Mac Security Question

[kpilkington]

Hi all,

Recent happenings when logging on to one of the sites I visit is strongly suggesting that the security of my computer has been compromised.

One of the Mods there suggested that I:

"Backup all your important data to an external hard drive, scan it with as many different anti-virus / anti-malware / anti-spyware / anti-rootkit programs as possible (preferably portable versions), then re-install your OS and create a new account..."

Before I do all of the above, would it be equally effective to simply roll-back my computer via Time Machine to a date prior to when I could have possibly been "infected"?

If not, does anyone have any suggestions about effective anti-malware/spyware/rootkit software for Mac?

I'm currently scanning it with freeware called Avast, which was highly rated. Would that find the problems mentioned above? Running most current versions of OSX.

thanks in advance!

 

[GGJstudios]

Hi all,

Recent happenings when logging on to one of the sites I visit is strongly suggesting that the security of my computer has been compromised.

One of the Mods there suggested that I:

"Backup all your important data to an external hard drive, scan it with as many different anti-virus / anti-malware / anti-spyware / anti-rootkit programs as possible (preferably portable versions), then re-install your OS and create a new account..."

Before I do all of the above, would it be equally effective to simply roll-back my computer via Time Machine to a date prior to when I could have possibly been "infected"?

If not, does anyone have any suggestions about effective anti-malware/spyware/rootkit software for Mac?

I'm currently scanning it with freeware called Avast, which was highly rated. Would that find the problems mentioned above? Running most current versions of OSX.

thanks in advance!

While not impossible, it's very unlikely your Mac is infected with any malware. Many people attribute unexpected behavior on Macs to malware, but the fact is the average Mac user will likely never encounter malware, unless you're installing pirated software. Yes, rolling back with Time Machine should solve any problems. Failing that, a clean install of OS X would clear up anything.

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. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below).

3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link. Also, it is not recommended that you install more than one antivirus app, as they can conflict with each other and cause false positives. Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

 

[kpilkington]

While not impossible, it's very unlikely your Mac is infected with any malware. Many people attribute unexpected behavior on Macs to malware, but the fact is the average Mac user will likely never encounter malware, unless you're installing pirated software.

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. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below).

3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link. Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

Thank you for the reply.

What about a keylogger? Would the Avast software find that?

And for the sake of argument, let's say somehow some malware was installed. Would rolling back Time Machine fix the issue?

 

[GGJstudios]

Thank you for the reply.

What about a keylogger? Would the Avast software find that?

The only way you have a keylogger on your Mac is if you installed it yourself, or gave someone else access to your Mac to install it. Keyloggers on Macs are quite rare.

 

[kpilkington]

The only way you have a keylogger on your Mac is if you installed it yourself, or gave someone else access to your Mac to install it. Keyloggers on Macs are quite rare.

Thanks again -- but assuming the keylogger was there, would a Time Machine roll back get rid of it?

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks again -- but assuming the keylogger was there, would a Time Machine roll back get rid of it?

Yes. Have you given anyone access to your Mac?

 

[kpilkington]

Yes. Have you given anyone access to your Mac?

Not necessarily, but let's just say I could have been more careful about my security. Thanks again for your input.