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Do I have a Virus on my MAC?!?!?!
I went to the Genius Bar yesterday because my MacBook Pro has been performing a little choppy lately.
They went to my Activity Monitor and noticed this thing under Process Name called "Behavioralinjector_32" It's using 99% of my CPUs!!!!
Does anyone know anything about this? It it attached to an application or something?
Well, if R-C-R is correct about it being part of VirusBarrier, then you do indeed have a virus of the most virulent kind…Anti-Virus Software. I avoid stuff like that at all cost (which, coincidentally, is completely free).
Some Mac users need anti-virus software, some do not. For instance, they might want to make sure they do not pass infected attachments on to Windows users or control software that "phones home" with info they do not want to share.
You might want to uninstall the VirusBarrier program, at least until Intego can tell you why their program is running amuck. The Intego site indicates the uninstaller can be run from their installer program.
There aren't any viruses that affect Mac OS X, although there have been three trojans that I recall. Two involved giving administrative permission to install pirated software and one involved giving permission to install a file from an X-rated web site.
If you must run some sort of virus detection use ClamXav. It's free and doesn't seem to misbehave the way the commercial programs often do.
Working in a Windows world is only one example of why someone might want to use anti-virus software on a Mac. Although there are to date no true viruses "in the wild" for Macs, there are trojans & security holes in the OS that are constantly being discovered & patched. Some A-V software offers protection beyond what is built into the OS for these kinds of exploits, so they are not necessarily useless.
It might be your bed too, if say you work for a business that uses Windows or need to run Windows on your Mac for some app that is PC-only.
It is also not all that wise to get too complacent about malware that targets Macs. It is pretty simple to write an app, even just using Applescript, that can cause problems if users can be convinced to run it.
I work in a company that uses Windows almost exclusively. Due to all the obtrusive security software running on the workstations and the network, I sit and wait for a four-line email to appear on my screen when I click on it. Hardly very productive.
Seeing as how I am now retired and no longer have to do anything with Windows any longer I am really loving it.No more anti-virus software going off into the weeds. No more registry problems which cause me to send my PC to deskside support for reimaging. Yes I had enough time with that junk.
I doubt that anyone really can claim they have nothing to do with Windows, unless maybe they live off the land & never buy anything. While Apache is still dominate, a fair portion of the Internet runs on Windows servers, as do most businesses, probably including the market where you buy food, the bank where your money is stored, & so on.
Windows malware costs everybody time & money. There is nothing to be gained by helping to propagate it, even indirectly.
I think I can - unless you are referring to the windows in my house, I've never had anything to do with or owned/used a Windows PC (except for the occasional cry for help from my elderly neighbor). Of course, Comcast probably uses Windows servers, but that's as close as I've ever come to it. And I do not live "off the land" (unless you consider buying fresh produce from farmers markets off the land), live within city limits with underground electricity and cable, have a community clubhouse, swimming pool and exercise room when I need it, and do spend money on "stuff".
And, if my Windoze friends send email attachments with formats that are not familiar, I return them asking for a .pdf or .jpg - if they really want me to read or see them, they will do that or the attachments are not worth looking at.
Oops, sorry I forgot: I have to admit that I've been to Bill's house while it was under construction (he invited all of his neighbors (two of whom are friends) to come and check out the progress to appease them about the constant noise from construction crews and trucks), so I was invited along. Hence, I guess I've been closer to the Windows world than I thought 😉
Then why don't the people causing the problem stop using it? That would eliminate the problems and you wouldn't have to care about it. The problem is the insecure operating system. Stop using it and the problem goes away.
So you don't put money in a bank, use credit or debit cards, buy anything from a merchant that uses Windows, or anything like that? Or if you do, do you think you are somehow not paying a part of the costs successful malware adds to the costs of providing goods & services?
You don't even have to own a computer to be affected by Windows malware.