Anti Virus for Mavericks

This is where it is on my 10.6.8 and 10.8.5. Most likely at the same path in 10.9.

/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.plist

It is still there, but is no longer updated. I already found 3 iMacs were the last modification date was identical to the date of upgrading to Mavericks. On my iMac with Snow Leopard, this "XProtect.meta.plist" was updated yesterday with the new flashplayer version. So, to me it looks that that file on that location is no longer used in Mavericks.

"It's not that simple... If you decide you don't want to use anti-virus software, that's a perfectly legitimate choice on a mac, but please be sure to do your homework and understand what is necessary to ensure you remain secure."

I have decided to forego using anti-virus software on my Mac but I do occasionally download apps (or updates to apps) that are highly reputable from well-established developers. Nevertheless, there are times when I would feel happier doing some sort of check on them before installing. If I copy the downloaded file to my Windows laptop, which has a pretty robust anti-virus program, check them there and then copy back to my iMac, is that good protection? My suspicion is that a Windows anti-virus program will not detect malware designed to attack a Mac but I would welcome an expert view.

If I copy the downloaded file to my Windows laptop, which has a pretty robust anti-virus program, check them there and then copy back to my iMac, is that good protection?

Not really. Most popular Windows anti-virus apps either don't have a Mac version at all (and you can imagine what their detection of Mac malware must be like) or their Mac version doesn't do all that well at detecting Mac malware. If you just want to scan specific files now and then, get a copy of VirusBarrier Express from the App Store. It's free, devoid of any background tasks (as required by the App Store) that would be a performance drag and has excellent detection of Mac malware.

Many thanks for that advice.

Briolet wrote:

This is where it is on my 10.6.8 and 10.8.5. Most likely at the same path in 10.9.

/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.plist

It is still there, but is no longer updated.

It should still be update, just not in the same manner as before. There used to be a separate update process that checked every twenty-four hours and with each reboot, but now it's fully integrated into the AppStore's Software Update. In my case it was delayed by my not using Mavericks for a couple of days, but it has now been updated.