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Norton Internet Security 5 for Mac® (For OS X 10.7 Lion) worth the money?
- Thread starter tbluhp
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So what does unchecking "enable java" accomplish. Also, I have a couple of other questions:
1. Should I also uncheck enable javaScript in Safari > Preferences > Security
2. In Safari > Preferences > Security under fraudulent sites I have a yellow triangle with exclamation point and the warning Google safe browsing is unavailable. No updates have occurred in one day. What does that mean?
3. Under Utilities > Java Preferences > General I have all three boxes checked
for enable applet, java 64 bit, and java 32 bit. Is this correct?
Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long post and dumb questions.
Read the last section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ I posted earlier.
No, leave JavaScript enabled.
Google safe browsing is helpful, but not critical, as most of the sites it detects present no threat to Macs. I recall reading that enabling stealth mode in your firewall settings may interfere with Google safe browsing updates, but stealth mode is more important, IMO.
Yes, you don't need to do anything with those settings. The only thing I recommended was disabling Java in your browser.
Thanks, went back and read the FAQ section you referenced. So, I should have stealth mode enabled? Read somewhere that can cause connectivity issues with wi-fi?
Norton has absolutely awful products in general. The only good thing to come out of Norton was Ghost, which Symantec smartly rolled into the Symantec branding. Notice how they decided to keep the Norton AV away from their name.
Norton has absolutely awful products in general. The only good thing to come out of Norton was Ghost, which Symantec smartly rolled into the Symantec branding. Notice how they decided to keep the Norton AV away from their name.
Really? I don't know if I would describe Norton products as "awful." Before switching to Macs when all I owned were Windows computers, I had no problem with Norton or PC Tools (spyware doctor). That being said, I don't trust Windows-focused security companies enough to install their software on my Mac - blasphemy!
I have had nothing but bad experiences with Norton products as well. They should NEVER be considered for Macs or PC's. I use all Macs now with no security except what comes with the operating system.When I was using a PC laptop, I used Norton. It slowed the machine down a lot. when I replaced it with my Macbook Pro, I let the subscription lapse, thinking it would just stop scanning and everything would be OK. Instead, it locked up my machine during start up and I couldn't use it at all. I tried uninstalling the software and it didn't work. I found out from a friend to remove it, I needed to buy a Norton extraction program to get rid of it. He gave me a copy for free. I got it running long enough to pull files off it and never went back to it.
Back in the 90's it was our policy where I work to use Norton to defragment our Macs on a monthly basis. There was a point where I realized my machine would always crash a few times after running the software. So, I stopped running it even though my coworkers blindly swore by it. My machine ran better fragmented and rarely crashed.
My worst experience was helping a friend who had a 6 month old laptop that suddenly couldn't get on the web and lost a lot of its functions. After a few hours on the phone with the internet service and the laptop manufacturer techies in India, we finally figured out the problem was the free 6 months of Norton that came with the computer. The subscription had lapsed and locked everything up. My friend had no idea she had the free 6 months. The software had automatically signed her up when she logged on for the first time. I think the only reason this company is still in business is their deal with Microsoft or the computer manufacturers bundling the software on new pc's. It allows their product to invade people's homes, often without them being aware it's there. Just awful!
Back in the 90's it was our policy where I work to use Norton to defragment our Macs on a monthly basis. There was a point where I realized my machine would always crash a few times after running the software. So, I stopped running it even though my coworkers blindly swore by it. My machine ran better fragmented and rarely crashed.
My worst experience was helping a friend who had a 6 month old laptop that suddenly couldn't get on the web and lost a lot of its functions. After a few hours on the phone with the internet service and the laptop manufacturer techies in India, we finally figured out the problem was the free 6 months of Norton that came with the computer. The subscription had lapsed and locked everything up. My friend had no idea she had the free 6 months. The software had automatically signed her up when she logged on for the first time. I think the only reason this company is still in business is their deal with Microsoft or the computer manufacturers bundling the software on new pc's. It allows their product to invade people's homes, often without them being aware it's there. Just awful!
Hello!
I bought my Macbook Pro last Thanksgivings. Have not used it much because I had zero knowledge about Mac.
I recently bought the Mac Security Bible book from amazon. I read it last week and found it is very helpful for both Mac and networking security. The author introduced some Anti-Virus and Firewall programs. One is Sophos. According to the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc., the author, Joe Kissell, "was named one of MacTech's 25 most influential people in the Mac community for 2007." That was probably the best thirty bucks I've ever spent for computer books.
I did a "Mac Security" Google search too. Found some interesting information, including this article:
Growing List of Security Threats to Mac OS X Lion
My conclusion: In addition to the measures the author of the book "Mac Security Bible" suggested, I might need Sophos (free) Home Edition for my Mac.
I use Kaspersky for all my pc computers. I scan everything from the internet, including e-mails. I "use commonsense." I never download pirated or porn stuff. But you'll never know.
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I did read post #4.
- I constantly work with Java websites so I cannot disable browser Java. some sites are new (I do not know if they're harmless).
- I constantly exchange work (files) with my co-workers. Some contain macros. I always scan the files before using them.
- Sometimes I need some software from some "trusted" sites, such as download.com. I always scan them before using them.
Any suggestion?
As long as you're not installing software, you should be fine. It's important to keep in mind that the vast majority of Mac users will never encounter malware at all, because it's so rare. If you want to want to scan files, ClamXav is one of the best choices, since it isn't a resource hog, detects both Mac and Windows malware and doesn't run with elevated privileges. You can run scans when you choose, rather than leaving it running all the time, slowing your system. ClamXav has a Sentry feature which, if enabled, will use significant system resources to constantly scan. Disable the Sentry feature. You don't need it. Also, when you first install ClamXav, as with many antivirus apps, it may perform an initial full system scan, which will consume resources. Once the initial scan is complete, periodic on-demand scans will have much lower demands on resources.
Yep. I doubt you'll need anything else. Besides, your router likely came with a firewall built in.
I will have to install software and download files... so I need a scanner.
It looks like ClamXav is what I need for now.
Thanks.
I just did this...but what exactly did I just uncheck?
I thought I needed that checked?
What does eliminating Java do? (Does it mess up videos or something?)
(I read the FAQ) and understand how it stops Trojans but what else does unchecking it do?
Is there a way to check my iMac for Trojans?
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For some sites, you may need it. For most, you probably don't. If you're on a trusted site and elements aren't working properly, you can enable Java and refresh the page. Then, when you're finished with the site, uncheck it again.
No, it doesn't have to do with videos. Java is used for some elements of some websites. Leaving it unchecked, you probably won't see much difference in your web surfing. Only occasionally you may find a site that doesn't function properly without it.
ClamXav, as I mentioned earlier, can scan for Mac and Windows malware.
How will I know when I need to enable Java for a website? Will it warn me or something?
No, it won't warn you. Some elements of the website simply may not work. For example, there may be menus or buttons that do nothing when you click them. If that happens on a trusted site, enable Java and reload the page, then try clicking the menu or button again. If your web activity is like most, you won't encounter this very often.
Ok thanks for the tip.
It's not enabled...I don't think I need to scan it for anything because nothing's been acting up.