AntiVirus Software

[W4133D]

Does a Mac need an antivirus software ?
Or are the ads really true ?

 

[Watabou]

You don't need any AV for your Mac..yet

Currently, there are no viruses for macs. Installing AV on your Mac just slows it down instead of helping it.

But if you really want, ClamX AV is a good AV if you really want one.

 

[ashjamben]

just to note, one of the main purposes of clamx is to check for windows viruses, so you dont send them in email attachments, etc to other windows users.

some people feel the need to have this, so not to spread viruses to our fellow windows users. i personally dont feel the need.

 

[NAG]

And if you want to read the full debate without waiting for it to happen over the course of a couple days in this thread, just do a search for antivirus and you'll get the debate without having to wait! hehe

 

[RandiC]

You don't need any AV for your Mac..yet

Currently, there are no viruses for macs. Installing AV on your Mac just slows it down instead of helping it.

But if you really want, ClamX AV is a good AV if you really want one.

I guess I dont understand what you mean! If a mac has no viruses how do you know ClamX is good?

 

[MarkMS]

I guess I dont understand what you mean! If a mac has no viruses how do you know ClamX is good?

It's good because it finds Windows-based viruses on a Mac so you won't spread them to Windows users. ClamX doesn't protect Mac users from OS X viruses. That said, no Mac antivirus is going to protect anyway. The AV companies are going to have to first analyze the virus and then send out an update to the AV software to block/remove it.

Just a reminder to all:

1. Use standard accounts instead of the admin account for daily use.
2. Enable the OS X firewall in System Prefs.
3. Watch what and where you download.
4. Optional: Run Little Snitch. Worth every penny!
5. Optional: http://www.princeton.edu/~essweb/osx/osxsecurity.html