Virus Scan Question...

[munkery]

Name any Mac OS X malware that exists in the wild that infects documents, spreadsheets, etc. created on a Mac with Windows malware. It doesn't exist.

Why does this discussion have to be confined to malware that meets that criterion?

Limiting the discussion in this way is illogical. All cross platform malware is relevant to this discussion.

As a reminder, the impetus of this tangent within this thread is the following post:

Sure there is. You wouldn't want to pass on malware to others for example. Not everything is about your computer

I have already provided an example of cross platform malware that targeted both OS X and Windows that is relevant to the discussion.

I still haven't seen one example of Windows malware that was detected by Mac AV that wasn't detected by Windows AV.

Are some AV solutions with higher detection rates available for Mac?

Yes.

If a Windows user is using an AV solution with lower detection rates than a Mac AV solution with greater efficacy, is it possible that the AV on the Mac will detect the threat while the AV on the Windows PC won't detect the threat?

Yes.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_retro_may2011.pdf

 

[GGJstudios]

Why does this discussion have to be confined to malware that meets that criterion?

Because it doesn't make sense to worry about malware that doesn't yet exist, any more than it makes sense to try to defend against a Mac OS X virus that doesn't yet exist. A normal Mac user exercising reasonable care in what software they install does not have to worry about creating documents, spreadsheets, etc. on their Mac and sending them to a Windows user.

I have already provided an example of cross platform malware that targeted both OS X and Windows that is relevant to the discussion.

That only shows detection rates between various Windows AV apps. That doesn't compare Windows vs Mac AV, nor does it mention any instance of malware that a Windows AV failed to detect that a Mac AV did. Percentages aren't the same thing.

 

[munkery]

Because it doesn't make sense to worry about malware that doesn't yet exist, any more than it makes sense to try to defend against a Mac OS X virus that doesn't yet exist. A normal Mac user exercising reasonable care in what software they install does not have to worry about creating documents, spreadsheets, etc. on their Mac and sending them to a Windows user.

Why does this discussion have to be confined to malware that meets that criterion?

Limiting the discussion in this way is illogical. All cross platform malware is relevant to this discussion.

As a reminder, the impetus of this tangent within this thread is the following post:

Sure there is. You wouldn't want to pass on malware to others for example. Not everything is about your computer

I have already provided an example of cross platform malware that targeted both OS X and Windows that is relevant to the discussion.

That only shows detection rates between various Windows AV apps. That doesn't compare Windows vs Mac AV, nor does it mention any instance of malware that a Windows AV failed to detect that a Mac AV did. Percentages aren't the same thing.

Some of those vendors make AV software for both platforms. The detection engine used across the OS platforms is the same.

Are some AV solutions with higher detection rates available for Mac?

Yes.

If a Windows user is using an AV solution with lower detection rates than a Mac AV solution with greater efficacy, is it possible that the AV on the Mac will detect the threat while the AV on the Windows PC won't detect the threat?

Yes.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_retro_may2011.pdf