01-27-2007, 12:13 AM

Hi there everyone!

I recently switched over to mac from pc world after 16 years. I dont think i would ever go back now that i have my imac! Anyway i know you do not really need antivirus protection, but my mac friend suggested the program virus barrier by Intego. It seems like a worthwhile program?? Does anyone know if this is worth downloading??

Thanks

Josh

01-27-2007, 01:07 AM

G'day jds670,

While I can't comment on Intego's Virus Barrier, I thought you might like some security information of another kind:


basic mac os x security

8 mac security tips

10 Simple Steps For Securing Your Mac

mac osx security

Preparing for a stolen Mac

01-27-2007, 08:26 AM

Virus Barrier gets great reviews because it's a very good product.

That being said, a couple of years ago Intego was caught trying to drum up their business (perhaps?) by falsely spreading news around teh internetz that there a Trojan Horse that was contaminating Mac OS X. Needless to say the Mac community was in an uproar and the Windows fanboys got hold of that story and were thrilled.

I personally wouldn't encourage, with my hard earned cash, a company that uses such tactics to sell their product and when this was found out it, saddened me/made me a bit angry because I was thinking of buying Virus Barrier at the time.

But this is my opinion. :girl:

01-27-2007, 09:50 AM

Well, I have been using VirusBarrier X for the last 13 months and I am more than happy with the performance. It runs in the background without taking too much resources and has a really nice interface (probably the best I've seen for Macs). Although it has been running for so many months, there was not a single warning about a threat to date.

If you are too concerned about the security and don't want to spend too much money go for ClamXav. It is free and works pretty fine too.

01-27-2007, 11:40 AM

I installed the demo once to check an old PC's harddrive for viruses before moving it to a new computer.

I must say I was less than impressed - it didn't find some of the viruses I eventually discovered and also seemed to lack an uninstaller - which made getting rid of it a bit cumbersome.

Plus for Mac only environments I really still don't see the need.

03-30-2007, 08:49 PM

After doing all those tips I have two questions.1. is it really helpful to make a strong password? sometimes making a strong passoword gets annoying to type in since they are long. 2. This seems like a good program should I get it for my Macbook if I view a lot of stuff on the internet?

03-31-2007, 12:31 AM

I can't figure out what a Mac anti-virus app would look for. There are no viruses in the wild, and only one or two lab-created proof-of-concepts that would be difficult if not impossible to spread from one computer to another anyway

So there is no data base of malignant code. Any point of attack would be hypothetical at best, since a wholesale vulnerability as with Windows is yet to be discovered.

What can the AV app do, other than guard against Windows viruses, the approximately 50 long-dead pre-OS X Mac viruses, most of them pre-OS 9, such as Seven Dust, and waste computer cycles? What's the point of it?

Edit: I should have asked what's the point of it from the users' perspective, not the vendors'.

03-31-2007, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by frankthetank966

is it really helpful to make a strong password? sometimes making a strong passoword gets annoying to type in since they are long.

Well,... that is the point of having a "strong" password. The passwords that are simple and easy to type in... are just as simple and easy to crack. :black:

If you are concerned about your security (as any wise person should be these days) then setting up a stronger password is paramount.

Some tips on setting a strong password:

DO use capitals AND lowercase letters AND numerals.
DON'T use something too personal like birthdates, SSN's, or other important dates and numbers.
DO make it long, the longer the better. Make it at least 8 characters long. Every character you add to a password makes it thousands of times more difficult to decipher and crack.
DON'T store it on your computer or at your desk. Memorize it.
DO change it every so often.
DON'T use a 'bank' of passwords and rotate them. Use a new one each time and memorize it each time.

03-31-2007, 06:09 AM

I like the password assistant feature OS X has:

Open up Keychain utility, press the plus icon and in the new window that opens, click the key icon:
It can help you pick a secure, but memorable password.