avast!
should i install avast! anti-virus on my MacBook Air?
MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
should i install avast! anti-virus on my MacBook Air?
MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
Arr ! No ! Arrrr.
donfromst-basile wrote:
should i install avast! anti-virus on my MacBook Air?
No
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
Gatekeeper has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
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?
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.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application.
I would not. the reason is I asked Avast for MD5 verification of the installation file and was given a value of f21089232a95ac3d00c45500338b3454. but when I asked where on their web site the MD5 is located I did not get an answer.
The MD5 is used to verify the file to help prevent someone else from providing a fake version.
Also Avast cannot completed disable the virus software, in the event you need to stop it to install or perform other tests
If the Avast web site were hacked to contain a malicious installer rather than the real installer, what makes you believe that an MD5 posted on the same web site would be immune to change? You're looking for security in all the wrong places.
Linc,
Would you consider making what you posted a user tip? There is a lot of good information there.
i have recently installed avast on my mac . it was the first time in 5 years of owning a mac that i used any antivirus whatsoever . i selected AVAST because the reviews especially on CNET where ecstatic . it was of course after installing and running avast that i read bad reviews by people and other web sites. but the scan took 9 hours and there where no problems. i then uninstalled it .. the bottom line and what i personally think about these free antivirus programs are that they are just scams or peoples opinions who work for the program that you are using . i have never had a problem with a mac and i dont beleive these programs will help at all in fact some of them seem to be harmfull. leave your mac the way it was designed ! dont be foolish and go to web sites that may install virus on your computer and use common sense . change your e mail password from time to time so it doesnt get hacked but i really dont see a problem with leaving your mac alone . dont use any anti virus programs.especially if theyre free
Avast actually has quite good detection rates when it comes to detecting Mac malware. I can say that definitively because I tested that in January:
http://www.thesafemac.com/mac-anti-virus-testing-01-2013/
To call it, and all other free anti-virus software, a scam is not fair, and is not based on fact. If you had simply said that anti-virus software on a Mac is unnecessary for most people, given appropriate precautions, I'd have had no argument. To call it a scam based on an opinion, however, is irresponsible.
call me irresponsible ....call me irrepressible .........ok maybe not all are scams ....dont call the irresponsible police on me tom! its not that serious . i think an antivirus is unnecessary for sure !
For the most part it's unnecessary, until you have some relevant malware on your system that an AV utility may have been able to catch.
The arguments for or against being proactive in this manner on the Mac is an endless loop of ideas and opinions, but if you are concerned and dont feel you have the computing "street smarts" that are often described by savvy users as being the only way to go, then a free and lightweight AV utility will not hurt your system (at least not more than most other programs), and potentially help you avoid suspicious files you might encounter.
Sophos home edition is a free, well-performing, reputable, and lightweight AV package that I recommend for anyone who would feel more comfortable having an AV solution on their system. I have installed it on most of my systems and it's never given me a problem.
ill try it... i did however use the avast once on my new mac and once on my old mac. the new mac was fine but the old mac had a few problems with JAVA . so i moved all the infections of java to the vault and then uninstalled avast
Suprisingly I entered a support case with avast a0x-281-34874 and received a response from Petr Burcek that "they will create a new kb article with md5 hash for the Mac version"
this is a suprising response since they have it for the PC version so it should be second nature for the mac version.
So I would definitly recommend against using avast
avast!