Anti-Virus Advice

Question

Anti-Virus Advice

I recently discovered that all my websites were dead. I contacted technical support and was told that they had blocked my IP, probably because it was "constantly hitting the server."

This is his follow-up message:

"I do not believe it was someone impersonating you. I believe you may have left something open and it kept pinging it. As I said, just to be sure, just scan your local pcs with a virus scanner and make sure all your browsers are up to date. And since this looks to be from the 2nd the technician was just looking for a probable cause. He just updated me and said he found that Apache hit max requests and is going to open a ticket with you notifying you of this."

I've been using a Mac for over a decade and have never used an anti-virus program, so I don't know where to start. Are there any free or commercial anti-virus programs someone can recommend, or can I check for viruses even without an anti-virus program?

Thanks.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jun 4, 2016 7:06 PM

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Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Jun 4, 2016 7:09 PM in response to David Blomstrom

Was this an Apple Support Tech?

There are no viruses that can attack Mac.OS X. So, anti-virus programs are selling a cure for a disease that doesn't exist. And they are renowned for borking Mac systems.

A Mac can pick up malware but not if you just use common sense. You really have to actively invite some malware in for it to happen. That means downloading and knowingly giving your password for it to download. Mac provides all the protection you need with SIP (System Integrity Protection).I About System Integrity Protection on your Mac - Apple Support

If you do happen to download adware you can use MalwareBytes to get rid of it. Malwarebytes was developed by one of our own colleagues here in ASC. It gets rave reviews and is about the most proven anti-malware software for Mac.

Safari pop-ups are different and easier to deal with. In Safari 9.1 and later just close the window. For earlier versions force quit and hold the shift key while restarting Safari.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987

Finally, stay away from programs that purport to "clean your Mac". They can do damage to your system. Your Mac needs no cleaning in the first place. All the cleaning that is necessary is taken care routinely by OS X.

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Jun 4, 2016 7:45 PM in response to David Blomstrom

If there are no Windows or Android devices on your network, you can ignore that message. You don't have a "virus." All "anti-virus" and "anti-malware" software is worse than useless and should never be used on a Mac for any reason.

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Answer 3

Jun 4, 2016 7:46 PM in response to David Blomstrom

Yeah, I was a little suspicious of his analysis. (Of course, he didn't know I have a Mac when he told me I might have a virus.)

I'm a political activist and have suffered a wide variety of hack attacks, so I'm a little suspicious that this is just another "prank."

Anyway, thanks for the tips.

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