Best anti-virus for a Mac?

[slapass]

My nephew just got a mac and needs it. What is the best and does he even need it?

[Babaganoosh]

OS X is a virus.

[slapass]

Originally Posted by Babaganoosh

OS X is a virus.

thanks...

[Babaganoosh]

I've got a macbook and an imac. I've never had an antivirus on either and haven't had a problem yet. I don't go around doing shit that I shouldn't either. Not sure if a newbie needs an AV on mac or not.

[stickyfingerz]

Don't worry about it, Macs marketshare is WAY too low for virus writers to bother with lol.

[Sosa]

I don't even run a virus scanner on my macbook. No spyware programs either.

[donkevlar]

Cosign. I've had my macbook running for a year and I use dodgy little freeware apps and shit all the time.

No viruses, no spyware.

[aico]

Turning it on usually does the trick.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by stickyfingerz

Don't worry about it, Macs marketshare is WAY too low for virus writers to bother with lol.

You're such a fuckin idiot.

With all the talk that a mac is uncrackable, do you not think that virus writers are LINED Up to be the first to do it?

it can't be done.

Moron.

Apple currently has 9% market share, out of the millions and millions of computers out there, there is TONS of users.

[iMind]

The answer to your question is OSX is the best anti-virus program.

To date, there isn't one virus for OS X, any program that needs to be installed requires a root password to be installed should be carefully installed..

but there is NO way to autoinstall a virus on a mac.
or spyware, or malware or anything of that sort.

best way to be safe however, if you're still not sure is to not use an administrator account for your main account, use admin only when you need to.

[slapass]

Originally Posted by iMind

The answer to your question is OSX is the best anti-virus program.

To date, there isn't one virus for OS X, any program that needs to be installed requires a root password to be installed should be carefully installed..

but there is NO way to autoinstall a virus on a mac.
or spyware, or malware or anything of that sort.

best way to be safe however, if you're still not sure is to not use an administrator account for your main account, use admin only when you need to.

Thanks everyone as obviously I am just as clueless as him.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by slapass

Thanks everyone as obviously I am just as clueless as him.

The only other thing I suggest is changing the setting in safari preferences "open familiar file types " it should be unchecked.. it's checked by default.

If someone DOES figure out how to create a virus, this could be a problem..

So far there is only a few DNS changing programs ( malware sorta) out there, but they need you to
A) mount the DMG
B) run the application install
C) type your root password

So if you get infected after doing all that, you sorta deserve it

Most of the DNS changing programs show up as a " codec " some porn site will tell you you need to watch a movie.. but it's actually a DNS changing program.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Originally Posted by iMind

You're such a fuckin idiot.

With all the talk that a mac is uncrackable, do you not think that virus writers are LINED Up to be the first to do it?

it can't be done.

Moron.

Apple currently has 9% market share, out of the millions and millions of computers out there, there is TONS of users.

You lose.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12...mac_av_advice/

Thanks for playing.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

You lose.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12...mac_av_advice/

Thanks for playing.

No, you lose.

http://www.gfy.com/showpost.php?p=15152698&postcount=12

They are trying to protect the STUPID.
Show me where it said there is a virus?

a program you have to INSTALL AND PROVIDE A ROOT PASSWORD TO is hardly a virus.

Thanks for playing

[- Jesus Christ -]

Originally Posted by iMind

With all the talk that a mac is uncrackable, do you not think that virus writers are LINED Up to be the first to do it?

it can't be done.

strains of malware capable of infecting Mac machines have gradually been increasing in prevalence over recent months

Hmm, they don?t exist yet they are increasing in numbers.
Your so right... I lost the game... How stupid I am!

...here I'll link you to the info on one virus since apparently You can come here and run your mouth but can't use google to even double check if the bullshit your spewing is accurate.

http://www.intego.com/news/ism0808.asp

Its ok to be in deinal though. Most of the people on this planet exist in a pleasant little bubble of personal denial.

[Spunky]

Originally Posted by Sosa

I don't even run a virus scanner on my macbook. No spyware programs either.

Everybody eventually gets nabbed.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

Hmm, they don’t exist yet they are increasing in numbers.
Your so right... I lost the game... How stupid I am!

...here I'll link you to the info on one virus since apparently You can come here and run your mouth but can't use google to even double check if the bullshit your spewing is accurate.

http://www.intego.com/news/ism0808.asp

Its ok to be in deinal though. Most of the people on this planet exist in a pleasant little bubble of personal denial.

It says MALWARE is increasing, your reading comprehension is total shit.

MALWARE , as in a BAD program.. did you read my post I linked to?
cause the link you posted confirms exactly what I am saying.

I WRITE SOFTWARE for the mac, and can create a program that will change a DNS server address in 2 seconds .. however It'll require the USER TO INSTALL IT, and PROVIDE A ROOT PASSWORD, that is NOT A VIRUS.

Jesus, you should go hang out with Stinkyfingers.

[iMind]

Here, let me explain rather than shooting off..

You create a mac app, that once it runs it fires this command

sudo scutil
> open
> d.init
> d.add ServerAddresses * xxx.xx.xx.xx xxx.xx.xx.xx
> d.add DomainName apple.co.uk
> set State:/Network/Service/PRIMARY_SERVICE_ID/DNS
> quit


It'll ask the user for their password.. if the user is FUCKING STUPID they will enter their password and their DNS look ups will be changed, with isn't good for obvious reasons..

However, my posts are correct, this is NOT a virus.
This is a program disguised as another, and it can't spread on it's own, you can ONLY be infected if you provide your password, and if you provide your ROOT password to some codec you downloaded off a porn site you're STUPID, which goes to prove my point that Apple is "protecting the stupid" with their suggestion to install anti- malware programs.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Originally Posted by iMind

It says MALWARE is increasing, your reading comprehension is total shit.

MALWARE , as in a BAD program.. did you read my post I linked to?

I WRITE SOFTWARE for the mac, and can create a program that will change a DNS server address in 2 seconds .. however It'll require the USER TO INSTALL IT, and PROVIDE A ROOT PASSWORD.

And even then, we're talking about VIRUS, there is not a SINGLE virus..
Jesus, you should go hang out with Stinkyfingers.

My bad, your right. I didn't realize that we were playing symantics.
Did you read the page I linked to? It requires a user to click "OK".

Its not reading comprehension. Its a total lack of care for differentiating viruses from malware since I'm not a mac obsessed lunatic.

Even If im toally wrong here. You need to calm down becuase you really sound like a total nutjob, right or wrong. Macs are nothing more than PCs running a proprietary nix variant at this point. They are still open to malware and failures and there are plenty of malware infected macs in the wild right now.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

My bad, your right. I didn't realize that we were playing symantics.
Did you read the page I linked to? It requires a user to click "OK".

Its not reading comprehension. Its a total lack of care for differentiating viruses from malware since I'm not a mac obsessed lunatic.

Even If im toally wrong here. You need to calm down becuase you really sound like a total nutjob, right or wrong. Macs are nothing more than PCs running a proprietary nix variant at this point. They are still open to malware and failures and there are plenty of malware infected macs in the wild right now.

The part that is requiring them to click "okay" is a simple Javascript function on a webpage, that won't let off.. once they click okay all it does is download, it's still harmless until you open the DMG, run the program AND enter your password .. which is exactly what I said above.

You have to still mount the DMG file, double click it to run, and then enter your password..


Sorry for going off.. it was the way you said "you lose" and more than a few shots of vodka that set me off hahah..

I love my mac, and its security, and get tired of the ignorants like Stinkyfingers spreading mistruths about them so I went off on you, I apologize.

[- Jesus Christ -]

I don't own a mac because every time I've used my friends I never liked the OS or any of the proprietary software they have. (I think logic is decent music tracking software though). I don't like the anti-competitve nature of thier licencing agreements. They way the OS can only be run on thier hardware.'

You like the OS...
I don't...

I just think that people who are obsessed with mac act illogical about how good they think the OS is somtimes.

I apologize as well.
It not like I didn't know I was trolling you with that "you lose" comment.

[iMind]

At this point, Macs are still very secure..
That intego article is flawed in it's wording ( likely to sell more virus software, considering they write mac anti-virus software) .. even if your settings on your browser are set to automatically run the DMG file, the actual application will still NOT autorun..that part is impossible.

it's basically like the old school codec tricks you'd find 10 years ago on windows.

Once they figure out how to autorun a program, there will be a real threat.. but at this time it's impossible ( and would still need a root password ) hence my suggestion to change that setting in safari to mount DMG's automatically and run in a non admin account

My point was at very best this is a bad program, not a virus.

[iMind]

haha now I gotta wonder how much more widespread this malware will become now that I posted that information above on how to write it

I can write this "trojan" in 2 minutes, but haven't bothered due to morals, and the fact that I think most mac users are usually very suspicious when asked to enter their password.

[EthnicLover]

So then in your opinion iMind authors of viruses are actually writing viruses for Macs but have yet to come up with a viable virus? I got into a disagreement with someone several weeks ago about this exact topic. They seemed to believe that as iPhones gain market share we will start to see viruses infiltrating Macs. I of course think the opposite.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by EthnicLover

So then in your opinion iMind authors of viruses are actually writing viruses for Macs but have yet to come up with a viable virus? I got into a disagreement with someone several weeks ago about this exact topic. They seemed to believe that as iPhones gain market share we will start to see viruses infiltrating Macs. I of course think the opposite.

We're getting there for sure .. I'd think within the next years we'll see it ..

But right now, there is no viable way to actually infect a mac from a website at all.
there's too many hoops to jump through.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Originally Posted by iMind

At this point, Macs are still very secure..
That intego article is flawed in it's wording ( likely to sell more virus software, considering they write mac anti-virus software) .. even if your settings on your browser are set to automatically run the DMG file, the actual application will still NOT autorun..that part is impossible.

it's basically like the old school codec tricks you'd find 10 years ago on windows.

Once they figure out how to autorun a program, there will be a real threat.. but at this time it's impossible ( and would still need a root password ) hence my suggestion to change that setting in safari to mount DMG's automatically and run in a non admin account

My point was at very best this is a bad program, not a virus.

Well... almost all nix variants are more secure than windows out of the box, but all security begins and ends with the operator of the machine. Maybe that's the reason I didn't see much practical difference between a virus and malware.

The OS might make it easier for stupid people to remain secure, but in the end its a matter of who is behind the keyboard. A smart user can keep any operating system clean and a stupid user will be able to fuck any system up. This might be simplistic, but that is the way I will continue to look at it.

I have kept many flavors of Unix and windows/NT secure over the years. With the security issue aside I still prefer to build my own machines. Nothing apple released has yet to sway me.

It has never been about "macs suck" for me, its just a preference, but mac "fans" tend to annoy the crap out of me for some reason. All the benefits I hear about are things I have already achieved with a PC (usually at a lower price point). The only exception being some of their notebooks.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by iMind

We're getting there for sure .. I'd think within the next years we'll see it ..

But right now, there is no viable way to actually infect a mac from a website at all.
there's too many hoops to jump through.

I'm gonna add to this, I have a feeling the Iphone OS is less secure than OSX , you aren't required to type passwords, but you also aren't running in root..

I think that as soon as someone figures out how to trick the iphone into believeing a malicious website is actually the appstore.. the iphone is in BIG trouble.

this will give virus developers a window into Mac computers as well, via the iPhone and synching etc .. if anything, "training" to infect an OS X computer ..
The big difference between mac and windows security is legacy code, which OSX doesn't contain.

Windows is based off old tech, that's been around since before the internet was a threat.
Windows 7 will be just as secure as OSX I predict, as they are supposedly rewriting alot of old code.
But actual mac virii are still a ways off IMO.

[iMind]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

The OS might make it easier for stupid people to remain secure, but in the end its a matter of who is behind the keyboard. A smart user can keep any operating system clean and a stupid user will be able to fuck any system up. This might be simplistic, but that is the way I will continue to look at it.

that's pretty much on par with what I was saying..

PEBKAC on any system..

[Spunky]

Toss it across the room

[slapass]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

The OS might make it easier for stupid people to remain secure, but in the end its a matter of who is behind the keyboard. A smart user can keep any operating system clean and a stupid user will be able to fuck any system up. This might be simplistic, but that is the way I will continue to look at it.

Not true on a PC. If you do not take extra security steps your computer will get fucked by outside sources.

[The Duck]

I hear nod32 is good.