Best Antivirus Utility for Lion

[emaja]

Shouldn't the owners of those PCs assume responsibility by running their own AV?

I wouldn't want to administer a network of two thousand computers that had a Mac not running AV software infect that network - would you?

Yes, they should run AV, but I know a lot of people who are still running Norton 2005, haven't updated their subscriptions and wonder how they got infected. They think they are still protected.

"I'm running Norton's (sic). How did I get a virus?"

 

[ideal.dreams]

Running AV software on a Mac on a mostly PC network is not about protecting your Mac. It is about keeping the PCs protected. While your Mac is not going to be affected by viruses, it can still act as a carrier and pass them to other computers.

It's all about being a good netizen.

If they want the PC's protected then the PC owners can worry about having antivirus software. Mac owners should not have to slow down their system with an antivirus program when it doesn't need it.

 

[Kanunu]

Kaspersky

I use Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 only because i need it on my production machine at work.

I settled on Kaspersky after buying both Kaspersky and Intego. Kaspersky was faster and has a nicer interface. Also it detects PC viruses. My first scan found a Trojan Horse which was probably designed for PC damage.

How often do you have to scan? I'd install AV, run their program, then proceed to dump both of them.

I certainly think Mac users have an obligation not to pass things on to their PC using friends. This is probably the concern with the university network. You may not need AV software on a stand alone Mac but you have a moral obligation if you join a network.

 

[RedRaven571]

I've been running the Mac version of Norton Internet Security on my late 2008 15" MBP and my son's 2011 13" MBP (comcast/xfinity provides it for free); the mac version doesn't seem to bog down the system like the pc version does. Similarly, my son's college requires AV protection to join their network.

 

[gentlefury]

Running AV software on a Mac on a mostly PC network is not about protecting your Mac. It is about keeping the PCs protected. While your Mac is not going to be affected by viruses, it can still act as a carrier and pass them to other computers.

It's all about being a good netizen.

I see it as teaching the PC users a lesson! Get a real computer!

 

[emaja]

If they want the PC's protected then the PC owners can worry about having antivirus software. Mac owners should not have to slow down their system with an antivirus program when it doesn't need it.

AV software is not going to slow down your Mac. It is well past the time for Mac users to stop being so smug about AV. Seriously.

I see it as teaching the PC users a lesson! Get a real computer!

As I said before, try being the administrator of a major college or university with thousands of computers that are at risk just because one infected PC/Mac is on it. You would not like it one bit.

Get AV software and scan any file that you plan on sending or forwarding to someone. Is it really that hard?

 

[gentlefury]

AV software is not going to slow down your Mac. It is well past the time for Mac users to stop being so smug about AV. Seriously.



As I said before, try being the administrator of a major college or university with thousands of computers that are at risk just because one infected PC/Mac is on it. You would not like it one bit.

Get AV software and scan any file that you plan on sending or forwarding to someone. Is it really that hard?

Actually yes, it is that hard. Anti-virus software is notorious for draining all resources and crippling your computer in order to keep viruses from crippling your system! It's extremely counter intuitive!

 

[emaja]

Actually yes, it is that hard. Anti-virus software is notorious for draining all resources and crippling your computer in order to keep viruses from crippling your system! It's extremely counter intuitive!

No it's not. Run ClamXav. It's light on resources and you will fulfill the responsibility of being on a large network.

Time to put that myth of "burdening your system" to rest.

 

[GGJstudios]

ClamXav is probably your best bet for non-problematic antivirus, if you're forced to have one. Sophos is not recommended, as it can actually increase your Mac's vulnerability.

For those who aren't forced to install antivirus to join a network, you don't need it at all. No viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any, since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

 

[podsorcerer09]

ClamXav is probably your best bet for non-problematic antivirus, if you're forced to have one. Sophos is not recommended, as it can actually increase your Mac's vulnerability.

For those who aren't forced to install antivirus to join a network, you don't need it at all. No viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any, since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

Other than sophos running as root, is there anything pressing that I would have to watch out for?

 

[GGJstudios]

Other than sophos running as root, is there anything pressing that I would have to watch out for?

That's enough, in itself. ClamXav won't put and undue burden on system resources, won't create the possibility of compromise by running with elevated privileges and it's free. Since you only need antivirus to satisfy the university's demands and not for actual protection, why pick something that could create the possibility of greater vulnerability?

 

[Supershuttle]

Just don't use Norton, Mcafee, most of Microsoft's major anti-virus partners. Stay away from them on mac. But ESET is the best on PC but it's not free, I use Spybot Search and Destroy and ESET on PC. On mac I just use ESET, spybot is not on mac.