i've never had the Mac version of Norton catch any windows viruses, even when i sent them to myself on purpose to test it out. i don't know that it actually checks for them. can anyone verfiy this?
considering it only updates once a month or so, how could it be up to date with the PC viruses?
Last Mac virus that really did some damage was Autostart Worm 9805...which came and went in...1998...
I have Autostart 9805 saved on a floppy disk somewhere. I also have WDEF/B somewhere, too. Those were two of the most popular mac virses. I also have the I love you virus on a CD (Windows of course).
MacUser's "Best Cover CD Ever!" (around 96, featuring OpenDoc and Cyberdog, System 7.5.3 updater, etc.) had the MBDF virus on it. All it did was make the Mac hang about once every half hour. Maybe that was the 7.5.3 update
The company I used to work for in 90s got MBDF/A and Autostart, and these are the 2 things I have seen on Macs a few times since.
My wife is working in a PC-only office and I get called 2-3 times a month to remove another virus. The only respectable solution I have found is Norton Antivirus, but Symantec behaves in a way that suggests that they write all modern Windows virii themselves. Her company doesn't have enough budget to spend on these subscriptions and their life is hell. Windows is one big security hole, and every stupid teenager thinks it's his mission to write a virus for Windows, and most Windows users can't do anything apart from typing in Word to protect themselves, and what the hell do you expect from a pirated OS running on $150 boxes? When all is lost, they "format c:" and start over as if nothing happened.
The lack of virii on the Mac platform is truly a shining point when gloating to my PC user friends, especially when their computer gets fuxxored from a virus
if I remember correctly, while OS X has no viruses, some sepculate that some UNIX virii could possible transfer over, but I don't see that as being a big problem. However, it does seem that with the UNIX core and the terminal and all that good stuff, developing virii would be easier on OS X than any previous macos. Of course I don't really know what it takes to develop...well...anything, and certainly UNIX has a great reputation of security and strong foundations that are hard to crack.
Most likely when(or if) viruses ever start appearing on MacOS X then it will be from switchers, I have never heard of a mac user want to cause harm to the system
Comments
considering it only updates once a month or so, how could it be up to date with the PC viruses?
Originally posted by Eugene
Most people here probably got it from the same infected MacAddict CD.
Bingo, on my 6100/60. That Mac also got AIDS, and most of the other early 90's Mac virii.
"Do you wish happy birthday?"
"You are horrible person!"
Originally posted by Eugene
Last Mac virus that really did some damage was Autostart Worm 9805...which came and went in...1998...
I have Autostart 9805 saved on a floppy disk somewhere. I also have WDEF/B somewhere, too. Those were two of the most popular mac virses. I also have the I love you virus on a CD (Windows of course).
Taken care of by Disinfectant.
Originally posted by iPeon
The only virus I've seen that has affected the Mac is one called Microsoft.
tru dat
My wife is working in a PC-only office and I get called 2-3 times a month to remove another virus. The only respectable solution I have found is Norton Antivirus, but Symantec behaves in a way that suggests that they write all modern Windows virii themselves. Her company doesn't have enough budget to spend on these subscriptions and their life is hell. Windows is one big security hole, and every stupid teenager thinks it's his mission to write a virus for Windows, and most Windows users can't do anything apart from typing in Word to protect themselves, and what the hell do you expect from a pirated OS running on $150 boxes? When all is lost, they "format c:" and start over as if nothing happened.
if I remember correctly, while OS X has no viruses, some sepculate that some UNIX virii could possible transfer over, but I don't see that as being a big problem. However, it does seem that with the UNIX core and the terminal and all that good stuff, developing virii would be easier on OS X than any previous macos. Of course I don't really know what it takes to develop...well...anything, and certainly UNIX has a great reputation of security and strong foundations that are hard to crack.
Most likely when(or if) viruses ever start appearing on MacOS X then it will be from switchers, I have never heard of a mac user want to cause harm to the system