Mac.. Anti-virus?


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So i recently purchased a new mac... i have like the world watch the ads saying macs are more resistant to viruses then a pc, do i need anti-virus software for my new mac?

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No. If you know that you are not supposed to do stupid things on the internet and go to stupid places you won't get anything like a Virus. Mac's don't have the major ones that Windows does, but there are bugs in the OS that allow hackers to put in trojans or botnets. So don't think that you are 100% safe.

There will be a day that there will be major viruses for the mac, but that won't be until OSX has a bigger market share.

If you are really paranoid then get Norton Anti-Virus or something.

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I use Norton AV Version 2 because no operating system is immune to viruses. Of course since Apple's market share is smaller, but growing, there are fewer viruses but you shouldn't be ignorant and not install anything (even if you are a smart browser). Choose what you'd like, just wanted to throw my two cents in.

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I've always looked at it as nonsensical. Why should I buy a program thats supposed to detect something that isn't out there?

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No. If you know that you are not supposed to do stupid things on the internet and go to stupid places you won't get anything like a Virus.

you can say that for windows pc's as well.

i went many months without an antivirus/firewall, and when i did reinstall kaspersky my computer was still clean.

the problem is a lot of people ARE stupid.

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cool, well i mainly use it for uni, and legit programs like SDK, and going on this forum of course lol, i just dun wanna spend 100 dollars on norton if it aint worth it, after all i just forked out all this money to start off with to get a mac lol

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you can say that for windows pc's as well.

i went many months without an antivirus/firewall, and when i did reinstall kaspersky my computer was still clean.

the problem is a lot of people ARE stupid.

Yes you are correct. The same thing with me. I run NOD32 and every couple of months I do a scan and no viruses or anything there. It can really be both ways, but as you said people are stupid.

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There isn't really any Viruses for Mac's there are a few Trojans but these all require you to basically install them. They aren't so much 'Infections' as they are just installed malicious programs. If you don't just hand over your login details to any program that requests it you will be safe.

As the Mac platform becomes ever more popular you may start to see serious vulnerabilities in the Operating System being exploited to get Applications to run without requiring you to hand over login information but so far none have really come about. And by that I mean real Exploits, there has been serious vulnerabilities but no one has really taken advantage of them. But don't fear Apple isn't just sitting on their hands they are increasing Security, in-fact just the other day it was in the news how they have hired a security expert from the OLPC project.

Bottom Line: No need for Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware software at the moment.

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So i recently purchased a new mac... i have like the world watch the ads saying macs are more resistant to viruses then a pc, do i need anti-virus software for my new mac?

I have a Mac and all I use is a third-party firewall - I guess, it's enough. Check out this one for example, it works fine for me - ProteMac NetMine

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You don't need anti-virus software for any operating system you use as long as you're smart about what you download and what files you choose to run. Anti-virus software is for people who like blindly clicking every link that pops up in e-mails.

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^ I'd have to agree.

I ran Windows for a year without anti-viruses and if you are not visiting some shady porn or date matching sites or pirate sites (torrent sites are usually ok) and you turn on DEP and UAC and other Windows regular defenses you'll be safe.

For Mac I don't think you need an anti-virus because most of the viruses detected for it are initiated by running software from shady sources. You have an app that can tell you if you have an iWork trojan or whatever but I don't think you should have a resident memory anti-virus running on a Mac. It's not a bad idea to keep track of the news that deal with OSX vulnerabilities then just installing software you are not really inclined to even though there's some risk.. Just keep an eye on news and if it becomes serious which it might be in the future, then get it.

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Wasn't there a trojan in a leaked version of iLife or iWork, which affected Mac OS X? To those who said there are no viruses for Macs, I think there are, there just aren't as many as there are for Windows.

Some people are saying you don't need an anti-virus on any operating system if you're careful and smart, but can't you get infected from visiting trusted websites? I thought people could plant worms, viruses etc so they download and install automatically when you visit a legitimate website? If that can happen on Windows, it can happen on a Mac, right? Just because it hasn't happened yet, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be safe just in case - it will happen at some point in the future, as Mac OS X gains more market share.

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it will happen at some point in the future, as Mac OS X gains more market share.

I've heard this for over 4 years now but have yet to see any proof of it. And 95% of the 'trojan' talk is always announced by someone wishing to sell us their anti-virus app.

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I've heard this for over 4 years now but have yet to see any proof of it. And 95% of the 'trojan' talk is always announced by someone wishing to sell us their anti-virus app.

When I say "future", it could be years away yet :D It will only happen when Mac OS X gains a high enough market share and malicious users deem it worthwhile to create such trojans and viruses.

I love Mac OS X, I just think it's better to be safe than sorry. If people don't have the anti-viruses now, what will happen when these malicious users do deem Mac OS X to have a high enough market share? Will they find out the hard way?

I thought there was a trojan in that leaked version of iWork?

EDIT - we reported on it at Neowin

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I don't use anti-virus on my mac, and neither does my girlfriend. We don't download stupid things or go to dangerous sites. We've yet to have a problem. Though no OS is secure, a smart & cautious user goes a long way to keeping a system safe.

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When I say "future", it could be years away yet :D It will only happen when Mac OS X gains a high enough market share and malicious users deem it worthwhile to create such trojans and viruses.

I love Mac OS X, I just think it's better to be safe than sorry. If people don't have the anti-viruses now, what will happen when these malicious users do deem Mac OS X to have a high enough market share? Will they find out the hard way?

I thought there was a trojan in that leaked version of iWork?

I don't disagree with anything you've said. But with the current information out there about Mac virii, it's just like going to the doctor for a pill to cure you of an illness that hasn't been discovered. How much faith would you have in that?

Yeah there was a trojan attached to the pirated version of iWork that created a botnet. It was discovered by Intego Security who offers a free removal tool that pitches you their MacScan software for 29.95 after you run the tool.

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well i rarely using the internet, only for this website and for the apple website, so all should be good :)

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No, I don't, I didn't even use that on Windows, although yes, back then I did use Noscript and Firefox. When I did occasionally do some checks with online services, it didn't find anything besides tracking cookies anyway. :p It's so much about how you use your computer.

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