trojans?

[AeroBar]

Hi,

I read someplace recently that while there are no virus that can affect a Mac, there are trojans.

Most of my downloads are from iTunes or the odd wallpaper/screensaver on as movie site. But I was just about to download a font from a website that looked respectable.

How is a person to know what is safe to download?

Help me kill the sudden paranoia.

Cheers

 

[miles01110]

If it's from a reputable site it's probably fine. If something asks you for your password when you weren't expecting it to, don't install it.

 

[dXTC]

There are some free trojan/antivirus scanners for Mac. Most people use it only to help prevent forwarding a virus to their more susceptible Windows-using friends.

If the font (or any other package) you downloaded forces you to enter your admin password when opening, I'd be a little wary, and run it through a trojan scanner before giving it a password. The few trojans that work on OS X do so only because the user gives it permission. Without that permission, no installation routine, script, or application will run. (That's why OS X is more virus-resistant than Windows.)

 

[AeroBar]

I had a demo for a program last week that asked for me to enter the password

it was called DVD Snap 2.1.1 and I got it here - http://www.pure-mac.com/screen.html

I deleted the program after using it.

Could this have done something?

 

[MacDawg]

I had a demo for a program last week that asked for me to enter the password

it was called DVD Snap 2.1.1 and I got it here - http://www.pure-mac.com/screen.html

I deleted the program after using it.

Could this have done something?

Not likely... looks reputable to me
There aren't that many trojans floating around out there either

Just because it asks for a password doesn't mean it is malicious
Some installations for legitimate software will require the admin password

Just pay attention where you are getting your downloads and what they are

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[CylonGlitch]

I make all efforts to only download from the vendors website. Typically someone who is trying to make money from selling a product isn't about to embed a trojan in it; this is done by 3rd parties trying to get something out of you. Example is the iWorks trojan; someone took iWorks, added a trojan, and then put it up for people to download / share.

Thus downloading from vendors or even Apple themselves is a good idea.