Mac anti virus

[joepc]

I have a macbook (intel CPU, OS X 10.4.9) and I was wondering if anyone knows of any free anti virus?

Thanks

 

[jimoblak]

http://www.google.com/search?q=free+mac+antivirus

If running a dual-boot system with Windows, you may also Google for free Windows anti-virus apps.

 

[jmgalvin]

Keep in mint that, to date, there has never been a virus in the wild that effects OSX.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[jimbopalmer]

(while technically true, recall that if you install any MS Software on your Mac, it may be susceptible to MS Office macro viruses, which spread inside MS Office, not via OSX itself)

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[joepc]

What about malware?

 

[jmgalvin]

There are no known bad anythings for OSX. There has never been a report of an OSX machine getting anything nasty that I'm aware of. Trust me, if anything does pop up, the high tech press will be all over it.

AS you've probably found if you log into the machine, everytime you want to install any sort of executable, osx hits you with the admin password requirement.

To be doubly safe, you can create a new non admin user account and use that 99% of the time.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[jimbopalmer]

If you have physical access to the machine and can fool the owner into giving his password, there are rootkits for Mac OSX. At this point in time, TTBOMK, none are self replicating, again excepting if you were unwise enough to install MS Office. (Which is just a specific example of my first sentence)

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[jimoblak]

There are no known bad anythings for OSX.

That's not quite true. You apparently missed the Quicktime exploit that the press was all over a month or so ago and which Apple patched for both Mac and Windows not too long after. That exploit did not require an admin password to be entered in OSX.

There have been other security issues. That is why Apple issues so many security updates.

Less susceptibility does not mean impenetrability. Do what you feel you need to do to protect your system.

 

[Welshbird]

I agree that there is nothing scary likely to happen for your Mac.

But I have installed this just in case, and also in the hope that I'll be prepared should something nasty come along in the future.



Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[Circle9]

Try Virex from McAfee. It works great!