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Virus Software... Really needed on a MAC?? The truth.

olletsocmit

olletsocmit

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
296
2
USA
Do i Really need virus software on a MAC? I just switched to a MAC a month ago (love MAC). The rumor among PC users is that MAC users don't need to use virus software b/c there are not any MAC viruses. True or False? I am thinking it is not worth getting it b/c of the lack of viruses and the fact that Time Machine backs up my mac every hour. If i do get a virus... i can just restore my comp to an hour previous to the virus. Would the virus software just spare me the hassle of restoring threw Time Machine? Its a pain in the ass to fix a PC after a virus... but i don't think it will be such a hassle on my MAC.

If i do need virus software for my MAC... What exactly will it do that i cant fix with a simple restore threw Time Machine. What software should i get?

On a PC i did things like... registry cleanup, defraging hard drive, etc. Do u need to do things like this on a MAC?
 
On the virus front, it is true that not many viruses exist for OSX. However, in today's world you are exchanging files with users of Windows machines, and having an anti-virus can detect if one of them was in a file that you receive.

Typically the software also provides some additional features that might be useful.

Is it needed? not really, it is a good idea? probably, especially if you are new to OSX and probably have a lot of files from your old system.

my 2c.
 
Please read the following carefully:

GGJstudios said:
Mac Virus/Malware Info
Click to expand...

There are currently NO/ZERO viruses for Mac OS X in public circulation, only some malware titles you have to manually install by entering your password.

Time Machine will make hourly backups, but it doesn't work like System Restore in Windows. You can migrate a TM backup to a fresh installation of Mac OS X though.

I run Mac OS X since 2004 and have never infected my OS with some kind of malware due to my caring about what I install. So if you don't install everything without a thought and know what the source of the download is, you should be more than safe.
 
Thanks dude. The only problem i have with virus software is that it makes the computer soo damn slow! I had a super fast Alien Ware PC, but when i would run virus software on it... it was hella slow.

I am more worried about being caught for illegal downloads then getting a virus when downloading from other people. There is not good software for mac to protect my ip and block people from watching what i am downloading. On PC there is software called Peer Guardian 2 which is amazing. There is nothing even close for mac. there is a ver for mac, but it sucks. I have seen sites that are out of the country that u pay like 10 bucks a month and they do the blocking for you.
 
iShater said:
On the virus front, it is true that not many viruses exist for OSX.
Click to expand...
There are exactly zero viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X.
iShater said:
However, in today's world you are exchanging files with users of Windows machines, and having an anti-virus can detect if one of them was in a file that you receive.
Click to expand...
Mac users don't need to worry about receiving virus-infected files from Windows users, as Windows viruses can't run on Mac OS X. Every Windows user should be running AV, so it's not a Mac user's responsibility to protect Windows users.
olletsocmit said:
I am more worried about being caught for illegal downloads then getting a virus when downloading from other people.
Click to expand...
Be aware that if you download and install software from torrent sites or other less than reputable sources, you run the risk of installing a trojan, which CAN infect your Mac. Read the link spinnerlys posted to understand the difference.

By the way, a computer made by Apple is a Mac, not a MAC. MAC is Media Access Control.
 
The smartest anti-virus is to simply watch what you're downloading. As earlier stated, there are no viruses for OS X in the wild (at the time of this writing), with the exception of a few trojans, which rely on the user to be installed. If you download from trusted sources and use common sense, you will never have a problem. OS X is built on top of a UNIX distro, so it really is a much more secure system than Windows could ever hope to be.
 
better be safe then sorry! I say
I know they say that there are NO virusses for Mac! but hey, who knows for sure
 
BurningJah said:
better be safe then sorry! I say
I know they say that there are NO virusses for Mac! but hey, who knows for sure
Click to expand...

It would be world wide knowledge and Microsoft would make sure to spin that tidbit of an existing Mac OS X virus for their good.

As long as the AV software doesn't hog the CPU, why shouldn't one use it anyway? I used AV software for some months, but every once in a while it took 98% of my C2D CPU, so the AV software was thrown off.
 
GGJstudios said:
Be aware that if you download and install software from torrent sites or other less than reputable sources, you run the risk of installing a trojan, which CAN infect your Mac. Read the link spinnerlys posted to understand the difference.
Click to expand...

This cannot be understated. One of the most discussed malware to hit OS X recently was a trojan embedded in a torrent of iWork '09. The trojan's writer knew that the average user would expect to have to enter an admin password to allow the install, and took advantage of it (to install a keylogger, if I remember correctly, but others are free to correct me on this).

Trojans are not viruses; they have to ask you to allow them to do their damage. True viruses work and spread without the user's knowledge or explicit permission.
 
GGJstudios said:
There are exactly zero viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X.
Click to expand...

Good to know, not many and zero are close ;)

GGJstudios said:
Mac users don't need to worry about receiving virus-infected files from Windows users, as Windows viruses can't run on Mac OS X. Every Windows user should be running AV, so it's not a Mac user's responsibility to protect Windows users.
Click to expand...
I disagree there. If the OP still has PCs at home, and has lets say grandma using a PC, then it does help them that he is not passing infected files around.
 
iShater said:
I disagree there. If the OP still has PCs at home, and has lets say grandma using a PC, then it does help them that he is not passing infected files around.
Click to expand...

Windows users are at risk from malware from many more sources than just receiving files from Mac users. If a Windows user is not running AV, their risk of infection is MUCH higher, even if a Mac user screens files before sending. If the Windows user is running AV, it will screen files from all sources, not just Mac users.
 
Norton detected a trojan on my mac

Hi, I was under the impression that there were no viruses for mac. I do run parallels with Windows 7 but definitely do not download much from windows. However, recently I have detected 3 trojan horses. Norton will not repair them or even quarantine them. Is this something that I can get help with? Will I have to format my hard drive to get rid of them?

Thanks!

I've attached the picture of the norton detection window.
 

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MikeyG10is said:
Hi, I was under the impression that there were no viruses for mac.
Click to expand...
There are no viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X. There are trojans, which require the user to download and install, entering your admin password in the process.
MikeyG10is said:
However, recently I have detected 3 trojan horses.
Click to expand...
A trojan is not a virus. Read the link posted in the 3rd post of this thread to understand the difference.
MikeyG10is said:
Is this something that I can get help with? Will I have to format my hard drive to get rid of them?
Click to expand...
No, you don't have to worry about them. They can't affect your Mac, as they are Windows trojans:
Picture 2.jpg​
 
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