-
All replies
-
Helpful answers
-
Jan 10, 2013 3:08 AM in response to letricedavisby AnaMusic,No.
See Here > Antivirus Discussion
Mac OS X tends to look after itself...
To keep your Mac Happy... See Here...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1147
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintainingmacosx.html
-
Jan 10, 2013 3:48 AM in response to letricedavisby thomas_r.,Another good resource is my Mac Malware Guide.
-
Jan 10, 2013 7:07 AM in response to letricedavisby Linc Davis,1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The recognition database is automatically updated once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.The following caveats apply to XProtect:- It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.)
- It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
Gatekeeper has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:- It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
- A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could find some other way to evade Apple's controls.
4. Beyond XProtect and Gatekeeper, there’s no benefit, in most cases, from any other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. All known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source. How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?- Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "archive extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
- A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn users who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
- Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software are likely to be infected.
- Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet newsgroup is unsafe.
- Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. No intermediary is acceptable.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can reasonably be.
6. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, even supposing that they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?- Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
- In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
- By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
7. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize by eye. The file name will often be a clumsy attempt to mislead and entice people who, like the malware attacker, aren't very bright; for example:♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exeClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care?8. The greatest danger posed by anti-virus software, in my opinion, is its effect on human behavior. When people install such software, which does little or nothing to protect them from emerging threats, they get a false sense of security from it, and then they may behave in ways that expose them to higher risk. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default. -
Jan 10, 2013 7:14 AM in response to Linc Davisby thomas_r.,ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware.
That is not actually true. ClamXav was the worst performer in my recent testing of Mac anti-virus detection rates, but since then it has been vastly improved. I would hold any such judgements on this until I do another round of full testing, with an expanded set of malware samples, as I plan to do in a few weeks.
-
Jan 10, 2013 7:34 AM in response to thomas_r.by Linc Davis,That statement is not based on test results, but on the fact that ClamXav is redundant for detecting OS X malware when Gatekeeper is enabled and safe practices are followed; i.e., not running torrented or pirated software. It shouldn't be used in place of those precautions.