Viruses

[wpotere]

I'm going to toss this out there again.

If virus definitions are built on a "known" virus and there are none currently for a Mac, then what definitions are you running? Even huristics requires a known virus before they can be functional in any capacity. Windows viruses simply can't run on a mac so using those are pointless. All this hype is so that some of these companies can sell software. I was/am (windows developer) a Windows user and I have had my Mac connected directly to the WEB (no firewall) and have never gotten a virus or malware. Don't install torrent garbage and you will be fine.

Bottom line, you are still tying up resources for something you don't need at this time.

Lastly, comparing UAC to UNIX root privlages is like comparing your local jail to Alcatraz. UAC is MS's way to try and catch up to what UNIX has pretty much had since inception.

 

[NickZac]

what safety features do you use to prevent them?

Frequent use of hand sanitizer, washing your hands with warm water and an antibacterial soap for at least 30 seconds, covering your mouth when you cough, and avoiding ones that obviously are infected with a virus.

 

[GGJstudios]

All this hype is so that some of these companies can sell software.

Exactly. If you notice, this thread was resurrected by virusblaster, a newbie whose first post in the forum was to promote a particular antivirus app. That post was deleted by mods. The user name they chose and that initial post would suggest that they're here primarily to promote sales of AV software, rather than contributing anything meaningful or factual.

 

[wpotere]

Exactly. If you notice, this thread was resurrected by virusblaster, a newbie whose first post in the forum was to promote a particular antivirus app. That post was deleted by mods. The user name they chose and that initial post would suggest that they're here primarily to promote sales of AV software, rather than contributing anything meaningful or factual.

Yup... I have been running Solaris boxes for many years. The only windows virus that caused me a headach was Blaster and that was because it kept banging the RPC port which would then shut down due to flooding. It killed my database sync but other than that it was harmless. FWIW, that was several Windows machines without AV on the network, not the Macs that had no AV.

 

[ECUpirate44]

well their are just a few viruses but their are mostly trojans for the mac operating system and you can still carry windows virus so it would probable be a good idea to use anti virus.

You revived the thread to say that?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

You revived the thread to say that?

That poster also revived another similar thread to spread this crap, but the post and my reply have been deleted. Maybe s/he forgot the link to the Intego VirusClamProtegé.

 

[StruckANerve]

So I can browse any site on the net on my mac and I will be fine? I keep hearing people say just use common sense but what If I don't have any and download or watch massive amounts of porn? lol. Will I get a virus?

 

[GGJstudios]

So I can browse any site on the net on my mac and I will be fine? I keep hearing people say just use common sense but what If I don't have any and download or watch massive amounts of porn? lol. Will I get a virus?

You can't get a Mac virus, because none exist. Surfing websites cannot infect your Mac. If you only download and install software from reputable sites (this excludes porn sites and torrents), you have almost zero chance of having your Mac infected by anything. Read this:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

 

[Silverbird0000]

Don't look at too many porn sites and you'll be ok.

Hahaha! Actually you can look at all the porn you want, just don't install anything. I think that should be Apple's slogan for Mac. "Watch all the iPorn you want".

 

[bigjobby]

Hahaha! Actually you can look at all the porn you want, just don't install anything. I think that should be Apple's slogan for Mac. "Watch all the iPorn you want".

I suggest you patent that. You might be on for a winner there!

 

[StruckANerve]

I did get a heavy attack a couple of weeks ago. I was browsing google image search for non-porn material surprisingly and I clicked a picture and my firefox crashed and I got a popup warning me about an attack site and that I needed to download and install the recommended windows AV program. Whatever it was obviously was directed at Windows so nothing happened, but I was surprised that it completely crashed my Firefox.

 

[GGJstudios]

I did get a heavy attack a couple of weeks ago. I was browsing google image search for non-porn material surprisingly and I clicked a picture and my firefox crashed and I got a popup warning me about an attack site and that I needed to download and install the recommended windows AV program. Whatever it was obviously was directed at Windows so nothing happened, but I was surprised that it completely crashed my Firefox.

Those are scareware and they are scams. Read the Virus/Malware link I posted. It addresses that.

 

[Mactrillionaire]

Is it true that you can't get a virus or any problems on a Mac?
And if so what safety features do you use to prevent them?

No, it isn't true. There are just lots less viruses written natively for Macintoshes. The protection feature Macs have that you won't find on a PC is that you have to enter an administrator password to do anything really harmful to your computer, even if you did download and try to run an application containing malware.

To be safe, I use virustotal.com to scan applications before moving them to the applications folder. I also use it before installing programs in Windows. Here's the difference, though: On a PC, you have to have the best anti-malware software up-to-date at all times to steer clear of most threats. On a Mac, just scanning applications at virustotal.com before installing them and enabling the robust OS X firewall is usually enough to keep yourself safe from most security threats.

 

[GGJstudios]

There are just lots less viruses written natively for Macintoshes.

No, the truth is that there are none that run on Mac OS X. Read the link in post #58.

 

[Mactrillionaire]

No, the truth is that there are none that run on Mac OS X. Read the link in post #58.

Even if true (and I'm not going to debate it at this point, but let you think what you want), that still doesn't mean that there aren't exploits. Modern virus writers are smart enough that they no longer try to cause damage to your computer so much as they try to profit from the value of the information on it and/or resources of using it for some other purpose. The best way for them to succeed is for you to think there is nothing wrong.

 

[GGJstudios]

Even if true (and I'm not going to debate it at this point, but let you think what you want)

It is true. No debate is necessary. If you care to disprove that, simply post the name of one virus in the wild that can infect Mac OS X. Just one.

As has already been stated many times, there are a handful of trojans, but no viruses. Those trojans are easily avoided by common sense. Again, I encourage you educate yourself with the facts by reading the link I posted.

 

[johnnyturbouk]

Frequent use of hand sanitizer, washing your hands with warm water and an antibacterial soap for at least 30 seconds, covering your mouth when you cough, and avoiding ones that obviously are infected with a virus.

add some Na peroxide and bleach to that

 

[matt3839]

Yes, Mac OS X has some malware floating around in the great tubes, but far, far less than Windows. Partially because of market share and all that, but for some other reasons as well.

Just use common sense and think before you click. The same could be said for Windows, too.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Mostly because of market share and all that.

Nope. The following article explains why marketshare has nothing to do with the absence of viruses and more malware, it has to do with the UNIX underpinnings.
The Mac OS X Malware Myth Continues

 

[matt3839]

Nope. The following article explains why marketshare has nothing to do with the absence of viruses and more malware, it has to do with the UNIX underpinnings.
The Mac OS X Malware Myth Continues

Both are contributing factors, of course. Edited because "mostly" was a bit too strong to describe it anyway.

 

[GGJstudios]

Both are contributing factors, of course. Edited because "mostly" was a bit strong anyway.

Actually, not. The marketshare theory doesn't work.

 

[Mactrillionaire]

It is true. No debate is necessary. If you care to disprove that, simply post the name of one virus in the wild that can infect Mac OS X. Just one.

As has already been stated many times, there are a handful of trojans, but no viruses. Those trojans are easily avoided by common sense. Again, I encourage you educate yourself with the facts by reading the link I posted.

Non-release is not proof of non-existence. A virus, by definition, has to be able to pass itself on to other computers (sometimes requiring user intervention and sometimes not). A trojan doesn't attempt to duplicate itself. The question could be greatly simplified if we just asked what kind of malware exists for OS X. The answer, of course, is that there is a whole range of malware, but most malware requires the user to enter an administrator password in order to do anything seriously harmful to the computer or the user's information. However, there is a general sense among hackers that OS X has many more unpatched exploits than Windows has. So, all that is really needed is for those exploits to be exploited in systematic fashion. So far, this hasn't happened. That doesn't mean it won't.

 

[matt3839]

Actually, not. The marketshare theory doesn't work.

Believe what you wish. It's been proven that OS X is in fact less secure than Windows 7 or even Oracle Solaris. UNIX doesn't help when the userland programs and services are laden with underlying exploits.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Believe what you wish. It's been proven that OS X is in fact less secure than Windows 7 or even Oracle Solaris.

And why don't you provide a link then?

 

[GGJstudios]

Non-release is not proof of non-existence.

If it's not released, it's not a threat. There has never been a virus in the wild that runs on Mac OS X.

A virus, by definition, has to be able to pass itself on to other computers (sometimes requiring user intervention and sometimes not).

If it requires user intervention, it is not, by definition, a virus.

A trojan doesn't attempt to duplicate itself.

Yes, they can. They just require user involvement to do so.

The question could be greatly simplified if we just asked what kind of malware exists for OS X.

A handful of trojans.

The answer, of course, is that there is a whole range of such malware, but most such malware requires the user to enter an administrator password in order to do anything seriously harmful to the computer or the user's information

Again, incorrect. The admin password is not required to access user data, only system files.

That doesn't mean it won't.

No one has claimed that Macs are immune to threats, or even that a virus couldn't be released some time in the future. As of the present time and for the past 10 years since Mac OS X was introduced, none have been released into the wild.

Believe what you wish. It's been proven that OS X is in fact less secure than Windows 7 or even Oracle Solaris. UNIX doesn't help when the userland programs and services are laden with underlying exploits.

First you talk about marketshare, now you're changing the subject to a more generic "Macs have vulnerabilities". No one is claiming Macs are not vulnerable in some way.

As for your original argument, the "market share" theory suggests:

larger market share = more visibility = more malware​

This is not proven by actual events. Ten years ago, when Macs represented a much smaller market share and a much smaller installed base, there were a handful of viruses that could affect Mac OS 9 and earlier. Today, Macs have a much larger market share and much larger installed base with Mac OS X (and growing at a rate of over a million Macs per month), but the number of viruses has not increased proportionately.... or at all... in fact, the number has decreased to zero. The market share theory doesn't work. Period.