I just find it a bit weird that having "maybe a dozen" viruses associated with the Mac makes front page news at CNN. What will happen when Vista gets released? 8)
This is an interesting news article that was recently posted on CNN: article
Oddly enough, over the past 20 years in owning various Macs, I've never had a Mac virus before.
If the CNN piece is to be believed, then hoaxes count as much as real attacks. Symantec, MacAfee, and the other security-oriented software developers who have been living large fixing Windows problems are in a tizzy over Windows Vista's built-in antivirus facility. Afraid (and rightly so) of losing a substantial revenue stream, they have been talking-up the vulnerabilities of MacOS X in hopes of duping the Mac community into buying their wares. CNN is just repeating what these people tell them. Lest there be any doubt, a vulnerability is not an exploit and MacOS X's vulnerabilities are fixed ASAP, giving malware developers no time to exploit them. There are no MacOS X viruses.
I lied when I said I never got a virus...I also got viruses of the NVIR kind. They were mostly harmless.
The only harmful virus I came across was one that slowed the computer to a crawl and variants of it existed...all I remember was it created an invisible .666 extension in the Extensions folder.
I believe that was the last virus/worm that ever infected the computer...back in 1993?
Yea. The only reason to run a virus checker on your Mac now is to clean up an Windows viruses that you don't want to spread back to Windows. Maybe from an email that your reply to or forward back to a windows user.
Yea. The only reason to run a virus checker on your Mac now is to clean up an Windows viruses that you don't want to spread back to Windows. Maybe from an email that your reply to or forward back to a windows user.
Nah... why should I run cycle-stealing useless software to help someone who decided to use the bug-ridden Windows? Every infection they get is another nudge for them to consider using OS X next time.
Yea. The only reason to run a virus checker on your Mac now is to clean up an Windows viruses that you don't want to spread back to Windows. Maybe from an email that your reply to or forward back to a windows user.
If a Mac user sends someone a email from an unknown source, containing a binary file of unknown content to anyone, it is not a virus checker he needs. It's a firm punch to the centre of the face.
If a Mac user sends someone a email from an unknown source, containing a binary file of unknown content to anyone, it is not a virus checker he needs. It's a firm punch to the centre of the face.
C.
Relaying malware from an unknown source is only part of the problem. A significant problem is that you may relay an ordinary Office file that you receive from a known colleague. If the file was infected when you received it, it will be infected when you relay it if you don't have antivirus software. Your recipients' IT staffs may flag you as a source of viruses, the fact that MacOS X has no viruses not withstanding. If you work for the same firm, you may find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to send attachments from your Mac.
I lied when I said I never got a virus...I also got viruses of the NVIR kind. They were mostly harmless.
The only harmful virus I came across was one that slowed the computer to a crawl and variants of it existed...all I remember was it created an invisible .666 extension in the Extensions folder.
I believe that was the last virus/worm that ever infected the computer...back in 1993?
Yeah! I had that one too! I remember, it was a really special feeling. My Mac, has a virus... It took about five minutes to search up the reason on the internet, learn that you had to delete and replace the .666 file with an empty text file and you were rid of the virus.
Or something like that.
It was kindof cool for those 5 minutes though.. "Wow, I have a virus..."
Comments
This is an interesting news article that was recently posted on CNN: article
Oddly enough, over the past 20 years in owning various Macs, I've never had a Mac virus before.
Neither have I...I think it's safe to say that Macs are still ridiculously safe.
This is an interesting news article that was recently posted on CNN: article
Oddly enough, over the past 20 years in owning various Macs, I've never had a Mac virus before.
If the CNN piece is to be believed, then hoaxes count as much as real attacks. Symantec, MacAfee, and the other security-oriented software developers who have been living large fixing Windows problems are in a tizzy over Windows Vista's built-in antivirus facility. Afraid (and rightly so) of losing a substantial revenue stream, they have been talking-up the vulnerabilities of MacOS X in hopes of duping the Mac community into buying their wares. CNN is just repeating what these people tell them. Lest there be any doubt, a vulnerability is not an exploit and MacOS X's vulnerabilities are fixed ASAP, giving malware developers no time to exploit them. There are no MacOS X viruses.
Vinea
I had a mac virus back in the early 90s.
I lied when I said I never got a virus...I also got viruses of the NVIR kind. They were mostly harmless.
The only harmful virus I came across was one that slowed the computer to a crawl and variants of it existed...all I remember was it created an invisible .666 extension in the Extensions folder.
I believe that was the last virus/worm that ever infected the computer...back in 1993?
And there is the usual and false statement that marketshare means malware.
Symantec's product would have no database for Mac OS X viruses, as there aren't any. So they are trying to sell you a whole lot of nothing.
What's the point of installing a utility that doesn't check for anything? LOL
Well...I'd still run something. There are free virus checkers on the Mac. Well...ClamAV and ClamXAV that I know of anyway.
Vinea
You're worried about getting Windows viruses on your Mac? Cause they really don't do much.
Yea. The only reason to run a virus checker on your Mac now is to clean up an Windows viruses that you don't want to spread back to Windows. Maybe from an email that your reply to or forward back to a windows user.
Nah... why should I run cycle-stealing useless software to help someone who decided to use the bug-ridden Windows? Every infection they get is another nudge for them to consider using OS X next time.
Yea. The only reason to run a virus checker on your Mac now is to clean up an Windows viruses that you don't want to spread back to Windows. Maybe from an email that your reply to or forward back to a windows user.
If a Mac user sends someone a email from an unknown source, containing a binary file of unknown content to anyone, it is not a virus checker he needs. It's a firm punch to the centre of the face.
C.
If a Mac user sends someone a email from an unknown source, containing a binary file of unknown content to anyone, it is not a virus checker he needs. It's a firm punch to the centre of the face.
C.
Relaying malware from an unknown source is only part of the problem. A significant problem is that you may relay an ordinary Office file that you receive from a known colleague. If the file was infected when you received it, it will be infected when you relay it if you don't have antivirus software. Your recipients' IT staffs may flag you as a source of viruses, the fact that MacOS X has no viruses not withstanding. If you work for the same firm, you may find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to send attachments from your Mac.
I lied when I said I never got a virus...I also got viruses of the NVIR kind. They were mostly harmless.
The only harmful virus I came across was one that slowed the computer to a crawl and variants of it existed...all I remember was it created an invisible .666 extension in the Extensions folder.
I believe that was the last virus/worm that ever infected the computer...back in 1993?
Yeah! I had that one too! I remember, it was a really special feeling. My Mac, has a virus... It took about five minutes to search up the reason on the internet, learn that you had to delete and replace the .666 file with an empty text file and you were rid of the virus.
Or something like that.
It was kindof cool for those 5 minutes though.. "Wow, I have a virus..."