Anti Virus Software for iMAC
I have just taken delivery of my new iMAC and what Anti Virus Software would one recommend or NONE at all ? I see on reviews Intego Mac is highly rated
iMac, iOS 6.0.2
I have just taken delivery of my new iMAC and what Anti Virus Software would one recommend or NONE at all ? I see on reviews Intego Mac is highly rated
iMac, iOS 6.0.2
The Mac's are fairly secure in their own. It will require you to input your admin password before downloading anything onto the mac. However, for added peace of mind you could look on the Mac APP store that comes on the computer or something like Norton AntiVirus.
The Mac's are fairly secure in their own. It will require you to input your admin password before downloading anything onto the mac. However, for added peace of mind you could look on the Mac APP store that comes on the computer or something like Norton AntiVirus.
Some anti-virus solutions can slow down your Mac, but to be honest, the best anit-virus app is you, the user and your brain.
Follw that advise and in MOST cases, you will be fine and won't feel the need to have to install antivirus software.
Do NOT waste money on commercial anti-virus applications, particularly not Norton which will mangle OS X.
You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful: The User Tip seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
More useful information can also be found here:
www.thesafemac.com/mmg
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is presumably effective against known attacks, but maybe not against unknown attacks. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. Beyond XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT, there’s no evidence of any benefit from other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, 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?
Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
8. 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.
Linc wrote.
Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising.
I was quite unaware of this caveat; very good info, that.
NONE.
A/V software for Macs frequently causes serious problems.
Although there is occasional malware, there are NO viruses that affect a Mac running OS X - NONE.
Barry
Linc wrote.
Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising.
Linc is actually not conservative enough there. Third-party advertising is not remotely the only way that Java can be used maliciously. Sites that do not have any advertising at all can and have been hacked to contain malicious Java applets.
Never enable Java in your browser, period. The only way Java can be at all safe these days is running in a virtual machine that is isolated from the main system, or on a secondary computer with no important data.
See:
Many thanks for your help
Anti Virus Software for iMAC