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Best AntiVirus for Mac?
- Thread starter fr00b
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You don't need one. I'm not sure any are even recommended. Norton, in particular, is highly recommended against.
I'm just after some program to protect me against other threats such as trjans or tracking cookies. is iAntiVirus Free good?
What people have already stated. But just to be a smart-ass and possibly an a**hole, the best antivirus is...you! If you're afraid of such things, use proper judgement. Don't open links or attachments if you're skeptical. 
There is no reason to have an antivirus at all. But, if you just have to have one, iAntiVirus is the best. (By which I mean it doesn't do anything at all like every other Mac antivirus program, but at least it isn't a system resource hog.)
Keep in mind that if you do put any antivirus software on your mac, it will only slow it down (probably a lot). I would have to agree with previous comments though, you really don't need one if you are smart about it. Anyway, there is already a thread for this (probably a couple) but here is the most recent that I know of https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/691214/
When i first got my uMB I put iAntivirus on it, within a day i had realised two things:
1 It was not in any way necessary, my mates all thought it was hilarious that I had installed it.
2. I found it slowed things down a bit (not much I might add)
and so 24 hours after installing it I got rid of it.
3 months in ans I havent had any virus trouble, this is with normal web browsing torrenting and some P2P (limewire) downloads.
1 It was not in any way necessary, my mates all thought it was hilarious that I had installed it.
2. I found it slowed things down a bit (not much I might add)
and so 24 hours after installing it I got rid of it.
3 months in ans I havent had any virus trouble, this is with normal web browsing torrenting and some P2P (limewire) downloads.
In a few more days with your MB you'll quickly begin to wonder what you ever worried about, I dont even cinsider viruses anymore!!
The only cure for windoze-itis is some time playing with mac os!
The only cure for windoze-itis is some time playing with mac os!
What you say is completely true and I would agree with you entirely but other users who share their network with fellow windows o.s would feel safer if Mac users installed an scanner.
In fact, prudence is the best defense on any platform. I never used anti-virus on a Windows machine and never had a virus there either.
1. Never accept or open anything but images from an email.
2. NEVER download software you can't trust that has a huge reputation and following don't don't don't.
3. Never click a popup add. If you visit sites that use them, notify the administrator of the site that you will not return due to pop ups and don't go back, its a big internet there are other sites that don't use.
1. Never accept or open anything but images from an email.
2. NEVER download software you can't trust that has a huge reputation and following don't don't don't.
3. Never click a popup add. If you visit sites that use them, notify the administrator of the site that you will not return due to pop ups and don't go back, its a big internet there are other sites that don't use.
I know a few people who work in a fairly large company and use OS X. They might not need to use the anti-virus but the company wants them to just a safety precaution. You might not be infected but a Mac could carry one and pass it on to a Windows PC, something just to minimize the risk.
The only way a mac can carry a virus is via an e-mail attachment...
Even then, the virus/worm won't actively be able to replicate because it can't install/get a hold on the Mac's OS.
I remember when I was in school, the Klez worm was going around like crazy, and when I got an email from a dorm-mate who was infected it just placed the Klez .exe or .vbs, I forget which, onto my desktop as a file that couldn't even be read by the computer, lol
And the point of a Mac anti virus is to scan those emails and make sure they're not passing anything along.
But they won't be passing anything along unless you actively forward the message to others, along with the attachment.
Obviously there are people out there who would do this. Plus, do a Mac antivirus titles detect Windows viruses? (I wasn't aware they did that)
Right, but why wouldn't you pass it along? You can't tell if it has a virus or not because it won't do anything to your Mac.
Considering how many viruses there are for Macs, that's pretty much all they do.
See, I thought they were a total sham because there aren't ANY mac viruses (I realize there are Trojans, but no viruses by definition). I suppose in that case they'd be useful in a Windows-sharing environment.Right, but why wouldn't you pass it along? You can't tell if it has a virus or not because it won't do anything to your Mac.
Considering how many viruses there are for Macs, that's pretty much all they do.
The easiest way to tell if an e-mail has a virus is if the attachment is an unsolicited .exe/.vbs/.scr/.js.zip/.rar file. If so, it's a virus/worm. For me, that's the only virus-scan I need on my MB. Of course the other route would have the file be an infected .xls/.doc file with a .vbs worm macro, and those would probably be solicited from a co-worker.
Obviously corporate environments are going to be more stringent with their requirements, but I think the first requirement should be 'DON'T PASS ALONG SUSPICIOUS EMAILS WITH ATTACHMENTS.' heh...
Alright then. Thanks for your replies. I'm not gonna bother with an AV. I guess i'm just para from being a Windows user for a long time.
I had that feeling when I switched to OS X back in 2002. I actually ran AV programs for a year because I was so paranoid.
I never use anit-virus software on my Windows machines anymore. Too many misfires.
The other day I sent a windows user an email from my mac and their Norton AV said the file attachment was infected so she quarantined it. It was a freaking office doc file I made from scratch. LOL!
I'd rather put up with the virus than the medicine.
The other day I sent a windows user an email from my mac and their Norton AV said the file attachment was infected so she quarantined it. It was a freaking office doc file I made from scratch. LOL!
I'd rather put up with the virus than the medicine.
So you don't have any virus protection and you sent an email to a friend who has protection and it said it was infected? You can send viruses in documents that you made yourself from your computer.
If I were you I would get protection on that Windows machine ASAP, because if you have a virus you could have sent it too her in the document. I wasn't going to get any for my old Window machine either because it was going to be just used for iTunes but after researching that's not the best idea.