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Do you all use an Antivirus app?
- Thread starter Gix1k
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You will find there is a great deal of denial about OS X and it`s security which results in false security for many, as they assume that all have the same usage and workflow, which is generally never the case.
As someone who relies on their Mac`s for a living absolutely yes OS X does require protection above and beyond what Apple offers, I see the same question, same rhetoric, over and over;
There are multiple reasons to run antivirus/malware detection on OS X especially if you are dealing with mixed environments. Passing on malicious code, even inadvertently will do you no favours in the professional world, let alone your family and friends. What does not hurt OS X may well bring a Windows based system to it`s knees. By far the vast majority of companies that you may potentially work with, or interact with will require a level of antivirus protection, regardless of platform.
You do need to be careful on the choice of application; perviously I ran ClamXav (now a paid app) as the app is extremely light and only looks in realtime at what you specify, equally time has moved on and ClamXav has remained rather static. I now use Avast. Same scenario no impact to performance with a greater scope of realtime protection. Does anyone seriously still believe that running Avast or ClamXav on today`s modern hardware impacts performance? The paid packages I agree are unnecessary on OS X, as the free alternatives are currently perfectly adequate.
Avast or ClamXav will have no impact on a modern Intel based Mac. To have a free, low headroom, accurate scanner and not utilise it, is somewhat stubborn at the very best. The retorts of AV being a resource hog, boils down to one thing, research; Avast or ClamXav will not bog your system down. If it does your system either has other inconsistencies that need addressing, or your hardware is so old it`s well and truly time to upgrade. On my Early 2008 2.4 MBP ClamXav is simply invisible, there is absolutely no degradation of performance, as for the Late 2011 i7 2.4 MBP, Mid 2012 Retina, 2.8 13" Reina and now new 1.2 12" Retina MacBook it`s completely transparent, as is Avast, same applies to the rest of the Mac`s we own, used both in the professional environment and at home.
I have literally decades of work on my systems, and have no intention of losing any data, or suffering any downtime. Antivirus is but one tool in a multilayered security safety net. Lets face it, if and when OS X is compromised it will spread like wildfire, as many fundamentally believe that OS X is invulnerable, then it will "be all over, bar the shouting". I am not entirely sure posts that overly reinforce this false sense of security are remotely helpful to the average user. Even Apple recognises the security threat, however the updates are too slow to be considered a truly preventative measure. As of OS X 10.6 your Mac is running anti malware like it or not courtesy of Apple`s xProtect... Virus/Malware gains traction by exploiting vulnerabilities on unprotected systems. I don't believe for one second that any antivirus/malware detection application is the single security solution for OS X, it is however one of many effective barriers.
I have never had a positive hit in all the years I have run drive scans with ClamXav and now Avast, equally I have observed malicious code blocked by Avast`s Web Shield. OS X is gaining ever more traction and it`s simply a matter of time before someone figures it out, thinking otherwise is simply naive. Avast and ClamXav cost me nothing monetarily, nor time in productivity. This is a safety net that costs little more than a few minutes of your time period.
A significant aspect for those of us who rely on our Mac`s for income is downtime; spending hours tracking down malicious code is simply a negative financially to me. As ever prevention is far more effective than cure. In the field should my hardware fail to perform due to a software issue, it can cost me up to and above the cost of the system in use, for everyday it`s down, the math is simple.
There are many compelling reasons to run Avast, ClamXav or similar, and few if any not too. Personal choices aside I fundamentally believe that suggesting that OS X is 100% safe to all and does not need such tools is very much a step in the wrong direction; not all are technically minded, neither do all users who may have access to systems follow safe computing rules and guidelines. The vast majority simply point and click to get to where or what they want, Avast or ClamXav simply serves as a barrier to protect those that are unaware, and some cases unconcerned, ultimately such safeguards protect the community as a whole.
Install, don’t install it`s down to you now...
Q-6
As someone who relies on their Mac`s for a living absolutely yes OS X does require protection above and beyond what Apple offers, I see the same question, same rhetoric, over and over;
There are multiple reasons to run antivirus/malware detection on OS X especially if you are dealing with mixed environments. Passing on malicious code, even inadvertently will do you no favours in the professional world, let alone your family and friends. What does not hurt OS X may well bring a Windows based system to it`s knees. By far the vast majority of companies that you may potentially work with, or interact with will require a level of antivirus protection, regardless of platform.
You do need to be careful on the choice of application; perviously I ran ClamXav (now a paid app) as the app is extremely light and only looks in realtime at what you specify, equally time has moved on and ClamXav has remained rather static. I now use Avast. Same scenario no impact to performance with a greater scope of realtime protection. Does anyone seriously still believe that running Avast or ClamXav on today`s modern hardware impacts performance? The paid packages I agree are unnecessary on OS X, as the free alternatives are currently perfectly adequate.
Avast or ClamXav will have no impact on a modern Intel based Mac. To have a free, low headroom, accurate scanner and not utilise it, is somewhat stubborn at the very best. The retorts of AV being a resource hog, boils down to one thing, research; Avast or ClamXav will not bog your system down. If it does your system either has other inconsistencies that need addressing, or your hardware is so old it`s well and truly time to upgrade. On my Early 2008 2.4 MBP ClamXav is simply invisible, there is absolutely no degradation of performance, as for the Late 2011 i7 2.4 MBP, Mid 2012 Retina, 2.8 13" Reina and now new 1.2 12" Retina MacBook it`s completely transparent, as is Avast, same applies to the rest of the Mac`s we own, used both in the professional environment and at home.
I have literally decades of work on my systems, and have no intention of losing any data, or suffering any downtime. Antivirus is but one tool in a multilayered security safety net. Lets face it, if and when OS X is compromised it will spread like wildfire, as many fundamentally believe that OS X is invulnerable, then it will "be all over, bar the shouting". I am not entirely sure posts that overly reinforce this false sense of security are remotely helpful to the average user. Even Apple recognises the security threat, however the updates are too slow to be considered a truly preventative measure. As of OS X 10.6 your Mac is running anti malware like it or not courtesy of Apple`s xProtect... Virus/Malware gains traction by exploiting vulnerabilities on unprotected systems. I don't believe for one second that any antivirus/malware detection application is the single security solution for OS X, it is however one of many effective barriers.
I have never had a positive hit in all the years I have run drive scans with ClamXav and now Avast, equally I have observed malicious code blocked by Avast`s Web Shield. OS X is gaining ever more traction and it`s simply a matter of time before someone figures it out, thinking otherwise is simply naive. Avast and ClamXav cost me nothing monetarily, nor time in productivity. This is a safety net that costs little more than a few minutes of your time period.
A significant aspect for those of us who rely on our Mac`s for income is downtime; spending hours tracking down malicious code is simply a negative financially to me. As ever prevention is far more effective than cure. In the field should my hardware fail to perform due to a software issue, it can cost me up to and above the cost of the system in use, for everyday it`s down, the math is simple.
There are many compelling reasons to run Avast, ClamXav or similar, and few if any not too. Personal choices aside I fundamentally believe that suggesting that OS X is 100% safe to all and does not need such tools is very much a step in the wrong direction; not all are technically minded, neither do all users who may have access to systems follow safe computing rules and guidelines. The vast majority simply point and click to get to where or what they want, Avast or ClamXav simply serves as a barrier to protect those that are unaware, and some cases unconcerned, ultimately such safeguards protect the community as a whole.
Install, don’t install it`s down to you now...
Q-6
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Nope.
There are no viruses for the Mac. There is a small amount of malware, which doesn't take much effort to avoid and is easily removed by hand. If you want something that is quick and easy, and takes care of all the known malware you are even remotely likely to encounter, load the new malwarebytes for the Mac.
No, no need. Used Mac for 6 years and have found almost nothing to worry. There are some open vulnerability (like in Safari), but it addressed quickly by Apple. I used Little Snitch anyway to control & monitor the in/out packet.
I've been a Mac user for 8 years and never had or needed an anti virus. I have downloaded clamXav a couple of times to do a scan when I can't find the answer to a problem, but I've never found anything.
However, I have known 1 person who owns a Mac to get a single virus/malware/adware threat installed on their machine. They were pretty dumb though in the fact that they clicked one of those fake 'download here!' Panels on a website and wondered why they didn't get what they expected. It's also worth pointing out that clamXav and basic 'uninstalling' methods didn't work to remove it and we had to find special software to make the Mac fully functional again.
However, I have known 1 person who owns a Mac to get a single virus/malware/adware threat installed on their machine. They were pretty dumb though in the fact that they clicked one of those fake 'download here!' Panels on a website and wondered why they didn't get what they expected. It's also worth pointing out that clamXav and basic 'uninstalling' methods didn't work to remove it and we had to find special software to make the Mac fully functional again.
Do you purchase and install after-market seatbelts for your new car? Do you swap out the manufacturer installed airbags for another brand? If so, then perhaps a third-party antivirus app is for you. If not, then why would you think Apple, the developers and OS experts, with their intricate knowledge of the OS from the top level down to the guts of the machine can be one-upped by some unknown developer?
Been using a Mac for over 20 years, equally that won't protect against malicious code...
Q-6
I am not using any Antivirus software on my Mac, but I am also generally careful what sites I visit and what I download. I also do not connect usb drives from other people, and I mostly prefer to use cloud services for file exchange. I also have the Gatekeeper feature active on my Macs. Never had a single issue so far and I expect no changes in the future.
No. I've never installed any anti-virus. I've been a Mac user for over 20 years.
Apple`s is simply too slow to respond, malicious code is fluid and constantly evolving. The question is do you care about your data, and are you willing to protect it...
Q-6
ClamXav scanning engine is uninstalled via the installer, as stated by the developer, if you don't read the instructions etc. The app is well respected and trusted in the OS X community and does protect countless Mac`s against malicious code.
Q-6
I think you misunderstood what I said. I said that clamXav couldn't remove a certain piece of malware I found on a friends Mac. I fully understand how to use clamXav and how to uninstall it if I wish.
The special software I mentioned was a tailor made programme used to remove said malware, not clamXav.
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Apologies, I see. Yes I agree ClamXav is good at detecting malicious code, however does not excel at removal of the same, and now as a paid product I have some issue with this. Avast is basically far smarter, equally as with all, some caution is required and I don't recommend that "secure" connections be analysed by the Web Shield, other than that the product is a very solid solution for Mac`s and those that want to ensure Malware is excluded from their systems.
I also use Malwarebytes ex Adware Medic for the occasional manual scan, as redundancy and security of your data is ever a bad idea
Q-6
I feel like you're going on quite a crusade here and trying to use scare tactics to fuel it. Everyone who doesn't fall directly for marketing knows that there are viruses and malware for Mac OS X. However, as long as you are careful, chances of getting one are slim. If you conducted a poll on the amount of people who have suffered from viruses on a Mac, the results would more than likely show very few people. In my opinion, there's more of a chance of a logic board or hard drive failing than a virus causing problems.
Just because that tiny chance is there doesn't mean you NEED an anti virus. There's a chance that I could get stabbed or shot whenever I leave home, but I don't wear a bullet proof vest whenever I leave the house, because chances are so small that it's not worth worrying about.
I am genuinely interested to know how many viruses/malware you've found on or protected your Mac from.
That doesn't make your assertion any more true. Your claim that, because you rely on Macs to make a living, you require anti-virus software is just. plain. wrong.
You might need it, because you go to shady sites and install any and all flashy graphics that say "Speed up your Mac!" or "Your Adobe Flash Pro install is out of date", and that's fine.
But you are playing the angle of "some people need it, some people don't" (which is correct, and I said so in my first reply, which you decided to ignore) yet apply your own personal experience too broadly. It has nothing to do with being a professional.
No not really, just awareness and as stated everyones use case varies. Malware for OS X is a fact, as for a virus that can infect the OS no, not presently. I rather think prevention is better than cure.
I have seen code blocked by Avast`s Web Shield redirects etc. this is likely more Windows focused, equally working a mixed environment it`s only responsible to deal with such issues. Think on this, not everyone has that same usage patterns as you, not everyone has the same explicit control of their Mac, without doubt Malware for OS X is on the rise and posts here reflect the same, an automated solution can very much help those who lack detailed knowledge of the OS.
I am trying not to look from my own perspective, I am trying to look from the perspective of the basic user, younger kids, teenagers, the elder user, I am generalising here no need for rebuttal. If you are confident in your usage that`s good, I plug into multiple networks in physically multiple countries across multiple OS, therefore AV/MD make sense.
Can you assure that everyones system is safe? so why broadcast the same, the risk is low, equally the consequences for some can be severe...
Q-6
I work in multiple OS and physically multiple countries, frankly you will not gain access to these networks without a level of AV/MD, again you are assuming my usage meets yours, it doesn't nor does many others. It`s about awareness not a "comfort blanket" of invulnerability.
If you feel I am applying my experience to broadly, I apologise, equally I am trying to look outside my own usage as not everyone is equal in their comprehension of the OS and it`s security. Protecting your data and livelihood makes sense, if you as an individual do not have need of third part security solutions, so be it, equally others do and some need advice to do the same, data and or time loss is an issue for many.
As for "You might need it" that`s almost funny...
Q-6
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An unfortunate fact of life, when dealing with corporate networks, ironically I generally meet my obligations with a very basic Windows 8.1 tablet, I then access via OS X on the Mac (equally protected) which can and does bring some interesting conversation.
Q-6
Apple takes threats very seriously and they respond appropriately. I think that you are a little paranoid. While I understand that it is your profession to protect your employer, chill when it comes to the rest of us.
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