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Have Mac got viruses or not?
- Thread starter glosterseagul
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LOL... Man, you type like Da Ali G talks... ;-)... just kidding.... But I do lose you sometimes with the slang...lol..
glosterseagul said:
I know for certain that the viruses you listed in the "CODE" and "INIT" families are Mac OS "Classic" (9 and earlier) specific and can't infect Mac OS X. I strongly suspect that ALL the viruses whose names start with "Mac/" are Mac OS 9 only. The first three and last three I've never seen before.
jackieonasses said:why did he post another thread???
Because I was getting a lot of stick in the other thread and I thought...hoped it would fade
Thank you for your replies....
I replied with the following:
Tthere are no viruses for Mac OS X!
There are EXPLOITS, which are not the same thing. It most certainly does NOT have more viruses then Windows98.
There are only 6 known viruses for BSD. There hasn't been a new one since 2002. The amount of UNIX based viruses ever captured and identified most certainly does not add up to the amount in existance for Windows.
Again, there are no Mac OS X viruses. You have no idea what he's talking about.
So, where are these "FreeBSD/PPC and pan-UNIX" virus programs? There was the Morris worm in 1988 (yes, 1988, and it only affected two computer models running long-dead versions of finger and sendmail), but since then things have been pretty quiet.
Do you actually understand what a virus is? The "pan-UNIX" remark betrays a profound ignorance of the broad diversity of software installed on Unix and Unix-like systems, and an equally profound ignorance of the actual levels at which the various Unix-like systems interoperate.
More current, active viruses than, say, Windows 98?
Okay. All you have to do is name one virus that works on current Unix systems.
(Hint: yes, vulnerabities have been identified in various Unix-like systems and applications that run on them over the years, and some have even been exploited to gain superuser access to specific operating-system/hardware combinations, but none of those things is a virus or worm.)
I think the best way to put it is there are almost no known virsus for OSX.
Because there are none really known that does not mean that they are none out there or never will be...Certainly there will be some one day.. but they will pale in comparison to the plethora of Windows viruses.
I think it worked, has just come back with:
"I notice you go from "no" to "almost no" in that passage
Also, the thousand odd MacOS Classic viruses probably still run in OSX's classic emulator. I'd prefer not to nuke any Classic programmes on the iMac so I'm not going to try.
No OS is totally secure. OSX is no better than Windows in that regard.
Also, if the Mac has no viruses, can you explain to me how Virex made money for a number of owners."
He was baffling me with science I think his reply was a little tame! Apart from me quoting "No" and "almost no"
I edited my mistake I wrote....."Again, there are no Mac OS X viruses. You have no idea what<<< he's>>>(should have read You are....) talking about."
"I notice you go from "no" to "almost no" in that passage
Also, the thousand odd MacOS Classic viruses probably still run in OSX's classic emulator. I'd prefer not to nuke any Classic programmes on the iMac so I'm not going to try.
No OS is totally secure. OSX is no better than Windows in that regard.
Also, if the Mac has no viruses, can you explain to me how Virex made money for a number of owners."
He was baffling me with science I think his reply was a little tame! Apart from me quoting "No" and "almost no"
I edited my mistake I wrote....."Again, there are no Mac OS X viruses. You have no idea what<<< he's>>>(should have read You are....) talking about."
I guess I'll make your case for you..
There are no viruses in the wild. There WAS a trojan horse conceptual virus. But it was concocted by a company that writes anti-viral software. Hence the move from "no" to "almost no". I want to be factually correct.
There's certainly not 1000 viruses for the Mac OS and pre-Mac OS. Viruses attack vulnerabilities in software and OSes. These are typically rendered useless when the software/OS gets updated. The bulk of them were for pre-Mac OS (when Apple's OS was called a "System"). None of these are effective against modern Mac OS. Very, very few of them were internet borne viruses. Network propagation of a virus and trojan horse is decidedly a Windows affair. Plus, Mac OS X is the primary OS for Apple now. Sure, there are still DOS viruses out there, and every Windows box has DOS, but would you count those viruses against it? I wouldn't.
Correct, no OS is secure. Some are more secure then others. I would argue that Mac OS X is more secure then windows for a few key reasons. One, it ships with potential security risks turned OFF by default. Contrary to Windows policy (up until recently). Two, there are many times more Windows boxes out there then there are Macs. Even if there were 10x the amount of Mac OS X vulnerabilities, it STILL wouldn't add up to a typical week of Windows flaws.
I can and will. Switchers, worriers, folks who are ignorant (in the good way) of Mac viruses. I fall in the worriers column. Do I need to elaborate? Sure! Switchers come from a world where viruses are always a clear and present danger. It's hard to believe that they can move to a modern OS that is currently uneffected by viruses. Worriers, like me, feel that there will be a Mac viruses or two someday and attempt to make themselves feel better by having an AV solution. And the last, the blissfully ignorant. Those that have never had a computer and hear about Windows viruses on the nightly news and wonder if they need to protect their Macs.
The money from folks who buy Virex is cab fare for McAfee execs. Windows pays for their houses and trophy wives/husbands.
glosterseagul said:
There are no viruses in the wild. There WAS a trojan horse conceptual virus. But it was concocted by a company that writes anti-viral software. Hence the move from "no" to "almost no". I want to be factually correct.
glosterseagul said:
There's certainly not 1000 viruses for the Mac OS and pre-Mac OS. Viruses attack vulnerabilities in software and OSes. These are typically rendered useless when the software/OS gets updated. The bulk of them were for pre-Mac OS (when Apple's OS was called a "System"). None of these are effective against modern Mac OS. Very, very few of them were internet borne viruses. Network propagation of a virus and trojan horse is decidedly a Windows affair. Plus, Mac OS X is the primary OS for Apple now. Sure, there are still DOS viruses out there, and every Windows box has DOS, but would you count those viruses against it? I wouldn't.
glosterseagul said:
Correct, no OS is secure. Some are more secure then others. I would argue that Mac OS X is more secure then windows for a few key reasons. One, it ships with potential security risks turned OFF by default. Contrary to Windows policy (up until recently). Two, there are many times more Windows boxes out there then there are Macs. Even if there were 10x the amount of Mac OS X vulnerabilities, it STILL wouldn't add up to a typical week of Windows flaws.
glosterseagul said:
I can and will. Switchers, worriers, folks who are ignorant (in the good way) of Mac viruses. I fall in the worriers column. Do I need to elaborate? Sure! Switchers come from a world where viruses are always a clear and present danger. It's hard to believe that they can move to a modern OS that is currently uneffected by viruses. Worriers, like me, feel that there will be a Mac viruses or two someday and attempt to make themselves feel better by having an AV solution. And the last, the blissfully ignorant. Those that have never had a computer and hear about Windows viruses on the nightly news and wonder if they need to protect their Macs.
The money from folks who buy Virex is cab fare for McAfee execs. Windows pays for their houses and trophy wives/husbands.
yellow said:
-yellow
Don't forget that OS X asks for administrator password when installing apps. a simple, yet elegant defense agains a virus that might eventually be made for OS X.
I just ran a virus check on my PeeCee. Guess what? Adware. Some spyware that inserted itself into a place that cannot be uninstalled (it took over part of the OS, but I took out the rest of the program) and a virus on a floppy disk I was checking, but it was an old disk. Oddly enough, that virus could still have been damaging.
I honesty hate Windoze for its lack of security...and SP2's firewall dosn't help. It blocks everything (even iPod's bus power if you arn't careful) and dosn't work too well.
I honesty hate Windoze for its lack of security...and SP2's firewall dosn't help. It blocks everything (even iPod's bus power if you arn't careful) and dosn't work too well.
-Scores! I remember that one!
Had it in 1988!
Despite his insistance that 'most attack OS X', he's simply incorrect. These are Classic MacOS viruses.
Had it in 1988!
Despite his insistance that 'most attack OS X', he's simply incorrect. These are Classic MacOS viruses.
yellow said:
-yellow
The password is even requested when in root as well. And that, we all know s hidden too so that only those who understand the power, can even find it.
MS is about the deadlines, Apple is about the product. There are advantages and disadvantages to both models.
For some reason no one seems to have focused on the fact that most viruses are written for x86, especially BSD viruses. Mac OS X runs on a PowerPC making it impossible to execute them.
Threads merged...
glosterseagul-
FYI, making only one thread and clearly explaining what you want to discuss is the best way to get help with something around here. Any "stick" you received was a product of a poorly constructed first post and pretty justifiable since people were asking you to clarify your comments.
If you think anybody was out of line, report the post and we'll look at it.
glosterseagul-
FYI, making only one thread and clearly explaining what you want to discuss is the best way to get help with something around here. Any "stick" you received was a product of a poorly constructed first post and pretty justifiable since people were asking you to clarify your comments.
If you think anybody was out of line, report the post and we'll look at it.
Rower_CPU said:
I totally agree. I regret my moments of gibberish - the "stick" I received was not a problem and mostly justified...Some a little unfreindly; but hey.
I have the same problem when I talk to people sometimes I just asume they know what I am on about...usually they do not!
I find this site friendly and welcoming I regret that my threads and comments irritated a few for which ~ I appologies sincerely.
........Still no responce about why apple find doesnt find
glosterseagul said:........Still no responce about why apple find doesnt find
It's in the Wasteland, and not repliable to..
It's a con spirry c!
Back to the find issue later...
How do I bypass the passwords on os9.2...the kids have forgot them.
I cant remember setting them up?
I tied turning extensions off not enough privs to turn off the login bit!
Back to the find issue later...
How do I bypass the passwords on os9.2...the kids have forgot them.
I cant remember setting them up?
I tied turning extensions off not enough privs to turn off the login bit!