“ClamXav is a free virus checker for Mac OS X. It uses the very popular ClamAV open source antivirus engine to scan mail and attachments. As a testament to its effectiveness, Apple now bundles ClamAV with Mac OS X Server 10.4. Unfortunately for those who are not system administrators, ClamAV is a command line tool, so it isn’t user-friendly for the average Mac owner. That’s why Mark Allan developed ClamXav. It uses the powerful ClamAV engine and definitions, but adds a more accessible user interface,” François Joseph de Kermadec writes for MacDevCenter. The article by de Kermadec explains how to use ClamXav and also touches on whether or not Mac OS X users need antivirus software.
Full article here.
What a waste of time….
Playing with my computer just isn’t as pleasurable with protection.
I do hope something is out there/comes along for Virus checking for Tiger. Our corporate infastructure requires that all machines, virus vulnerable or not, be protected by a current and updatable anti-virus package. If there is not something that we can centrally manage and update, we can’t roll out Tiger. Which of course means, we can’t roll out new hardware that ships with Tiger.
Anyone have any knowlege of something for tiger that works and is updatable (easily updatable)?
MDN asks: “Do Apple Mac OS X users need antivirus software?”
Nope.
tilted,
naughty, naughty.
Installing anti-virus software on a Mac OS X computer is like installing anti-virus software on your Toyota pickup truck.
I agree that at this point we don’t have a need for Anti-Virus software. I know it is MUCH more difficult to gain access to the OS under X. However, nothing is impossible. I don’t doubt that someone out there is working on something and knowing that all the Macs are stitting out there unprotected…. well, it is a recepie for disaster and a major black eye for Apple if and when it happens. Hopefully it won’t be soon but I think we all know that it won’t go on this way forever. People are mean and vindictive. Someone out there wants us to remain complacent….
Just waiting for the right time…
“Installing anti-virus software on a Mac OS X computer is like installing anti-virus software on your Toyota pickup truck.”
Well dont laugh, but if MS has their way, they’ll have their bugg-ridden virus-attracting OS embedded within the systems of cars sooner rather than later.
Of course that means that at any given moment your car will suddenly and without your permission drive you to a bad part of town where you will be held at gunpoint. And somehow people will just be accepting of it just like they are with their PC’s.
No Viruses…Please,
Your company doesn’t need new software, just System/Network Administrators that know something other than windows.
My ISP scans e-mail attachments for viruses, so that’s good enough for me. Since OS X is immune to all existing viruses out there, I’m not going to waste money or time with anti-virus software. And with my ISP scanning my e-mail attachments, I’ll know that I’m not passing any on to any Windows users either.
You could get an infected file that doesn’t harm your Mac, but then pass it to someone else who could be affected. Using AV software is not necessary, but is the right thing to do as long as most people are using or are connected to Windows PC’s & Networks.
Including this software on a server makes sense – not every client is going to be a Mac in an xServe environment. For individual Mac users, it’s probably not such a big deal.
It’s nice to have antivirus software if you share files with Windows users. Their viruses won’t affect a Mac, but you can still spread viruses via Mac. And believe me, I have several friends who use Windows and have no clue what they’re doing when it comes to security software.
Wait until people have to start buying AV software for the xBox 360. They will be vulnerable to many things, running a version of Windows. Since most will be online, they could be attacked. Just more ‘Trustworthy Computing’ from Micro$oftopoly. You heard it here first.
Nick wrote: “Installing anti-virus software on a Mac OS X computer is like installing anti-virus software on your Toyota pickup truck.”
Actually, you might have to install Antivirus software on your Toyota.
http://windowsfordevices.com/news/NS7943097446.html
This is one example of how Windows is being embedded into everyday items. Don’t forget NEC is also using Windows in their next gen ATM machines.
i agree that an OS X virus *could possibly* come in the future. Like ‘No Virues, Please’ said, anything is possible…
HOWEVER, all virus protection must rely on previously known viruses. That’s why you always have to update these applications. So running virus checking software on OS X, which is looking solely for Windows-based and possibly pre-OSX virii is pretty much useless to most/all OSX users.
“Just waiting for the right time…”
Well, using your logic, they’ve been waiting for 5+ years so far already, so what’s been holding them back? You’re going to tell us that nobody at all has ever tried now for 5 long years? Please. That’s an eternity in the internet/cyber world. I’d say that the security of OS X pretty much speaks for itself by this point since it’s had zero viruses now in over 5 years on the market…
It’s usefull for identifying Word and Excel Macro viruses. If there is a utility that just does that, some drag and drop thing, then no, don’t install an anti-virus.
“virii” is not a word. Viruses is the plural form of the word virus. Thank you.
” The answer is yes”:
Viruses are a Windows issue, and other platforms should not have to waste time and energy helping clean up Windows messes.
“Viruses are a Windows issue, and other platforms should not have to waste time and energy helping clean up Windows messes.”
Agreed. It’s absolutely not the responsibility of others. After all of these years, Windows users should be well aware by now of what they need to do to protect themselves should they decide to continue to use that flawed operating system. And if they don’t want to do what’s necessary, they either need to switch to OS X or Linux, or suffer the consequences then.
No viruses.. Please,
check out Sophos Anti-virus. It is centrally managed and works with Macs and Windows.
An evil side of me says we should do everything we can to help bring these viruses to the attention of misguided Windows users… So let’s keep shovelling them around!
RE Compulsory virus software: My son’s have this compulsory virus requirement on their school Windoze network. Solved by having the school subscribe to Sophus for Mac (as well as for Microsoft) and setting the software up on the Mac to subscribe to the Sophus database via the school on connection to the Active Directory network. A pain, but it was the only way they’d allow their laptops to connect to the network.
From: Nick (Aug 22, 05 – 12:39 pm)
“Installing anti-virus software on a Mac OS X computer is like installing anti-virus software on your Toyota pickup truck.”
Not quite as far-fetched as you might think, as others have written. MS is trying to get automakers to run their cars with a version of MS Windows. This is something I definitely would not ever consider buying.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2139686/windows-automotive
Seems that the software is free and is regularly updated. If a company requires anti virus for every machine, ClamAV is a viable choice, but I dont worry about it as most ISPs and Email providers take care of it and OSX is just so great
Sophos… they have quite the reputation for creating “proof of concept” trojan horses and exploits for Mac OS X — just to scare people into buying their product. The really pathetic part is that their “proof of concept” trojan horses and exploits always turn out to be bullsh*t.
“Key components include a customizable graphical user interface and Internet access. These building blocks enable Toyota’s preferred system suppliers to build full-featured in-vehicle multimedia systems.” – excerpt from Al’s linked article.
This is even worse than people talking on their cell phones while driving.
Back on subject: Virus protection in the UNIX community seems to come from the UNIX users themselves. Some of the LINUX folks at our facility have told me that if someone writes a virus for a flavor of UNIX, shortly thereafter a fix pops up. I’ve noticed that Apple programmers tend to be rather proactive in this with their security updates. I don’t know if this can be considered “virus protection”.
and someday you might need it. You won’t need it as bad as some people though!
I do not think that we should gloat about NEVER having had a virus on our Macs. In my school we have a peecee room beside the Mac room. In 6 years we NEVER had a day when the kids could not use the Macs, HOWEVER we have never had a week in 6 years when all the the peecees were working. Several virus problems have closed the room on numerous occasions.
But get this!!!!!!! we still buy peecees in school…..as they are “compatible” I cannot get my head around this nonsence but I reserve right right to gloat and to be honest I love the fact that my Mac is not compatible with these viruses
Having a virus checker is like having an insurance policy. It insures that we OSX users can remain assured that our Macs are free from viruses and, can find any Windows trojans that uselessly remain hidden in your system. And that’s exactly what this little utility did for me, it identified a single windows trojan.
Likewise it chugs away silently giving you peace of mind in the unlikely event that you do get an infection. I dumped Nortons’ bloatware in favour of this little app.
If Mac users decide not to have a virus checker that’s cool, and it’s also OK to have an app like this. It’s all a matter of choice. As for Nortons’ they stopped updating their other software and I stopped using their virus checker. Quid Pro Quo!
I’d say that, more than an insurance policy, anti-virus software on Mac OS X is more like stupid tax. If you’re not smart/informed enough to know why you don’t need it, then you suffer the consequences by wasting money and/or CPU cycles checking for viruses.
NIck says “Sophos… they have quite the reputation for creating “proof of concept” trojan horses and exploits for Mac OS X “
You’re thinking of Intego, not Sophos.
Sophos is a pretty good AV vendor, strictly corporate and large networks though.
No viruses.. Please >> We use Sophos for our educational/institution clients. It has Mac/PC/Linux versions of the software, and an enterprise level contract gives you access to automatic updates from the Sophos server, or you can set-up a central server locally for machines to update from.
My thoughts are, ALL Mac OS X users should have virus protection. Despite the fact that there are no known Mac OS X viruses, WORD & EXCEL viruses can still cause major irritations on Mac OS X; as well as tons of irritating traffic and system admin messages from PC users and servers that scan for them in attached documents.
Plus, if your going to practice smug superiority, then you should fork over some money annually to insure that you and or yours aren’t spreading word viruses, while saying “nah, nah, nah, my machine invulnerable”.
allgood2 wrote: “if your going to practice smug superiority, then you should fork over some money annually to insure that you and or yours aren’t spreading word viruses”
Or better yet, don’t use Word.
tommy: “all virus protection must rely on previously known viruses”
Actually, that’s not true at all. All virus SCANNING relies on previously known viruses. However, general virus protection keeps an eye out for things a virus/trojan might do, modifying something it shouldn’t for example. This monitoring for suspicious behavior doesn’t require any specific knowledge of the virus in question.
“general virus protection keeps an eye out for things a virus/trojan might do, modifying something it shouldn’t for example”
LordRobin, you have to type in an admin password to do anything like that in Mac OS X.
Stupid tax.
dude.
By the way, when was the last time a Word macro virus was causing havoc out in the wild anyway? 1999? Again, there is no valid reason for purchasing an OS X anti-virus program as far as I can see…
“Your company doesn’t need new software, just System/Network Administrators that know something other than windows.”
True in a sense, but if that is not likely to happen next week or next month, or probably not next year, so it makes more sense in the real world to just get some kind of virus protection and install it to make them happy.
“Viruses are a Windows issue, and other platforms should not have to waste time and energy helping clean up Windows messes.”
Again, true as far as it goes, but in the real world where some of us have to make a living and coexist with Windows people, nearly all of whom are nice but misguided people, help out those who you work with every day and get a virus checker.
Why make your life more difficult by being stubborn?
Try studying the martial art of Aikido, or Hapkido (Korean version) where you use your opponents momentum against him, rather than hurting yourself by crashing into him directly.
Just a thought.
Remember, the virus scan isn’t for the Mac. It is for those PCs that send you infected crap and expect you to pass it along. At least I know that any winblows created document that I have to pass along is virus free for the rest of the SEUs (Stupid End Users) who insist they must have windows.
did you guys know that apple is now offering Norton for .mac subscribers?
You’re either stupid or in denial if you don’t think we need AV software on our Macs. Like someone said earlier, the softwae isn’t for the viruses on our Macs but for our PC using friends and colleages. The Mac might not be affect by a Windoze virus but that doesn’t mean that our Macs can’t be used to transmit them. All these ignorant remarks about how Macs are so super safe will one day come back to haunt us all.
The following are good current reasons for someone with Mac OSX to have an antivirus installed:
1- You have friends, family or colleagues that you send emails to and who use MS Windows and you do not have a reason to be vindictive with them
2- You are on a mixed Mac/MS network at work, school or home and wish not to be kicked out of the network while others take their time to switch to Macs
3- You use Virtual-PC for apps that don’t yet run on OSX (yes, the virtual OS can become infected!)
4- You use MS Office on your Mac and share documents with others and wish not to infect Macro users among those you share/email docs with/to.
5- You are on a file-sharing network and benefit from files or music that MS Windows users share and wish to be polite in return and not contribute to spreading malware.
If none of these apply to you, please do not install an antivirus on your Mac, as some people will start having seizures if you do…
Two words.
Stupid tax.
Viruses do exist for UNIX and its little brother Linux. These viruses are in lab environments right now. Sooner or later they will exscape an eat holes in our Apples. Then I’ll have to go back to my dusty old Windows machine because at least I know how to keep it clean and running.
iDont,
Thanks for that textbook example of FUD.
Nice.
I forgot to mention BT and handheld devices: It turns out that even non-Windows based/imbedded devices have had their share of viruses… So reason #6: If you have a thing for such gadgets…
AAARGGHH!
stupidest.reasoning.ever.
Nick,
You are quite welcome. Anytime you need more FUD just ask. I have tons of it.
AVS in a product of Windows’ poor security environment and has created an entire industry of 3rd parties doing what MS should have done in the 1st place…
Mac users who run AVS are just enabling this sort of nonsense, Do you think that McAfee or Norton are interested at all in making computing completely safe? Where’s the future in that?
As far as passing viruses on to friends or family, common sense has prevented me from ever doing that, either, so that in the five years I have been blissfully using Macs, I have neither contracted or passed on a virus… all without AVS.
The current state of Windows security will continue until either people change or MS changes. Mac users running AVS will only delay this…
progeny wrote: “As far as passing viruses on to friends or family, common sense has prevented me from ever doing that”
Agreed. The only problem is that this “common sense” is not necessarily always present. It is also involves a bit of knowledge of how computers work. Your ‘Aunt Ethel’ may be a very sensible person, but she also might lack this “common sense”. It is this lack of “common sense” in the masses that’s making things more difficult for everyone… Would someone with common sense buy a Windows PC? Would a PC user with common sense allow their PC to become infected? I certainly know a lot of sensible people who use PCs by choice or because their work/school makes them.
Until the day we can make sure all of us have “common sense”, I for one will use an AVS on my Mac.
“did you guys know that apple is now offering Norton for .mac subscribers?”
Then how come it’s nowhere to be found on the .Mac website?
How exactly do these retards expect to “accidentally” pass on viruses to Windows users? Do they think that their Mac will randomly generate a virus and slip it into the email that they are composing? When they get an email advertising porn, do they forward it to their relatives and friends?
Virus protection on the Mac isn’t there for the benefit of the Mac user. It’s there for the benefit of the PC user, who gets an email from the Mac user saying, “Why won’t this file do anything? I’ve downloaded it, and clicked on the omghax.exe file, but nothing happens. What am I doing wrong?”
lol
Not Really:
Sorry, you are right, I didn’t check what a friend told me before posting. In fact, Apple is simply listing Norton among the software you could buy from their web store, but not bundling it with .mac, as the rumor was (to replace McAfee’s Virex).
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/70202/wo/l12s0KHxBf1v3LLgvgO1JHbQF6L/1.0.0.11.1.0.6.9.9.29.7.1
You folks need to stop referring to all PCs as Windows computers. Afterall, with OSX and all of Apple’s greatest moving over to Intel hardware, you will all be running PCs too before long. The only real distinction between a Mac and a PC is the hardware it runs on. Software is purely secondary–you could write your own OS for a Mac system if you wanted to just as you could for a PC.
Also, I find it disturbing that you all seem to think OSX is totally unPCish. Once again, OSX is just another Unix/Linux/BSD distro that Apple is raping and pillaging the users to own and use. It’s funny how you all say micro$oftopoly, M$, etc yet your own beloved OSX puts Apple in the same general boat. I won’t condemn this though…more power to ANY corporation who can increase their business. That’s what supports this entire capitalist society that we all love so much. I mean, with fundamentalists like yourselves, you would have made the switch from the United States to China or something by now (surely) just as you switched from Windows PCs to Apple computers or have used Apple all your lives.
Now don’t get my wrong by this point. Stupidity just bugs me some times and I like to point that out. This brings me to my next point:
WINDOWS SUCKS. We all know this deep down–linux/mac/windows/bsd/unix/os2 users alike. Windows is riddled with security holes and bad software. Hell, there’s probably even a virus out there that can choke MS’s old standby Solitare. Malware and spyware easily installs itself on Windows computers, and keyloggers and trojans are becoming a known force even to average Windows users of any flavor.
So, this begs the question “Why do most people still use Windows even if they know it sucks?” There are lots of answers for this question. Mine is that moving to an alternative (I absolutely love Debian GNU/Linux) would prevent me from doing two of the things I love most: programming (Linux software doesn’t get far for the people I write apps for) in a couple Windows-only languages (.NET [mono isn’t perfect]) and cutting-edge gaming. There just isn’t a good way for me to “switch” as Apple loves to call it. OSX doesn’t make since, Debian GNU/Linux is closer but won’t do the job. That leaves what–DOS and OS/2 Warp? Hah, I don’t think so.
While Windows may suck beyond all comprehension with all its viruses and spyware–I still need it to live my digital life. (Also, smart users have little to worry about when it comes to viruses, keyloggers, spyware, malware, or even spam.) While this is my own answer to the question above, I think this or similar variations apply to a lot of people.
NO VIRUSES!!! OMG Thanks! I just got the new MacPro and WOW!!! I wish it had fingers so I could put a ring on it…
This forum just made my day,
Sexpert
you can get iantivirus for free as long as your not a business, worth checking out, although the more programs you install the slower the mac become.