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Should I install Norton on my iMac?

Should I install Norton on my iMac?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on May 19, 2011 10:02 AM

Reply
43 replies

Nov 2, 2017 9:07 PM in response to Anne02

True. However, Norton AV has destroyed a system file, preventing a system from booting until the OS was reinstalled, and has destroyed email. Meanwhile, I have not seen malware, of any type which could affect a Mac, on a Mac under my control. since 1997. I have seen plenty of malware aimed at Windows; I just killed two examples today, both served up in email, one a phish, one from spam. (Hint: if you get an email with a file with a .DOTM extension, that's a Word macro file and is almost certainly a macro virus, especially when the email it's attached to says that it's an invoice from Apple. It's a good idea to show extensions, it really is. In this particular case, a quick run past AV on Windows confirmed that it was malware and I nuked it.) Norton AV will detect Mac malware, but there's so little Mac malware (over 99% of all malware is for Windows, and another 0.4% is for Android) that most people are unlikely to ever see any real Mac malware. I have not seen Mac malware on one of my Macs in 20 years. In that time I have seen Mac malware on other people's Macs, but only a few cases, less than a dozen all told. Meanwhile, it is actively dangerous to run Norton AV: it eats system files and email. It has done more damage to Macs under my control than malware has over the last 20 years.


Go right ahead and use it. I certainly won't be joining you.

Nov 3, 2017 1:47 AM in response to Anne02

Anne02 wrote:


Even iMac could have a virus.

That is totally untrue, there are no viruses for Macs, so no Mac can get a virus, with or without AV protection. In fact Norton is the nearest thing to a virus you can get, and you have to install yourself. You may even pay for it, which would be akin to bashing your own head against a wall. But as I said before, messing up your Mac is entirely up to you.

Nov 3, 2017 3:00 AM in response to Csound1

there are no Mac _viruses_ _in the wild_. There is Mac malware, just not a lot of it, mostly trojans, and mostly not out in the wild. Even the currently popular ransomeware malware seem to install mostly as trojans, usually carried by phishing or spamming attacks. The only Mac viruses I've seen anywhere in the last 20 years have been MS Office macro viruses, and the three I've seen have been pretty pitiful.


That level of threat would not justify installing (and paying for! and continuing to pay for periodic AV database updates!) something as dangerous as Norton AV. I've got Sophos around and install it when one of my machines must visit a network whose management insists that all computers must have AV. It's free, and hasn't yet caused the damage that Norton has. I uninstall it when the Mac is no longer connected.


I simply don't click on 'invoices', or 'click here to unfreeze your account', or 'click here to see naked pictures of <insert name of brain-dead celeb here>'. And I'm pretty sure that 'beautiful Russian/Chinese/Indian/Fillipina women' are not sufficiently desperate as to send spam emails out. It's am,azing how many malware attacks can be avoided by simply not 'clicking here'.

Nov 3, 2017 3:13 AM in response to Charles Dyer

Worse than that Norton/Symantec and other useless antivirus software collects acolytes who seem not to be able to stop proselytizing about it in an attempt to persuade others to waste their money, time and Mac, acting as unpaid sales staff for these scams that AV companies love to sell to us, For make no mistake, they are in business to separate users from their cash, helping them is not on the table. They are themselves worse than a virus.


Sophos is less questionable than some, but it is still a total waste of time and resources, OSX and MacOS have no need of it and using it will invariably reduce your Mac's performance and/or stability.

Nov 3, 2017 4:49 AM in response to Anne02

Norton/Symantic will doubtless be grateful for the free advertising you have given them.


For the benefit of other readers who may have more sense:


Norton Antivirus (made by Symantec) has a very long and illustrious reputation for mangling Mac OS X systems, sometimes to the point where a complete reinstall is necessary. Among other things, it installs kernel extensions which are known to cause kernel panics and system freezes; it contains known and documented bugs which can silently corrupt Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign files, destroy a user's ability to authenticate as an administrator, and (on PPC systems) can cause Classic to stop functioning; and Symantec has on at least two occasions now released flawed .dat file updates which erroneously report certain critical Mac OS X files as "viruses." (Deleting these "viruses" causes damage to the system that in some cases renders it unbootable.)


Norton has also been reported as damaging iPhone backups.


A major security flaw in Norton has also been noted:


http://www.macnn.com/articles/15/05/08/contentious.utility.ignored.apple.guideli nes.created.zero.day.exploit.128538/


Norton Removal Tool (Symantec Uninstaller):

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH103489&locale =en_US

Nov 4, 2017 3:12 AM in response to ELKIMBAO

To all readers of this thread.


Norton software has a long and illustrious history of not being able to do what it says it can do, breaking your software installation on a Mac is thrown in for good measure. Writing as one who does not receive payment from Norton for promoting it I will advise all of you to not countenance its use, under any circumstances.

Nov 4, 2017 3:39 PM in response to Csound1

Don't tell me what to do and do yourself a favour and get off this discussion and get some help. Your brain has not been activated to what I said. I am not pushing Norton. You must be a troll because sensible humans don't comment like you, so good-bye and good riddance although you will find it necessary to put the last word.

May 19, 2011 10:25 AM in response to ELKIMBAO

Norton what? Norton Antivirus? I don't see much need for it providing you take some common-sense precautions, mostly not downloading things from places you aren't certain are trustworthy, not entering in your administrator password to requests to install something when it's not an application you are deliberately and knowingly installing, and not opening attachments to unexpected emails. But having Norton Antivirus installed probably won't hurt much, though it can be a bit of a drain on performance of your system and may cause complications for installing programs.


Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to install Norton Utilities. I doubt it would even install on Snow Leopard, but don't risk it. Norton Utilities would damage your OS, guaranteed.

Regards.

May 19, 2011 10:28 AM in response to ELKIMBAO

In a word 'NO!!!!!'

Do a search for Norton on a Mac and you'll discover it will likely give you nothing but grief.

If you feel you need AV software have a look at Sophos: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition.aspx

or clamXav: http://www.clamxav.com/

both are free and are often recommended on here and won't mess up your Mac.

Should I install Norton on my iMac?

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