View Full Version : Macs and virus protection
PeanutsLucy
09-17-2009, 10:46 AM
I have a new iMac and love it, but I'm confused about the need or lack thereof for virus protection for Macs.
Suggestions?
Eileen
09-17-2009, 02:24 PM
Virtually all viruses are written for PC's, so you are pretty safe with a Mac and no added protection.
trainman
09-17-2009, 02:31 PM
I've been a Mac user for about four years, a friend has been for over a decade. We have never purchased anti virus software and have no trouble.
Eileen is correct, very few viruses have been written for Macs. Just primarily use common sense and don't open attachments that you don't recognize.
ChinaDoll
09-17-2009, 06:58 PM
Macs are 95% virus free. u can still get software to protect your mac but it would be a waste of money.
Mac OS, Snow Leopard, includes an antivirus.
teena
09-18-2009, 12:40 AM
Hey Paul...does Mac Tiger have antivirus too? I have Safari/Tiger...
Thanks!
Teena :)
Tiger nor Leopard have an antivirus.
teena
09-18-2009, 04:17 AM
Tiger nor Leopard have an antivirus.
Thanks...:)
PeanutsLucy
09-18-2009, 05:03 PM
Good to know. The mac is only about 6 months old, I'd have to see what version of software we have.
I just remember Norton and McAfee running on the PC all the time and I just hated it because it really slowed everything down -- a necessary evil with PCs.
Not that I have any plans of ever going back. I'm totally hooked.
Thanks...:)
Teena - your welcome. If you have an Intel iMac you can purchase the upgrade to Snow Leopard for $29. I am waiting for the compatibility (http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/start) issues to get resolved before installing SL.
zagam
09-22-2009, 11:12 AM
Though the FreeBSD behind Darwin behind MacOS X has not been designed to run viruses Apple do not use it the way a Unix system should be administered. If it is compromised they can always go back to Unix. You should therefore always apply Apple updates regularly. This is important now that Apple has become a popular platform. Note the Windows PCs still connected to the Internet still provide excess capacity to the bot net so Macs are still left alone for now, but still do updates!
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338
Or as I say in my recent shell (bash or ksh) which has csh like brace expansion: -
printf "%s\n" Those\ who\ {are\ ignorant\ of,don\'t\ understand}\ \
{Unix,TCP,Plan9}\ are\ {doomed,destined,condemned}\ to\ re-invent\ \
it\ {badly,poorly}.Try this in Terminal.
zagam
10-20-2009, 12:06 PM
Put a condom on the mouse.
Though Macs don't get Microsoft viruses. Especially with VB macros being broken in MS Office 2008 they may have other security issues.
At least Apple slowly fix problems. They are doing away with the exploitable file type and creator IDs. I was amused to see a similar and another vintage exploit may still be in Microsoft Windows: -
http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=125460
Microsoft and only Microsoft is responsible for the decades old virus and anti-virus industries. It is not because Microsoft are a popular target, but the total lack of design and failure address problems.
Only a monopoly such as Microsoft could get away with ignoring such serious problems. Users don't want Vista, they don't want incompatible file formats, ribbons and macroviruses. They want the same old shit, but with some of the bugs removed.
I use GNU/Linux, but I also use proprietary software from Apple (MacOS X), IBM (AIX) and Sun (Solaris). I have followed bugs being fixed in all of these.
Why is it that Microsoft never fix bugs?
jandrain
10-30-2009, 11:40 AM
I installed SL the biggest problem was macspeech did not work and my printer drivers did not work. Other than that all is well with SL.
wheelchairTITAN
10-30-2009, 05:28 PM
Good to know. The mac is only about 6 months old, I'd have to see what version of software we have.
I just remember Norton and McAfee running on the PC all the time and I just hated it because it really slowed everything down -- a necessary evil with PCs.
Not that I have any plans of ever going back. I'm totally hooked.Once you go MAC ... you never go back!
wheelchairTITAN
10-30-2009, 05:34 PM
Put a condom on the mouse. ...
Microsoft and only Microsoft is responsible for the decades old virus and anti-virus industries. It is not because Microsoft are a popular target, but the total lack of design and failure address problems.
Only a monopoly such as Microsoft could get away with ignoring such serious problems. Users don't want Vista, they don't want incompatible file formats, ribbons and macroviruses. They want the same old shit, but with some of the bugs removed. ...
Why is it that Microsoft never fix bugs?Windows 7 ... aka Microsoft has bundled in their own virus software to the new OS 7 ... will be interesting to see how it does, what this NEW virus system does and if it has any affect on the big virus "spammers"/"scammers" ... McAphee, Norton and Kaspersky et al.