Does the mac need an antivirus?

Yes it does.

Virus and malware have not affected macs as much in the past because of the small market share.

Now that macs are becoming more common they are also starting to be a target. It is good practice to have a good anti virus program installed.

You already have all the AV you need; it was reinforced with 10.6 and the last two security updates contain updated definitions, specifically for the latest variants of the MacDefender trojan.

ref;

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3662

http://www.reedcorner.net/guides/macvirus/

The only use of an antivirus would be if you are giving / emailing files to a PC user, to ensure you don't send an infected file that would not have been active on your MAC, but may affect them.

So you would have it turned off all the time, until you needed to scan a folder / file once every couple of weeks.

It's just a courtesy thing.

But if you don't send files / emails to PC users, don't bother with virus scanner.

Sophos and ClamXav are both free.

One important note:

DO NOT install more than ONE anti-Virus software package on a single Mac or PC.

Everything an Anti-Virus checker does looks like exactly what a Virus would be doing. Two packages will chew up all your computer time trying to block and complaining about each other, and your computer will stop working correctly because of this.

ClassicII wrote:

Yes it does.

Virus and malware have not affected macs as much in the past because of the small market share.

Please name 1 virus for OSX?

Maybe the Windows converts should install 4 AV programs, any 4, it doesn't matter. The resultant slow, complaining computer will seem like home to them.

No. A Mac does NOT need AV software. In fact all AV software does on a Mac is cause problems.

If you want more confirmation of this, just read the threads listed under the heading to the right titled "More Like This".

Allan

While there may not currently be any Viruses for Macs, the original poster may actually be asking, "Is there any Malware that affects Macs?"

The answer to that question is YES.

The best defense against Mac Malware is to add a new Admin account (to be used only for Administration) and use it to demote your "daily use" account to a regular User account. Then if software tries to install itself, it generate a dialog box "please enter your Admin username and password". This will tip off an alert user that something unexpected is happening.

The other important concept is that the user must remain Vigilant, and do not download stuff from untrusted web site.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

While there may not currently be any Viruses for Macs, the original poster may actually be asking, "Is there any Malware that affects Macs?"

The answer to that question is YES.

The best defense against Mac Malware is to add a new Admin account (to be used only for Administration) and use it to demote your "daily use" account to a regular User account. Then if software tries to install itself, it generate a dialog box "please enter your Admin username and password". This will tip off an alert user that something unexpected is happening.

The other important concept is that the user must remain Vigilant, and do not download stuff from untrusted web site.

An interesting point, but wouldn't a similar question still be asked even if you were in the Admin user account? I am always prompted to enter the 'main' password if installing new software.

I agree with you on everything except the necessity to have AV software installed.

I see AV software as more of problem on Mac then the problem it is attempting to solve. Hence my reason for saying "NO" to installing AV software.

Allan

I am always prompted to enter the 'main' password if installing new software.

That is what well-behaved Mac Application Installers are supposed to do.

But users discovered that MacDefender (a Trojan Horse, NOT a Virus) could place itself in restricted System directories without notice if the User was usuing an Admin account.