Format Hard Drive and Install Lion

[vladkarz]

Hello everyone,

I am about to install Lion on my mac, before that I would like to format everything I have on it......to delete it. Because I am certain there is a spyware running on it. I dont like to be monitored. Plus I dont have anything important on it. But I am just worried about keyloggers, since I do purchase sometimes with my credit card, and in general just want to feel safer.

However, there are few files which I saved on USB drive, few PDFs and few movies.

So my question is , if I install Lion and delete all files, what are the chances that key-loggers still be there? And on USB in those files?

What is the 100% way to get rid of keyloggers, if not this?

Thank you very much in advance

Have a great day ya all

VK

 

[GGJstudios]

But I am just worried about keyloggers, since I do purchase sometimes with my credit card, and in general just want to feel safer.

What is the 100% way to get rid of keyloggers, if not this?

The only way to get a keylogger on your Mac is if you install it yourself or give someone else access to install it.

Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. Uncheck "Enable Java" in Safari > Preferences > Security. Leave this unchecked until you visit a trusted site that requires Java, then re-enable only for your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Check your DNS settings by reading this.
   
   
5. Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
   
   
6. Never let someone else have physical access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
7. Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.

That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any virus, trojan, spyware, keylogger, or other malware. You don't need any 3rd party software to keep your Mac secure.

 

[vladkarz]

The only way to get a keylogger on your Mac is if you install it yourself or give someone else access to install it.

Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. Uncheck "Enable Java" in Safari > Preferences > Security. Leave this unchecked until you visit a trusted site that requires Java, then re-enable only for your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Check your DNS settings by reading this.
   
   
5. Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
   
   
6. Never let someone else have physical access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
7. Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.

That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any virus, trojan, spyware, keylogger, or other malware. You don't need any 3rd party software to keep your Mac secure.

Thanks a lot for your reply. Thats the thing, I suspect it got there while I did not use any password on my mac. And it was accessible by many people.

Thants why now I just want to be 200% sure there is nothing. So if delete everything and install Lion , will that work fine?

Thanks again

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks a lot for your reply. Thats the thing, I suspect it got there while I did not use any password on my mac. And it was accessible by many people.

Thants why now I just want to be 200% sure there is nothing. So if delete everything and install Lion , will that work fine?

Thanks again

There's no need to reinstall Lion. Just run a scan with ClamXav.

 

[vladkarz]

There's no need to reinstall Lion. Just run a scan with ClamXav.

I did scan with many different. Will try with this one too, if anything I dont think there is a way to spot a good keylogger. Thatswhy, I want to be sure there is no chance for it to exist. Anyway I wanted to upgrade to Lion. Shall I just erase everything,and install Lion? What do you think?

 

[GGJstudios]

I did scan with many different. Will try with this one too, if anything I dont think there is a way to spot a good keylogger. Thatswhy, I want to be sure there is no chance for it to exist. Anyway I wanted to upgrade to Lion. Shall I just erase everything,and install Lion? What do you think?

If you have a keylogger installed, ClamXav will detect it. If it doesn't find anything, you do not have a keylogger on your Mac. Mac keyloggers are relatively rare, so it's extremely unlikely you have one. There is no Mac OS X malware in the wild that installs a keylogger. You absolutely do not need to reinstall Lion for this purpose.

 

[Weaselboy]

You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network.

Yes you can.

Over the past two weeks, he has identified two separate backdoor trojans that get installed when users open booby-trapped Word documents or website links included in e-mails sent to them. Once installed, the trojans send the computer, user, and domain name associated with the Mac to a server under the control of the attackers and then await further instructions.