Should I "open safe files after downloading"?

[applefan289]

When there were articles about MacDefender infecting Macs, I read that a wise thing to do would be to uncheck the box that says "open safe files after downloading".

It is a much better experience if files are opened immediately, rather than me having to go through the downloads folder and open it from there.

Is it safe to do so yet?

 

[r.j.s]

No, leave that unchecked.

 

[GGJstudios]

When there were articles about MacDefender infecting Macs, I read that a wise thing to do would be to uncheck the box that says "open safe files after downloading".

It is a much better experience if files are opened immediately, rather than me having to go through the downloads folder and open it from there.

Is it safe to do so yet?

No, it's not recommended to have that enabled.

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. Uncheck "Enable Java" in Safari > Preferences > Security. Leave this unchecked until you visit a trusted site that requires Java, then re-enable only for your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Check your DNS settings by reading this.
   
   
5. Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
   
   
6. Never let someone else have physical access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
7. Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.

That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any virus, trojan, spyware, keylogger, or other malware. You don't need any 3rd party software to keep your Mac secure.

 

[applefan289]

No, it's not recommended to have that enabled.

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. Uncheck "Enable Java" in Safari > Preferences > Security. Leave this unchecked until you visit a trusted site that requires Java, then re-enable only for your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
   
   
4. Check your DNS settings by reading this.
   
   
5. Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
   
   
6. Never let someone else have physical access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
7. Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.

That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any virus, trojan, spyware, keylogger, or other malware. You don't need any 3rd party software to keep your Mac secure.

It's funny how the list says to uncheck Java. I was recently on a chat room from a fairly well-known website, when someone hacked me on the chat. I am assuming that has to do with Java.

Anyway, I use a computer the whole family uses, and they're not tech-saavy, so I'm leaving the Java checked.

Definitely leaving the option to open safe files unchecked, however.

Also, the thing about other software and the popups for software update are interesting. I remember doing this recently for a third party software, I hope I wasn't sucker punched into some malware or something.

Anyway, thanks for the heads-up.

 

[GGJstudios]

Anyway, thanks for the heads-up.

Also, you don't need any 3rd party antivirus app to keep your Mac malware-free. 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. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​