do i need virus protection for mac?
do i need virus protection for mac?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4), I also have a MacBook
do i need virus protection for mac?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4), I also have a MacBook
glenfrommn wrote:
do i need virus protection for mac?
In General 3rd Party AV Software is Not Required as Mac OS X tends to look after itself.
Read Here > https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4545776?tstart=0
See Here > Antivirus Discussion
The Safe Mac > http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg/
See the More Like This in the sidebar. You'll see plenty of answers to that question.
You may also 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.
If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.
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:
For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. OS X security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
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. XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. 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, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what 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.
I Mac user OSX 10.8.4 - our internet connection recently froze due to ransom ware. We are very careful in accessing dodgy emails or sites. Fortunately we have a good IT expert downstairs who unlocked our system and then installed Avasta anti-virus software.
We have been told that we don't need anti-virus protection for IMac. Is Avasta a decent anti-virus product??
Often some of the sites that appear to "lock" your computer are simply taking advantage of Javascript flaws, and are not truly doing anything harmful. Javascript cannot affect your system by controlling it or writing files to it, so in essence, these sites have simply unrooted a way to be extra persistent and annoying.
Avast may have a feature that helps identify and block these sites, but I am not sure of its exact features; however, if in having encountered this site you are suspicious of items you may encounter, and are uncertain of how to identify malicious software, then an anti-malware scanner like Avast or others (I usually recommand Sophos Home Edition because it is relatively light-weight), can help you unroot and block potentially dangerous files.
do i need virus protection for mac?