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Apple 'officially recommends' antivirus...

edesignuk said:
Are they insane? "multiple antivirus", asking for trouble, I don't care what they say. If you must run AV, pick one and stick with it.
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I don't think they're suggesting you run more than 1 AV app. I think they are saying it is good to have multiple apps available.

That said, none of that ***** will be installed on my Macs. You get a file from me and you have a Windows box, it's your responsibility to protect yourself from viruses.
 
rdowns said:
I don't think they're suggesting you run more than 1 AV app. I think they are saying it is good to have multiple apps available.

That said, none of that ***** will be installed on my Macs. You get a file from me and you have a Windows box, it's your responsibility to protect yourself from viruses.
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According to the BBC
The support note recommends that Mac owners install one or more of three anti-virus products.

Advice on the site said: "Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult."Apple recommended users try McAfee VirusScan, Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11, or Intego VirusBarrier X5.
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and

However, in recent months, hi-tech criminals have signalled a change in tactics away from e-mail borne viruses. Instead, many are infiltrating popular webpages in a bid to infect the machine of any and every visitor.
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sananda said:
this has become a bbc news story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7760344.stm
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"Before now Mac users have been largely free of the security problems that plague Microsoft's Windows."

Sooo.... what's changed? As far as I'm aware Mac OS X is as secure as it always has been (ie, no viruses) so Apple could recommend I install two hundred antivirus programs, three hundred firewalls and to put my Mac in a fireproof safe but it still doesn't change the fact that without any of that the system is as safe and secure as it always was.

I'm more annoyed with Apple in a way - for so long pushing the security of OS X and then randomly putting this article out which will do nothing except be used as ammo by all the Apple haters and misinformed news sites to tarnish Mac OS X's reputation.
 
Virii enter via e-mail -- no ?

Since many Mac users, until now, used web based e-mail - virii on macs have not been a large problem.

Perhaps we are anticipating more people running mac mail and entourage and thunderbird on OSX and so Apple is cautioning about virii.

I must say, the vast majority of Mac users I know are fairly clueless about the pitfalls of computing. The folks here on Macrumors are NOT clueless. Our viewpoints may not be representative of Mac Users in general.

The opportunities for violating a system are shrinking while MS is making headway. The system theives are moving on to the next door. Remember the old saying in security circles, you don't have to be 100% secure, just more secure than most.
 
Part of why Apple has not been attacked is due to their small market share. Apple is certainly more visible now, but still not as attractive as Windows for the hacker set.

I don't have anti-virus on my current Mac or the one I used before it, but I did on my older iBook and Mac Clone. At the time, I paid $49 dollars each to protect those older Macs. I kind of thought I was wasting that money, back then.

I think if I bought a new Mac with Leopard on it, which more people seem to think is the coolest OS anywhere, I would get anti-virus software. I also think the iPod and iPhone has greatly increased Apple's visibility. I would get anti-virus.
 
i don't believe they mean for a single user to use multiple anti virus scanners. they don't want a large majority of users to use one in particular. that would make it much easier for virus builders to exploit machines.
 
Yes, this is something Apple never has spoken about earlier...

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...

Oh, wait...

:rolleyes:
 
It is a known fact that you should not be running two anti virus programs on your computer because of the possibility of conflicts between the two. I would also avoid Norton and Mcaffee.
 
Ice-Cube said:
The only time I use Anti Virus is to make sure the file IS infected before sending to my ignorant PC friends.
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I had an email with a virus at work which I deliberately sent home to my Mac to see what happened. My iSP removed the virus automatically.

I haven't used antivirus software on Macs since the Antivirus software that Apple once included with .Mac kept causing my Mac to crash. That software caused me more problems than any virus has.
 
Apple removes "controversial" knowledge base article

Haha.

"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," Apple spokesman Bill Evans, told Macworld. "The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box.”

The Web page seemed to go against Apple’s newest ad campaigns that suggested only the PC needs antivirus software. Even though the page has been removed, Apple did not tell customers to absolutely not protect themselves.

“Since no system can be 100% immune from every threat, running anti-virus software may offer additional protection," said Evans.

http://www.macworld.com/article/137267/2008/12/antivirusremoved.html
 
I don't think viruses are as much of a threat to computers as Trojans are. A well disguised Trojan can trick many people into installing it and can attack any computer, not just Windows PCs.

Of course, Trojans are usually only found on pretty sketchy sites, so people get what they deserve.
 
It's gone!

The article has disappeared from Apples website. There's been a change of heart, perhaps, or realization that the wording was very ambiguous.
 
I think it's a good idea to use anti virus when your mac is interacting with PC's. We share files all the time now and the biggest issue is that a Mac can still be a vector for computer viruses whether or not those viruses actually do a thing to the Mac its self.

SLC
 
SLC Flyfishing said:
I think it's a good idea to use anti virus when your mac is interacting with PC's. We share files all the time now and the biggest issue is that a Mac can still be a vector for computer viruses whether or not those viruses actually do a thing to the Mac its self.
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If the PCs on your network are using anti-virus software, what's the point?
 
themoonisdown09 said:
If the PCs on your network are using anti-virus software, what's the point?
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Well most of the patients in the hospital I work in are loaded up on antibiotics and probably wouldn't get anything by coming into contact with me. But I still wash and sterilize my hands before I come into contact with them, just in case! Call me recklessly caring, but I don't like the idea of taking a chance at causing someone else to get sick.

Why should it be any different with my computer, not every PC user has or uses antivirus software like they should, and many of the ones that do are quite under-protected. I hate malware, it's a waste of money, time, and productivity and I'll do what I can to prevent it's spread.

SLC
 
SLC Flyfishing said:
Well most of the patients in the hospital I work in are loaded up on antibiotics and probably wouldn't get anything by coming into contact with me. But I still wash and sterilize my hands before I come into contact with them, just in case! Call me recklessly caring, but I don't like the idea of taking a chance at causing someone else to get sick.

Why should it be any different with my computer, not every PC user has or uses antivirus software like they should, and many of the ones that do are quite under-protected. I hate malware, it's a waste of money, time, and productivity and I'll do what I can to prevent it's spread.
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I think the waste of money would be to buy anti-virus software for my Mac and to pay the yearly subscription to keep it up. I don't think it should be my responsibility to pay for something that only protects others and does nothing for me.

If a PC user gets a virus because they didn't take any precautions in preventing it, then it's their fault and they should learn from it. I think it would be more beneficial to tell your fellow employees or friends to use anti-virus software if they have a PC.
 
Glad they removed it and said it was old!!!

I was getting worried there!

It should be known, however, that Safari is not as secure as Apple makes out. I have experienced proof of this first hand when a meleculous site managed to run a bunch of applications through a embedded Java applet without asking authorisation like they normally do.
 
SLC Flyfishing said:
Well most of the patients in the hospital I work in are loaded up on antibiotics and probably wouldn't get anything by coming into contact with me. But I still wash and sterilize my hands before I come into contact with them, just in case! Call me recklessly caring, but I don't like the idea of taking a chance at causing someone else to get sick.

Why should it be any different with my computer, not every PC user has or uses antivirus software like they should, and many of the ones that do are quite under-protected. I hate malware, it's a waste of money, time, and productivity and I'll do what I can to prevent it's spread.

SLC
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You are running the same OS as your patients (respitory system, heart, brain, liver etc), so are susceptable to the same virus' as them.
My mac is running a different OS to a windows PC. It's impossible for a windows virus to run on my mac. No need to add protection to it, it's already fully protected.

The day that someone releases a virus for mac's, that runs without entering an admin password, that doesn't require me to download and run an application manually, then I'll get AV software. Until then, it will only cause problems on my mac at best.
 
killerwhack said:
Since many Mac users, until now, used web based e-mail - virii on macs have not been a large problem.

Perhaps we are anticipating more people running mac mail and entourage and thunderbird on OSX and so Apple is cautioning about virii.

I must say, the vast majority of Mac users I know are fairly clueless about the pitfalls of computing. The folks here on Macrumors are NOT clueless. Our viewpoints may not be representative of Mac Users in general.

The opportunities for violating a system are shrinking while MS is making headway. The system theives are moving on to the next door. Remember the old saying in security circles, you don't have to be 100% secure, just more secure than most.
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it doesn't mater if you use mail.app or online mail programs... the structure of the OS is such that it doesn't allow for virus type of programs to function like they do on winblows boxes.

edit: You still can get viruses that will cause damage from the windows side if you have it installed and running. this may be where the concern comes from
 
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