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Anyone using iAntivirus please come here

L

Lester52

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2010
38
0
If you have iAntivirus installed could you please open iAntivirus up and tell me what engine version and database version iAntivirus says you're running? Thanks!
 
I know iAntivirus as well as other antivirus applications aren't as recommended for Macs as they are for PCs, but I just feel more comfortable having it and not needing it than I would if I didn't have it but possibly would need it.
 
Lester52 said:
I know iAntivirus as well as other antivirus applications aren't as recommended for Macs as they are for PCs, but I just feel more comfortable having it and not needing it than I would if I didn't have it but possibly would need it.
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The point is, it's bogus, as the link I posted illustrates. The vast majority of "threats" it describes are not threats at all. They just want to scam you into buying their software.

No anti-virus app can detect viruses in Mac OS X because no such viruses exist. Having AV software will not protect you from a Mac virus, because it wouldn't know what to look for. You can't protect yourself from something that doesn't exist.

I've read some of your other threads and you really need to learn to relax and enjoy your Mac. It's very different from the Windows world, where viruses and other malware are rampant. You don't have to "fiddle" with Mac OS X to keep it safe and functioning well.

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability.

From Symantec:
What is the difference between viruses, worms, and Trojans?

What is a virus?
A computer virus is a small program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. A virus must meet two criteria:
  • It must execute itself. It often places its own code in the path of execution of another program.
  • It must replicate itself. For example, it may replace other executable files with a copy of the virus infected file. Viruses can infect desktop computers and network servers alike.
What is a Trojan horse?
Trojan horses are impostors—files that claim to be something desirable but, in fact, are malicious. A very important distinction between Trojan horse programs and true viruses is that they do not replicate themselves. Trojan horses contain malicious code that when triggered cause loss, or even theft, of data. For a Trojan horse to spread, you must invite these programs onto your computers; for example, by opening an email attachment or downloading and running a file from the Internet.

What is a worm?
Worms are programs that replicate themselves from system to system without the use of a host file. This is in contrast to viruses, which requires the spreading of an infected host file. Although worms generally exist inside of other files, often Word or Excel documents, there is a difference between how worms and viruses use the host file. Usually the worm will release a document that already has the "worm" macro inside the document. The entire document will travel from computer to computer, so the entire document should be considered the worm.

What is a virus hoax?
Virus hoaxes are messages, almost always sent by email, that amount to little more than chain letters. Following are some of the common phrases that are used in these hoaxes:
  • If you receive an email titled [email virus hoax name here], do not open it!
  • Delete it immediately!
  • It contains the [hoax name] virus.
  • It will delete everything on your hard drive and [extreme and improbable danger specified here].
  • This virus was announced today by [reputable organization name here].
  • Forward this warning to everyone you know!
Most virus hoax warnings do not deviate far from this pattern. If you are unsure if a virus warning is legitimate or a hoax, additional information is available at the Symantec Security Response online database.
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As of this time, there are NO viruses in the wild that affect current Mac OS X. In the past, there have been a few viruses that ran on older versions of the Mac operating system, but no longer.

There are, as of this time, trojans that can affect Mac OS X, but these must be downloaded and installed by the user, which involves entering the user's administrator password. Trojans can easily be avoided by the user exercising common sense and caution when installing applications. A common source of trojans is pirated software, typically downloaded from bit torrent sites.

Having virus protection software on your Mac is pointless, as far as protecting your Mac from viruses, since AV software can't detect a virus that doesn't exist. It is possible to have a file reside on your hard drive that contains a Windows virus, but since a Windows virus (program) can't run in native Mac OS X, it would be harmless to your Mac. Some choose to run AV on their Mac to scan for Windows viruses, so the Mac user can't pass a virus-infected file to a Windows user. In my opinion, a Windows user should be protected by their own AV software, so the burden of protection lies with the Windows user.
 
What about browser hijacks though? I don't know if that's technically considered a virus or trojan.

Also, just a little bit ago my Mac made this beep noise while I was surfing the web. It made this beep like it does if your battery is low and you're told to plug your computer into the wall outlet. But my computer was already plugged into the wall and the battery is fully charged. Any idea why it would make this noise?
 
Lester52 said:
What about browser hijacks though? I don't know if that's technically considered a virus or trojan.

Also, just a little bit ago my Mac made this beep noise while I was surfing the web. It made this beep like it does if your battery is low and you're told to plug your computer into the wall outlet. But my computer was already plugged into the wall and the battery is fully charged. Any idea why it would make this noise?
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Browser hijacks are neither viruses nor trojans. They are very rare for the average user. 99.9% of users will never experience one. Many web sites have sound effects that play when you open them. Also, you may have other apps running that make sounds like Mail, Adium, etc.

The bottom line is you're impeding your ability to enjoy your Mac by being overly paranoid. Too many former Windows users come to the Mac experience and immediately want to blame anything they don't understand on a virus. It's the absolute last possibility. Far more likely is your Mac is doing something that it's intended to do, but you don't understand.
 
The only thing I had open was Firefox, and I'm using the noscript extension which typically blocks sounds.

Something that also bothers me is I went to a website which according to the Firefox MyWOT had an unsatisfactory rating. The extension was supposed to warn me if I went to an unsatisfactory website but it didn't. The website was www.teebop.com , and I had no idea it was bad.

Even if I view a "bad" website, what danger am I in as long as I don't enter my password? I try to stay away from bad websites, but in the case of teebop I may wander there by accident.
 
The MyWOT addon gave it an unsatisfactory rating. That's what I was basing my comment of teebop on.

Ok, another question. And I'm not asking these questions to try to make you say I have a computer security issue or anything.

iAntivirus wasn't known for being updated daily. There was an update for it today however. But on their forum a forum user asked the question if iAntivirus had been abandoned. To install iAntivirus you have to enter your administrator password. If iAntivirus, or the people who own it rather went rogue, or if the place where the iAntivirus updates are stored got hacked, would it be possible to have downloaded a trojan or keylogger when installing the latest update? Because if I had to enter the administrator password to install iAntivirus wouldn't it already have administrator permission to install things?
 
Lester52 said:
Ok, another question. And I'm not asking these questions to try to make you say I have a computer security issue or anything.

iAntivirus wasn't known for being updated daily. There was an update for it today however. But on their forum a forum user asked the question if iAntivirus had been abandoned. To install iAntivirus you have to enter your administrator password. If iAntivirus, or the people who own it rather went rogue, or if the place where the iAntivirus updates are stored got hacked, would it be possible to have downloaded a trojan or keylogger when installing the latest update? Because if I had to enter the administrator password to install iAntivirus wouldn't it already have administrator permission to install things?
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Before you install apps, especially those which require your admin password, you could be certain the app is trusted and that you got it from a trusted source. Installing pirated software from torrent sites is a great way to install trojans on your Mac. My recommendation is that you don't install any app that you don't absolutely need, and you don't need any anti-virus apps to protect your Mac. If you use common sense and thought before you enter your admin password, you'll be perfectly fine. I would never install iAntiVirus on any computer. Their advertising has been proven to be false and misleading, as you saw in the first link I posted. If that's how they market their product, I don't trust the company as a whole.
 
I don't download pirated software. The only place I download software from is Cnet. That's where I got iAntivirus from. But I did have to enter my password to install iAntivirus. If iAntivirus changed hands to an untrustworthy company or if the place where the updates are stalled got hacked, would a trojan or keylogger be able to install since I entered my password for iAntivirus when I installed it months ago?

I know you consider them untrustworthy, but are they untrustworthy enough for the scenario I mentioned to happen?
 
Lester52 said:
I don't download pirated software. The only place I download software from is Cnet. That's where I got iAntivirus from. But I did have to enter my password to install iAntivirus. If iAntivirus changed hands to an untrustworthy company or if the place where the updates are stalled got hacked, would a trojan or keylogger be able to install since I entered my password for iAntivirus when I installed it months ago?
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Once you give an app access via your admin password, you have no control over what that app does, unless you completely understand the programming.
 
So this very well could have happened? Damn. Damn damn damn....should I reformat now?
 
Lester52 said:
So this very well could have happened? Damn. Damn damn damn....
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More paranoia. If you don't trust iAntiVirus, uninstall it. There's about a 99.99% chance that you don't have any malware on your Mac. Relax.
 
Are you positive that even as bad as iAntivirus may be that it wouldn't have put a trojan on my computer? The very reason I installed it was to keep me safe but now I fear I've made matters worse.
 
Lester52 said:
Are you positive that even as bad as iAntivirus may be that it wouldn't have put a trojan on my computer? The very reason I installed it was to keep me safe but now I fear I've made matters worse.
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No, you haven't made matters worse. iAntiVirus CANNOT keep your Mac safe, because it can't protect you from Mac viruses because Mac viruses do not exist. Just trash it and move on. You're blowing this way out of proportion. Leave it running, if you want. It doesn't help. Remove it if you want. Stop fretting! Your Mac is safe. You would have to go out of your way to get malware on it.
 
I may end up uninstalling it. I'm not the sole user of this computer so I'll have to discuss it with my wife. I'm not asking the same questions over again to get a different answer, but are you absolutely sure that as bad as iAntivirus may be that it wouldn't have given me a trojan or keylogger? I'm terrified of identity theft and hackers. And I tried registering on iAntivirus' forums so I could ask them about their product, but I haven't gotten an email back from them and I emailed them a while ago. I'm beginning to question their legitimacy, and because of that I fear for my computer's safety even more.
 
CHILL!!

iAntivirus ISN'T A VIRUS. It's even on apple's website to download as a demo, so it is guaranteed that IT IS NOT A VIRUS.

The only problem you might encounter with iAntivirus is that the fan spins real loud once you install it. I had the demo version, and decided to uninstall it because the fan noise level was ridiculous. Don't know why this happens but it just does.
 
htg said:
The only problem you might encounter with iAntivirus is that the fan spins real loud once you install it. I had the demo version, and decided to uninstall it because the fan noise level was ridiculous. Don't know why this happens but it just does.
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That's because it's a resource hog, as are most anti-virii. Another reason to avoid them at all costs, as they use up so much of the available processor capacity, everything else slows to a crawl.

Utter crap, most of them are, but the antivirus recommended by most Mac users (for the prevention of passing along something to a Windows user) is ClamXav.

I've owned Macs since 1985, never had antivirus installed, never has a single piece of malware, in any form.
 
Holy cow, not meaning to put down the OP, but yowza, guys so paranoid sounds like he doesn't even enjoy his Mac....I switched 3 months ago ater years of Windows/PC's. My god, I'll never go back...CHILL-LAX op, you have nothing
 
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