Hello, I'm new here. I live in Taipei, Taiwan and saw some of these mac commercials on youtube (I went looking for them, and I'm from the USA). I've seen several commercials of mac attacking PC on the viruses thing so I went on the net and did some research. I found there results (which I'm not saying are right or wrong): "One of the reasons mac's don't get viruses is because no virus maker is going to make a virus for a computer that holds such a small market." I can see this making some sense since I rarely see any apple computers/laptops throughout all my travels over the globe. What do you guys think, is it just an excuse or is there some validity behind it?
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Mac's don't get viruses?
- Thread starter konman795
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There are a huge number of Macs. Many, many millions. Security by obscurity is not all that valid anymore. It is an incredible secure OS, as are most modern operating systems.
It's a very valid statement. Never seen or heard of a virus infesting a mac in all my time on MR.
I have one more question, apple refers to the computer's they are comparing themselves to as "PC's." Isn't that just personal computer? Why do they talk about Windows and Microsoft and none of the other OS's? Is it like a legal issue or something?
It's just a matter of definition that confuses people. Macs can still get Trojans, but trojans disguise themselves as legitimate applications and you'll still need to give administrator authorization for them to install.
You might just as well refer to a mac as a PC because it does stand for 'personal computer', but sometime along the line PC's became known as 'the computers running non-apple OS's'. In theory it's an open definition, in practice people usually associate Microsoft with the term 'PC'.
yeah the statement itself is wrong as mac's can get viruses however they are less susceptible to them.
There's plenty of articles and threads out there on this type of discussion. Here's a decent one of the articles.
Apples market share only has very little to do with it. Very little macs run anti virus software so if it was just as easy to write a virus for a mac then they would do it because they would be an 'open door.' The main reason is that it is a UNIX platform. UNIX platforms are far superior security wise.
Please show me some proof of a Mac OS X virus. There were some viruses in the older OSes (OS 9 and under), but there have been no recorded viruses for OS X.
Trojans can affect Macs, but trojans are not viruses. They act like an innocent program to the user. In order for a trojan to do any damage, you have to install it and type in the administrator password.
As of today there are no as in zero, nada, zip, virus for Mac OS X.
Agree.
djmayne2001 please don't spread FUD here. If you know of a virus for the Mac then name it.
We are waiting...
As for the OP's question. Whomever could come up with a virus for the Mac platform would be extremely famous since they would be the first one to do it. There are millions of Macs out there. So I don't think market share has anything to do with it.
There are NO viruses for OS X.
There are a few trojans, but you have to manually install them - they're just another piece of software which happens to do something you really don't want.
There are a few trojans, but you have to manually install them - they're just another piece of software which happens to do something you really don't want.
Apples Macs are "PC's" in the sense that the are are Personal Computers. However, Apple's marketing team has separated them selfs from any other computer manufacturer by calling their computers "Macs" and Windows based computers "PCs" and subsequently claiming that Macs are the better computer, weather they are or not is personal opinion. They only attack Windows because they are their biggest competitor.
Here's a fun article that Gruber linked to earlier today - http://threatpost.com/blogs/snow-leopard-security-all-relative
Pure FUD from an anti-virus company as far as I can tell!
Pure FUD from an anti-virus company as far as I can tell!
Like others have said, that point doesn't seem valid.
When Macs ran OS 9, the Mac marketshare was SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER than it is now, and people wrote viruses for that (OS 9).
Now the Mac marketshare is as big as its ever been and all of a sudden people stop writing viruses for it?
Doesn't make sense.
There are no viruses on OSX.
Giz Explains: Why OS X Shrugs Off Viruses Better Than Windows
http://i.gizmodo.com/5101337/giz-explains-why-os-x-shrugs-off-viruses-better-than-windows
The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/
The Unavoidable Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/...-apple-wont-inherit-microsofts-malware-crown/
Giz Explains: Why OS X Shrugs Off Viruses Better Than Windows
http://i.gizmodo.com/5101337/giz-explains-why-os-x-shrugs-off-viruses-better-than-windows
The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/
The Unavoidable Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/...-apple-wont-inherit-microsofts-malware-crown/
It'll happen, if it hasn't yet. Insisting that there are no viruses for any kind of preferred operating system (even the most obscure ones still in use) is just promoting a false sense of security. Out of close to 8 billion people on the planet I am sure there is at least one jackass attempting to write code for a virus that screws up a Mac.
While I think most people would agree with this statement, I'm certainly not going to rush out and buy anti-virus software tomorrow, based on a potential threat...
I'll consider purchasing Mac Anti-Virus software following solid confirmation that a significant threat exists. Until then why bother?
I don't want to say it's impossible.
If you want to create a virus on a non-windows platform, you should start with Linux because 75% of the world use them on server grade super computers and nobody as done that yet.
If you can infect a Linux, maybe go hardcore by trying to infect Unix. If you can infect Unix, then you can infect Macs... and for that you could get rewarded.
If you want to create a virus on a non-windows platform, you should start with Linux because 75% of the world use them on server grade super computers and nobody as done that yet.
If you can infect a Linux, maybe go hardcore by trying to infect Unix. If you can infect Unix, then you can infect Macs... and for that you could get rewarded.
I just use Clam XAV as a precaution what good is waiting for a virus then getting the software if you're computer winds up getting something first.
Viruses now day are intended to steal info from you. So with that in mind why would a virus maker make one for a Mac with say 10 million computer out there when they can write a virus for the Windows systems with 100 million computers out there. Where are there odds better to get the info they want? Not on the Mac.
I seriously doubt I'll get infected by a Mac viruses before I become aware that Mac viruses exist. (Experienced computer user, MacRumors/digg/slashdot RSS News to my desktop every hour etc.)
IMHO Mac anti-virus software, at this point in time, is a complete waste of system resources (and from what I've seen/read is mostly a FUD campaign coming from anti-virus software makers!)
I'll react when there is something to react to.
There's nothing wrong with being pro-active, good on you. But personally I don't see the need.