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Finding malware on Mac

H

Huiu

macrumors member
Original poster
May 22, 2012
83
3
Hello there,

since I am not sure whether there is any kind of malware on my mac (Mavericks), I wondered how I could possibly ascertain so. I have already read some articles, but since I do not know whether they are up do date I am asking here:

Which program (if any) would you recommend to discover if any file I have on my computer is infected and what steps shall I take after my new installation in order to keep my mac safe?
 
Thank you. It seems my mac is clean, which is a great relieve.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
Is every site questionable
Click to expand...

Yes


SandboxGeneral said:
Are you saying every site is dangerous?
Click to expand...

Every site can be dangerous. Everyday reputable servers/sites get hacked and are made to serve malicious code its sites visitors without them knowing. Just because a site is reputable does not mean that you should trust it. Every site that you go to on the Internet should be questionable meaning that you should question the security and safety of every site that you go to.

One of the best things that you can do it use a web browser that has all scripting disabled and only allow scripting on a case by case or site by site basis. Even then that does not mean the a site that you have whitelisted can not be hacked and made to serve you malicious content the next time that you visit it.
 
brand said:
Yes




Every site can be dangerous. Everyday reputable servers/sites get hacked and are made to serve malicious code its sites visitors without them knowing. Just because a site is reputable does not mean that you should trust it. Every site that you go to on the Internet should be questionable meaning that you should question the security and safety of every site that you go to.

One of the best things that you can do it use a web browser that has all scripting disabled and only allow scripting on a case by case or site by site basis. Even then that does not mean the a site that you have whitelisted can not be hacked and made to serve you malicious content the next time that you visit it.
Click to expand...

Yup. Cross site scripting makes the problem much worse, as do ads. The site agrees to host ads, but often it is possible to insert a malicious ad on a legitimate site. The advantage of this for the attacker is that the user and the browser trust the site because it has a known, trusted URL. Often times you have to enable scripts to get the site to work properly (another gripe of mine), which exposes your browser to the exploit unless you know exactly which one to leave blocked.

The best thing you can do is block scripts, Java, and Flash entirely and use updated browsers, but 0 days will always be an issue. All sites are suspect.
 
Run the Apple update tool to check for any available updates, as well as download and install them.
Click the Apple menu and select Software Update. Follow the steps as the computer presents them.
To see if your system is running any unfamiliar applications, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Utilities folder in your Applications folder.
2. Select Activity Monitor.
3. Choose All Processes.
4. Click the Quit Process button in the upper left hand corner, and select Quit.
If, after performing the activity check you found and quit any unwanted applications, the next step is to remove them from your system. To do this:
1. Open the Applications folder.
2. Locate the unfamiliar app (the name will be the same as the process)
3. Drag the App(s) to the trash, and empty the trash.
If after doing this you still feel your system is infected, you may choose to purchase an Anti Malware application.
 
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