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Sophos Launches Free Anti-Virus Software for Mac OS X
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No, we do NOT have any responsibility to protect Windows users from viruses. It is each computer user's responsibility to protect themselves. Even if every Mac ran antivirus, Windows users are still at a much greater risk from other sources of malware. The common sense approach is for every Windows user to run their own antivirus to protect themselves from malware, whether that malware comes from a Mac user or another source. Mac users do not have a responsibility to burden their computers with AV apps, just because some Windows users may be careless enough to run without AV protection.
Mac Virus/Malware Info
AppDelete left a lot more than that behind. Application removal apps are ineffective. Manual removal is more complete and reliable.
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Speak for yourself mate. It's easy enough to say that, but what happens if I go to a small client's site, and they're not on the case: I end up with a virus nestled on my hard disk. Then I end up going to a data centre, plugging in and... OOPS! The virus gets into the DC. I would be liable. I am insured, but it's easier to prevent than deal with the fallout. Additionally, as a security consultant, it might not look to competant, if you follow
If you're a security consultant, why are you not checking to make sure any network you receive files from is virus-protected? You're not going to get a Windows virus on your Mac simply by connecting to their network. You have to actually transfer an infected file onto your Mac.Speak for yourself mate. It's easy enough to say that, but what happens if I go to a small client's site, and they're not on the case: I end up with a virus nestled on my hard disk. Then I end up going to a data centre, plugging in and... OOPS! The virus gets into the DC. I would be liable. I am insured, but it's easier to prevent than deal with the fallout. Additionally, as a security consultant, it might not look to competant, if you follow
One of the first things I tell my Windows clients is they need antivirus protection. I install and configure it for them, and run the first scan myself, to make sure their systems are clean. I do that before I ever receive files on my Mac from them. If you're not doing the same, why are you calling yourself a security consultant?
I knew someone would say that. It's not the only way I stop things getting on there. It's all part of defence in depth and due diligence on top of what other processes I have/use. Additionally, I'm not usually there to talk to them about that kind of security (it's quite a large field). The client gets you in for particular job that they're paying you for (which in my case is security testing of networks and websites, the testing of gold builds), you do that job, not frigging about with installing anti-virus software for them. You tell them if it's not installed on a gold build they've just given to you for test, but it's not up to you to debate their IT policy if you're not there to do that. There are a number of things that you have to be acutely aware of when doing that job - you follow only the scope of what the customer wants done. Any deviation from the desired testing leads you to overstepping the 'get out of jail free' card that is the contract, and once you've done that, you've effectively breached the computer misuse act. So, by all means ask them about it, but if they say they have, why should I doubt them? It doesn't however, stop me from being careful, and following due diligence. Finally, it's a pretty insignificant performance hit, it fills in a little gap in defences, it's free.
Anyway, I'm only putting forward an argument why I think it's useful to have - not a convincing argument for others who don't want or need to have it. Just wanted to put forward another point of view where it might be useful beyond the phrase, "the Mac doesn't have viruses, why would you need it?"
Anyway, I'm only putting forward an argument why I think it's useful to have - not a convincing argument for others who don't want or need to have it. Just wanted to put forward another point of view where it might be useful beyond the phrase, "the Mac doesn't have viruses, why would you need it?"
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I've been a consultant for most of my business life. No matter what a client retains me to do, if I see another area where they need help, I'm going to discuss it. I'd be doing them a great disservice to "patch a broken arm" and ignore the "cancer" that represents a greater threat... and I tell them so. I've never had a client fail to appreciate this approach.
Because most clients are less computer literate than the consultants they hire. I don't rely on their word. I check their system(s). It's about being thorough and earning the fee I charge them. I would never leave a client's computer unprotected, unless I explained the risk in detail and they flatly refused. That has never happened, especially since there are great free antivirus solutions available.
The flip-side of that phrase is, "Windows DOES have viruses; why wouldn't every Windows box have antivirus protection running?"
You're lucky to have the luxury of time. If I'm there, I'm there for 3-4 days on very tight schedule, usually as part of a small team. My recommendations go in the report which then gets passed on.
I agree with you if I had the time, and it was just me there, I'd be perhaps more forward with advising stuff like that. But I'm afraid I simply don't usually have the time, as the testing schedules simply do not allow for that.
I agree with you if I had the time, and it was just me there, I'd be perhaps more forward with advising stuff like that. But I'm afraid I simply don't usually have the time, as the testing schedules simply do not allow for that.
It's ALL of our responsibility to try to contain viruses the best we can. I don't want to spread any viruses to my PC friends. That's called politeness.
However I agree, if you are a Windows user and you don't have any AV protection then you're just asking for it.
I don't, either. That's why I'm polite enough to make sure my PC friends are running anti-virus software, to protect them from malware, no matter where it may come from.
Eventually Macs will get viruses too.
What's the big deal? It's free and it runs well on my Mac. It's just extra protection for my Mac and for my PC friends.
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The big deal is that i do not want buggy, resource stealing software on my mac. Simple as that.
Stevamundo said:
The big deal is that i do not want buggy, resource stealing software on my mac. Simple as that.
Exactly, there's no reason for a Mac to need virus protection. Just a waste of CPU cycles, RAM, and disk IO.
And any PC user that doesn't have AV protection is just asking for it. It's not our responsibility to save their ass. Maybe if they actually do get a(nother) virus they will make the switch!
True, but just recently for example AVG Free Edition literally killed tons of Windows 7 machines due to an buggy update which caused W7 to reboot into an endless loop. The AVG team got hit by an outcry from angry and desperate users in their forum. I don´t want things like that happen to my mac, i bought one to not have to bother about those issues.
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Will this scan for windows viri too?
Could be hand for those infected autorun usb drives viri currently circulating.
Could be hand for those infected autorun usb drives viri currently circulating.
Neither.
Most scan only for Windows threats, since there are no viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X. Some will scan for outdated Mac viruses and trojans, but those are unnecessary, as long as the user exercises common sense in where they get software.
I installed it. I may have picked up some dodgy downloads in the past and transferred over a lot of pc files so i figured it was worth a go. I'll probably delete it after the initial scans get done
Seems to do a reasonable job and picked up 4 'threats'. They were all an old Mail-G exe virus that was embedded in an old zip file from the pc. it managed to get copied onto 3 different directories.
I did notice that Time Machine really screws up the Sophos program. It will hang on the Time Machine Back up drive and just get stuck
Seems to do a reasonable job and picked up 4 'threats'. They were all an old Mail-G exe virus that was embedded in an old zip file from the pc. it managed to get copied onto 3 different directories.
I did notice that Time Machine really screws up the Sophos program. It will hang on the Time Machine Back up drive and just get stuck
Sophos. Kaspersky has no heuristic detection and is a lot heavier on system resources. And, Sophos is free.
comparing Sophos Anti-Virus with Kaspersky
With Sophos, users may find heaviness in different ways.
The default number of WorkerThreads seems to make the system unusable for some users of the current version of Sophos. That's heaviness of one sort.
A higher number of WorkerThreads, for which there's no GUI, will use resources in a different way. That's heaviness of a different sort.
A system that's consistently usable is a must, so for as long as there's uncertainty around http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/Soph...-to-complete-login-after-reboot/m-p/1027#M599 I should recommend approaching SAV with caution, and with readiness to work around things from the command line.
With Sophos, users may find heaviness in different ways.
The default number of WorkerThreads seems to make the system unusable for some users of the current version of Sophos. That's heaviness of one sort.
A higher number of WorkerThreads, for which there's no GUI, will use resources in a different way. That's heaviness of a different sort.
A system that's consistently usable is a must, so for as long as there's uncertainty around http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/Soph...-to-complete-login-after-reboot/m-p/1027#M599 I should recommend approaching SAV with caution, and with readiness to work around things from the command line.
I didn't run into any such problem. I did notice an appreciable decrease in performance when using Kaspersky though. Sophos only slowed down my Mac on startup. But so far the only antivirus which doesn't noticeably slow down the system on startup seems to be ESET, after some tweaking.