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Avast For Mac
- Thread starter MacPro23
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Protection against what?
Maybe MRoogle can help you find some threads about virus and malware protection, there seems to be one every now and then.
Mac Virus/Malware Info by GGJstudios
There are currently no viruses for Mac OS X in public circulation, only a handful of trojans and other malware, which have to be installed manually via entering the administrator password.
The only anti-virus you need to protect your Mac is education and common sense.
There are currently no viruses for Mac OS X in public circulation, only a handful of trojans and other malware, which have to be installed manually via entering the administrator password.
The only anti-virus you need to protect your Mac is education and common sense.
Maybe MRoogle can help you find some threads about virus and malware protection, there seems to be one every now and then.
Windows viruses cannot infect a mac. Ever. If someone tells you otherwise they are full of it.
Most windows malware attacks the registry. The registry is a HUGE security risk but Microsoft insists on using it. Mac and Linux systems have no registry. Thats not to say that the registry is the only vulnaribility but its a big one.
Also code cannot work on one operating system then magically work on another. It doesn't work that way. Not to mention on Mac you have to literally type your password in to let it run.
As for trojans, there are two known ones for MacOS, thats nothing and certainly not something to get antivirus software for. AV software generally slows a system down and opens new security holes.
Actually, you're wording this all wrong. A "Mac" can run Windows right? Via Bootcamp or a VM like VMWare or Parallels or VirtualBox. If you live in a house or work in an office with other Windows PCs you can easily infect THOSE computers, or a Virtual Machine running Windows ON YOUR MAC. All you have to do is share files with that instance of Windows or a Windows installed PC and there you have it.
Work in an environment mixed with Windows and Macs? You should probably do yourself a favor and install an Antivirus app out of sheer helpfulness. Last thing you want to do is email a file to your boss that you got from someone else that has a virus attached. Now your boss is getting alerts that you're sending him a virus. Not so good.
Mac anti-virus apps serve a purpose. It depends on HOW YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER.
For the average home user... you don't need it. Just use common sense and don't randomly type in your password for any ol app. Look at what the hell is asking for your password. Use common sense please. You infect your mac with malware and it's on you. No one else. You were dumb enough to type in a password that allowed it to happen. Your fault.
From what I remember, Avast makes a pretty good Windows AV, and the Mac seemed to run fine. I try different ones on my MBP at home, but it's mainly to prevent me from passing a virus to my XP VM or to another Windows user. I think that I've used ClamX, F-Prot, and Sophos in the past as well.
Sophos is not recommended, as it can actually increase your Mac's vulnerability. Windows users should not rely on Mac users for their security. They should be running their own antivirus, to protect against malware from all sources, not just files sent from a Mac. Antivirus isn't necessary to protect Mac OS X.
There has never been a virus in the wild that affects Mac OS X since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some education and common sense and care in what software you install:
i use avast. i like it well enough. i canot say if it provides good protection or not. i haven't got a virus or any other problem that i know about
Personally, I don't bother installing protection for the sake of protecting other people's computers. Not because I don't care, but because their machines are so vulnerable that they have to have protection installed anyway.
They are far more likely to get infected by something other than me forwarding them a file with a virus in it. I wouldn't have to know it was a virus or trojan, but I would have to intentionally Email it (whatever "it" is) to them.
But, then again, I'm not involved in the "forward funny attachments to everyone in your address book" game. If I was, I might feel differently.
As far as protecting your own windows partition/vm goes, same answer. Install protection there. It's a better use of your time. If you spend time on the Internet on your windows partition, you should have protection there anyway.
They are far more likely to get infected by something other than me forwarding them a file with a virus in it. I wouldn't have to know it was a virus or trojan, but I would have to intentionally Email it (whatever "it" is) to them.
But, then again, I'm not involved in the "forward funny attachments to everyone in your address book" game. If I was, I might feel differently.
As far as protecting your own windows partition/vm goes, same answer. Install protection there. It's a better use of your time. If you spend time on the Internet on your windows partition, you should have protection there anyway.