How secure are virtual boxes?

[thekb]

If I install virtual box and install Windows within it as one virtual machine. Can viruses or other malware / trojans -- whatever you want to call it -- infect the host machine (imac)? Or can the virtual Windows install get totally effed up beyond all recognition and when I close Virtual box everything goes away? Is it better to actually delete that virtual machine periodically?

I guess my question is just how compartmentalized is the Virtual Box environment? Completely, mostly, sort of?

 

[alust2013]

It's a completely separate OS, so anything you do with it goes away once you close the VM. No viruses that can affect Windows will run on your Mac anyhow, so there's nothing to worry about. That said, a free antivirus program wouldn't be a bad idea to install on the windows VM if you're going to use the internet on it.

 

[thekb]

Yes, I could install an antivirus on it. That would help. I don't run anything on my imac and I've gotten a little spoiled by it.

I didn't think there would be anyway for a PC virus to migrate to the Mac side, but wanted to make sure. It's really only Quicken that I want to run on it, but since it will need internet access, I was concerned. Thanks