Anti Virus - Needed?

No, it would be most unwise. Norton and Mac don't get along at all. It will bork your system.

I would use NO AV software, unless in a mixed environment atmosphere, it will cause more problems than it solves. There are NO viruses that attack a Mac, so it is like getting a vaccine against a disease that doesn't exist yet.

While there are no known viruses that attack Mac OS X at the present time it is possible for other malware to get onto your Mac.

So I go to lengths to protect my user. A hosed system can be replaced but a compromised user folder is compromised forever. Along with all your important data like bank records, credit cards, ... I.e. your "identity" stolen.

The best way to avoid that is by being a frustrating target. Use your built-in firewall which is industrial strength and/or a hard wired router, downloading only from "trusted" sites, installing all security updates and being careful about what you give administrative power to.

Don't use Limewire or any other P2P service to download your software, get it from reputable sources. In addition, always keep at least your users backed up, preferably a clone of your entire system on a separate disk. And put your sensitive passwords, bank accounts, credit card numbers in a "secure note" in a new keychain or in an encrypted folder.

If and when a Mac virus does appear it will be headline news and you can download the AV software then. If you feel you have to run an AV program I'd suggest ClamXav a mac friendly freeware app that is very stable with OS X. It will check for known virus signatures at any rate.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Here is a more through document on Mac security...
http://www.reedcorner.net/thomas/guides/macvirus/



-mj

Message was edited by: macjack

Hi tbrickey;

To add to what MacJack said, I would say that of all the AV software available for the Mac, Norton is the worst. It is known to cause more problems with the Mac then any others. So my recommendation is to pass up this free offer.

Allan

Very wise of you to come here first and ask before you accept that free Norton offer. It pays to be a bit cautious as a new user and to check things out a bit before plunging ahead. The other posters are quite right about Norton. In fact even if you go to an Apple store you are likely to see Norton on their shelves in spite of all the problems it's caused Mac users since OS 10 came out. Go figure. So it's smart of you to ask other users for their input first via these forums

If you're curious as to what Mac Norton users have experienced just search the word "Norton" in these forums and be prepared for an avalanche of posts to wade through.

Good luck and keep watch on these forums.

Rick

Message was edited by: Richard Segedi

I know a lot of folks poo-poo the idea of anti virus on a mac. If you really want a measure of protection, particularly against the possible unwitting transfer of infections between PCs, you might look into two things: Virus Barrier from Intego and NOD from ESET.

Virus Barrier: http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier/
ESET NOD: http://beta.eset.com/

I've heard that Virus Barrier can be resource heavy, and it is expensive. But apparently effective.

NOD is currently in its second beta revision. The software is free until it leaves beta, but keep in mind that it is a beta. That being said, as far as PC anti virus goes NOD is one of the top, and my experience with the beta has been that they've really improved system load and made it much smoother in the GUI since inception. It's likely to get better as time goes on.

There are other options, like Norton or ClamX. As mentioned, avoid Norton at all costs. ClamX is simply ineffective and a poor excuse for anti virus.

Anyhow, as has been said, and will likely be said again, a lot of folks don't think you need anti virus. But do whatever you choose makes you feel best! Good luck!

tbrickey wrote:
What is the best way to keep the junk from the PC from getting on to the Macs?

What junk from PC? Mac can't execute Windows files... I assume you're running AV software on your Windows machines?



-mj

I would actually recommend checking Norton Community
http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-for-Mac/bd-p/norton_mac

To see just what they are doing, and what customers think (obviously almost no one here uses it). If you run Windows, even a VM, you should be using something, like Microsoft Security Essentials.

Along with Norton, there is Intego, Kaspersky, and others.

Web sites do feed up fake AV ads, malware, and exploits (flash, pdfs, sql-injection, and other plug-ins) that can affect any platform or browser, as well as all the phising malware email you may come across, for which "common sense" is your best line of defense.

Excellent first line of defense: Firefox with the Add-on NoScript. Takes some learning at first to use, but well worth it. A lot of potential malware enters via JavaScript from web sites. Although much of that is intended for PC/Windows, NS can filter some of what might get through for Macs.

http://noscript.net/

The Guide: http://www.reedcorner.net/thomas/guides/macvirus/