Anyone use a antivirus for OSX? Is it any good and is it even necessary?
Thanks
Yes. I use Norton Antivirus. As a .mac subscriber, I have access to Virex. Some people here have issues with Norton. If you are one of those, then use Virex.
and i thought that there were no virusses for the Mac?
or am i missinformed? I remember a thread about this and Norton as well.. was kinda laughed at the idea of having norton on a Mac. Correct me if i'm wrong!
and i thought that there were no virusses for the Mac?
or am i missinformed? I remember a thread about this and Norton as well.. was kinda laughed at the idea of having norton on a Mac. Correct me if i'm wrong!
About Norton: Norton Utilities for MacOS X is a waste of money and possibly dangerous. Norton Antivirus removes viruses and other malware from infected files. It does not represent the same threat to your computer that Norton Utilities does. If you want to punish Norton for NUM by not buying NAV, that is understandable. However, it is important to know where the danger lies.
About viruses: It is not that there are no viruses on the Mac, there are no MacOS X viruses on the Mac. If you communicate with Windows-using friends and colleagues, or even have the rare occasion to use ancient files from the days of System 6 or System 7, then it is possible to have viruses. MacOS X is affected by none of these. Without antivirus software, a MacOS X user can most certainly pass them on to other computers that can be affected. Any up-to-date antivirus utility will disinfect any and all of these viruses. It will also tell you which files on your computer were infected. When I get an infected file from a colleague, I tell him about the infection and urge him to take care of it. It is truly astonishing how many Windows users don't use antivirus utilities or don't keep their antivirus utilities up to date.
Antivirus software is good Internet citizenship. It is also enlightened self-interest. Whether my Mac can get a virus or not, the fact that Windows computers are so vulnerable motivates actions that dramatically limit my freedom at my workplace and the Internet. Anything--anything at all that I can do to stem the tide helps us all.
I thought Norton isnt going to continue supporting its OSX products?
That is not entirely true. The Norton SystemWorks bundle will cease to exist because Symantec announced that it will drop Norton Utilities. It will continue to develop Norton Antivirus.
That is not entirely true. The Norton SystemWorks bundle will cease to exist because Symantec announced that it will drop Norton Utilities. It will continue to develop Norton Antivirus.
Don't get anything. They'll make your computer slower and possibly mess it up. I've read about nothing but conflicts, especially from Norton software, which is absolute garbage. Check for yourself at www.macfixit.com and do some searching at www.versiontracker.com
Mac OS X so far has 0 viruses. Screw PC users. Tell them to get a Mac or get virus software and stop going to all those porno sites.
Mac OS X was built from the ground up as more secure, because of the UNIX works. Do some research on permissions, and also network services, and you'll see this, as well as the fact it is configured better out of the box. Don't turn any services on and you're basically bulletproof.
Given the problems with Virex, I'd take a look at Intego's VirusBarrier. Some people don't like Intego because of a) being a foreign company, French I think, b) Intego loudly announced 2 proof of concept viruses this year, and c) some say that their software modifies OS X at a fundamental level. I can't comment on any of that, but VirusBarrier caught a couple of Windows viruses on my Mac in the mailbox area. Was very thorough and quick in getting rid of them. Seems to slow the system down a bit on decompression. I used Virex on OS 9 and liked it back then.
Most senior Mac users say there is little need for virus protection in OS X. Myself, I like an overcoat as well as galoshes. Personal preference.
Edited: One last tip, don't forget to make VirusBarrier the app (not the default) you use to check compressed files under the preferences for Stuffit Expander. I found that navigating to the actual app was necessary in the Expander preference setup to get it to work properly. Don't know why.
Comments
Originally posted by steve666
Anyone use a antivirus for OSX? Is it any good and is it even necessary?
Thanks
Yes. I use Norton Antivirus. As a .mac subscriber, I have access to Virex. Some people here have issues with Norton. If you are one of those, then use Virex.
or am i missinformed? I remember a thread about this and Norton as well.. was kinda laughed at the idea of having norton on a Mac. Correct me if i'm wrong!
Originally posted by sparhawk
and i thought that there were no virusses for the Mac?
or am i missinformed? I remember a thread about this and Norton as well.. was kinda laughed at the idea of having norton on a Mac. Correct me if i'm wrong!
About Norton: Norton Utilities for MacOS X is a waste of money and possibly dangerous. Norton Antivirus removes viruses and other malware from infected files. It does not represent the same threat to your computer that Norton Utilities does. If you want to punish Norton for NUM by not buying NAV, that is understandable. However, it is important to know where the danger lies.
About viruses: It is not that there are no viruses on the Mac, there are no MacOS X viruses on the Mac. If you communicate with Windows-using friends and colleagues, or even have the rare occasion to use ancient files from the days of System 6 or System 7, then it is possible to have viruses. MacOS X is affected by none of these. Without antivirus software, a MacOS X user can most certainly pass them on to other computers that can be affected. Any up-to-date antivirus utility will disinfect any and all of these viruses. It will also tell you which files on your computer were infected. When I get an infected file from a colleague, I tell him about the infection and urge him to take care of it. It is truly astonishing how many Windows users don't use antivirus utilities or don't keep their antivirus utilities up to date.
Antivirus software is good Internet citizenship. It is also enlightened self-interest. Whether my Mac can get a virus or not, the fact that Windows computers are so vulnerable motivates actions that dramatically limit my freedom at my workplace and the Internet. Anything--anything at all that I can do to stem the tide helps us all.
Originally posted by steve666
I thought Norton isnt going to continue supporting its OSX products?
That is not entirely true. The Norton SystemWorks bundle will cease to exist because Symantec announced that it will drop Norton Utilities. It will continue to develop Norton Antivirus.
Originally posted by Mr. Me
That is not entirely true. The Norton SystemWorks bundle will cease to exist because Symantec announced that it will drop Norton Utilities. It will continue to develop Norton Antivirus.
Good info, thanks. Is Norton better than Virex?
Mac OS X so far has 0 viruses. Screw PC users. Tell them to get a Mac or get virus software and stop going to all those porno sites.
Mac OS X was built from the ground up as more secure, because of the UNIX works. Do some research on permissions, and also network services, and you'll see this, as well as the fact it is configured better out of the box. Don't turn any services on and you're basically bulletproof.
Most senior Mac users say there is little need for virus protection in OS X. Myself, I like an overcoat as well as galoshes. Personal preference.
Edited: One last tip, don't forget to make VirusBarrier the app (not the default) you use to check compressed files under the preferences for Stuffit Expander. I found that navigating to the actual app was necessary in the Expander preference setup to get it to work properly. Don't know why.