac OS was virus/spyware free and there would NEVER be viruses/spyware due to OSX being built on Linux.
 
Too many people to quote so I'll quote myself...




Sheeeeez...I make 1 *%^&(*ing typo in my tenure here and the Mac Fanboys attack like pitbulls. Yeah, I know I meant Unix and typed Linux by accident. Again, sheeeez. If a simple typo is all you need to get yourself(ves) all wound up, you need a life. I wonder how many more times people will quote my original post and make broad attacks at me.

And yes, I own a Mac...but some of you are too ignorant to read my sig.

-Eric

Don't sweat it - Mac users get ornery when the words "virus" and "Mac" are used in the same sentence.
 
The reason there is so much PC malware and not much OSX is it is more profitable for malware writers to infect PC's. There are many more PC users (individuals and companies) than Mac users. As Macs become more popular (i.e. Google switching to Linux or OSX), there will be more OSX threats. Linux/Unix is not immune to malware at all.

Correct on all points. And this is what you, me, and other intelligent people have been saying for decades.

Wrong. Explain why OS9 had many more threats than OSX does even though it had a MUCH smaller user base:rolleyes:

I'd also argue that there is more money behind Linux/Unix than Windows due to the functions that Linux is used in server wise across the world. Explain how they have hardly any threats.

Back to OSX...with a ~10% market share, you would think there would be a virus right? Show me it. And no, I do not want to see a case where the user had to provide their admin password for the threat to be executed

It has much more to do with the underlying workings of the OS than userbase. Why you think it is a factor of just userbase is baffling to me
 
It isn't too hard to release some form of malware which causes problems after a deliberate user-initiated installation. It is pretty much the user choosing to install something that is going to hurt their computer, and it is harder for the OS to defend against something which has received that initial confirmation (and likely a password) from the user.

The really scary stuff is the rubbish you can pick up just by browsing the internet, or being connected to the internet. The former rubbish can be avoided by a user being at least somewhat careful. The later rubbish begins to make anti-malware software important.
 
Huh? Why would it be "a very Windows thing"?!

Because of all the Mac users I know, none of them download new screensavers. But of all the Windows users I know, I'd say a handful of people have done it.

So if no Mac users do it and some Windows users do it, well, that's something I'd call "a Windows thing."
 
I feel like in this day and age you have to actively try to get a virus.
Nope, quite the contrary. The Internet is far more dangerous these days because it's easy to pick up a drive-by infection from sites that the general public considers as reputable:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20000898-245.html

Key sentence: "Users don't need to click on anything to get infected; a computer becomes infected after the ad is loaded by the browser, Avast said."

And incidentally, that's unassailable justification to block ads. End of discussion.
 
Where are all the people on this forum that for years proclaimed that Mac OS was virus/spyware free and there would NEVER be viruses/spyware due to OSX being built on Linux.

LINUX? you really need to read twice before posting :p
 
Correct on all points. And this is what you, me, and other intelligent people have been saying for decades.
Of course because having a better core OS has absolutely nothing to do with how well a system handles these things. Its just user base. Nothing else.

With that logic that means the minute OSX reaches 51% market share bam! MASSIVE amount of Macs go down?
 
This kind of thing will only increase as Macs continue to gain popularity. But it seems most people don't understand the difference between a "virus" and "malware." Does ANYONE on any platform get viruses anymore?

Any platform is susceptible to malware.
 
It sounds like MacUpdate, VersionTracker and Softpedia all need to clean up their sites. ;)
 
it's only a matter of time before osx becomes a bigger target.

And yet no matter how big the OS X market gets, the underlying architecture of it will ALWAYS prevent the sort of virus headaches Windows has, is, and always will experience.

No matter how often virus experts, MacRumors trolls, and well-meaning but not thinking people repeat that old security through obscurity lie.
 
Still not a big deal just say no I don't want to install something that gives out my info/habits..... it's not self replicating and unless you say it can run it won't

yet people are on facebook and googles aps every day... talk about a security hole
 
The party was fun while it lasted... that just about evens the OS battle. Since Windows 7 was released, the OS X advantage was reduced to no viruses/spyware. It seems like Microsoft SHOULD be behind something like this if one thinks about it. Or it could be any of the antivirus companies wanting to expand the AV market to OS X.
 
Wrong. Explain why OS9 had many more threats than OSX does even though it had a MUCH smaller user base:rolleyes:
Not entirely correct. SteinMaster was correct, in part, to point out that the installed user base is an important factor of malware distribution. The more OS X computers there are out there, the more lucrative the platform becomes for malware. What isn't mentioned is that there are actually many strong factors behind the malware problem on Windows and one has to take them all into account when analyzing why Mac doesn't have this problem.

For example, one other thing holding Mac malware back is that there are no large networks of insecure outdated work computers just waiting to spread the malware. Macs play a part in business, but for large general networks, PCs are generally used (for cost reasons). Apple's lack of interest in the low-end PC market has helped them here.

Another reason—one which plays strongly in with the variance between OS X and OS <= 9, is security. OS X is far more secure than OS 9.
 
Course their software, which you can buy for 50 dollars, will protect you from this!:cool:

$50. I got ripped off. I paid $69.99. Whoops. What I meant to say is that someone related to me quite possibly me paid $69.99. J/k. But to be honest. I've been a satisfied Intego customer over the past few years. I'm not trolling for Intego. Their software was actually pretty decent. Hasn't given my Aluminum iMac any problems.
 
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