Mac's don't get viruses?

[Jethryn Freyman]

I just remembered a way it is possible to corrupt a Mac HD with a windows virus--it is possible for those who dual boot OSX and Windows thanks to the Intel chip. A decent virus worth its salt doesn't care what files it attacks on a hard drive or what partition if it is downloaded through Windows it can and will infect whatever files it can get to and may just as likely corrupt Mac OS by corrupting the Hard drive itself when both OSes are present on a single drive--such a thing is not unheard of.

Boot Camp separates the two partitions in such a way that Windows can't even detect the OS X partition, which makes it safe from all current known attacks.

It's a good point though, if this changes, and Apple allows Windows to mount the OS X partition, then things start getting messy.

 

[MonkeyAmmo]

Mac

No Mac dont get viruses.

I once had a windows I always thought windows was the best thing ever. Then I got myself a mac. Now I sold the windows and just forgot it Its just not a good as mac. One of the resons is the viruses. Mac dont get viruses. No longer trojan is able to hack a mac. Because they are just not powerful enough the mac will store it but wont let it hack . Like if you try to run a windows program on a mac youll have to emulate it. All of you that have windows try mac if you like it then buy it and sell that ****** stuff youre using. And for those that have a mac you rock and you know how to take good decisions.

Speaking for Macintoshers MAC ROCKS

 

[nec207]

The myths going around on the internet.


1.Less than 1% use Linux and 10% use Mac Os X it is not that they are so much better but market share .The Malware makers are going after windows where the market shares are.

2.Windows have more security but most people don't use it.

3.Mac OS X security is not that good , windows is better.

4.windows it has more gradual permission level than a ON and OFF like Linux or Mac OS X

5.Malware is growing with Linux and Mac OS X now.

-- out of the box windows computer is really bad but tweaking and tighten up settings is more security than Linux and Mac.

 

[GGJstudios]

No viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any, since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

 

[ChrisA]

2.Windows have more security but most people don't use it.

The way to test this is is Windows can be run with no anti-virus software. If yu can that I might believe

3.Mac OS X security is not that good , windows is better.

I like your well reasoned arguments and your use of examples to make your case. (BTW Nikon is better than Canon.)

4.windows it has more gradual permission level than a ON and OFF like Linux or Mac OS X

Have you seen the SE Linux system that ships with most distributions?
if not read this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security-Enhanced_Linux

5.Malware is growing with Linux and Mac OS X now.

One example of a Mac virus would go a long way to help you make this point. "Growing means there aremore now than before. As there were zero just one would work. Got a link? And no "trojans" don't count because they requires a user to download and install the malware. No security system can defend a system from the user installing stuff. Well, yes there is one, never give you users the root password.

 

[xriderx11]

Macs have a anti-virus built into them... Just like AVG ( anti virus company.. ) They will say pcs will get no virus if u download the anti virus. Truth is ANYTHING can get a virus...
but macs can have some anti virus in it... Just like flu shots.. It helps NOT getting them... There's no promis that it will NEVER get 1

Sent from my iPhone4 using Tapatalk

 

[Mal]

Macs have a anti-virus built into them... Just like AVG ( anti virus company.. ) They will say pcs will get no virus if u download the anti virus. Truth is ANYTHING can get a virus...
but macs can have some anti virus in it... Just like flu shots.. It helps NOT getting them... There's no promis that it will NEVER get 1

Sent from my iPhone4 using Tapatalk

That's not particularly accurate. Yes, Apple included a very limited form of anti-malware scanning (not limited to viruses, and in fact doesn't contain any virus definitions because there aren't any to include) called XProtect, but it's not the reason there's no viruses for Mac OS X. The most obvious evidence for that fact is that XProtect exists only in Snow Leopard, yet there were no viruses before Snow Leopard either.

jW

 

[chefross]

random pop up virus alerts

i have just recently had pop ups on my macboock troyan spyware and not sure why they have come up as in my knowledge of macs never herd of getting a virus ...

 

[GGJstudios]

i have just recently had pop ups on my macboock troyan spyware and not sure why they have come up as in my knowledge of macs never herd of getting a virus ...

As already stated, no viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X.

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

The first section of that link deals specifically with the MacDefender/MacSecurity/MacProtector/MacGuard issue, which is not a virus. I encourage you to read it.

 

[mschmalenbach]

Up Until Now

I too have heard that at present, "up until now" there are no viruses that can spread beyond 1 or 2 machines in the wild, for the current OS X situation.

I see perhaps the biggest threat being the sense of security that comes from years of people repeating that there are no viruses to worry the OS X world.

One day, it's just possible perhaps, that a virus does emerge that can spread in the wild.

So I believe that whilst "up until now" there are no virus threats of consequence, we should be ever vigilant.

The more immediate threat is from malware, trojan horses, and frankly, just plain ignorance.

I have my Mac for work - provided by them. They have decreed that all work Macs (we have about 50, everybody else, about 4000 people, have Windows machines) will have anti virus and other protection provided by Symantec. I also have Parallels with Windows 7 64 bit to enable me to run Windows-only software needed for work. That has anti virus stuff on it.

I had wondered about 'cross contamination' - the earlier post has woken me to that danger - thank you.

Now, time to fire up Parallels and make sure the anti virus is up to date!

Cheers

Martin

 

[GGJstudios]

I too have heard that at present, "up until now" there are no viruses that can spread beyond 1 or 2 machines in the wild, for the current OS X situation.

The fact is, there are NO viruses that can infect or spread to any computer running Mac OS X.

I see perhaps the biggest threat being the sense of security that comes from years of people repeating that there are no viruses to worry the OS X world.

There are no OS X viruses, but there has always been malware that can affect OS X. The message has always been that you don't need to worry about viruses at present, but Macs are not immune, so a virus could be released into the wild in the future. The message has also been that you need to be careful in what you choose to install and practice safe computing.

I had wondered about 'cross contamination' - the earlier post has woken me to that danger - thank you.

I'm not sure what you mean by "cross contamination", but no Windows malware can run on Mac OS X, and vice versa. If you're running Windows anywhere, including on a Mac, either through Boot Camp or Parallels or VMware Fusion, you should have antivirus running.