Anti virus for mac...

okay now i know it may seem unorthodox for users to run AV on their clients. However, in able to access my schools wireless network, all pc's need to have a firewall and some type of AV.

My question is what does the mac forums community prefer or have better performance with?

in all honestly i don't think i need av due to my strict web surfing, but of course we all know things can still happen.

TYIA, wookie

Good web surfing is the go but as it stands atm, there is no such Virus/Trogan in the wild for OSX ... Oops sorry there was a cpl trogans in dl torrents of iLife a while ago.

So in essence there is no need for AV on your Mac as you dont need it and they are the HUGEST resource hog going around.

But if you NEED it to get on the school network i cant recommend one as i have never used AV software for my Macs

Someone will recommend something if its a NEED BE

Cheers

TattooedMac said:

Good web surfing is the go but as it stands atm, there is no such Virus/Trogan in the wild for OSX ... Oops sorry there was a cpl trogans in dl torrents of iLife a while ago.

So in essence there is no need for AV on your Mac as you dont need it and they are the HUGEST resource hog going around.

But if you NEED it to get on the school network i cant recommend one as i have never used AV software for my Macs

Someone will recommend something if its a NEED BE

Cheers

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Hi, i'm also looking for something like a AV / anti spyware app for my mac , so are you saying that is not worth getting one?

I was looking for something like AVG free but its only for PC I beleive

converted said:

Hi, i'm also looking for something like a AV / anti spyware app for my mac , so are you saying that is not worth getting one?

I was looking for something like AVG free but its only for PC I beleive

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Yea mate thats it in a nut shell. Have a read of THIS thread and even though its a few years ago, it still pertains to todays society ....

Its not worth the money or the hogging down of your Mac ......

Cheers

If it really needs to be,
ClamXav is free.

Don't install Norton Antivirus or McAfee, both are extremely difficult/impossible to uninstall without reinstalling the system.

@converted
Yes it is worthless getting Anitvirus, unless you visit those underworld sites that have who knows what on them.
The closet I ever got to a virus is when I once landed on a fake virus scanner site. It downloaded a .exe which sat in my downloads folder till it got Trashed.

McYukon said:

If it really needs to be,
ClamXav is free.

Don't install Norton Antivirus or McAfee, both are extremely difficult/impossible to uninstall without reinstalling the system.

@converted
Yes it is worthless getting Anitvirus, unless you visit those underworld sites that have who knows what on them.
The closet I ever got to a virus is when I once landed on a fake virus scanner site. It downloaded a .exe which sat in my downloads folder till it got Trashed.

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Ok but what about pop ups / spyware etc? its that the same rule for mac?

PC needs both av and spyware protection

converted said:

Ok but what about pop ups / spyware etc? its that the same rule for mac?

PC needs both av and spyware protection

Click to expand...

Most browsers have pop up blockers built in (Safari certainly does) and there is no real "Spyware" for the Mac. This isn't Windows, don't treat it like it is.

McYukon said:

unless you visit those underworld sites that have who knows what on them.

Click to expand...

Even those aren't a threat to a Mac...

You are about to find out how phased out PC IT folk are about antivirus software and they just cannot grasp there is no Mac OS X viruses and malware comes through downloading from pirate sites my mate tattooed says,

If they absolutely insist go for ClamXAV and leave it dormant.

There are viruses for Macs by the way. They are just not very common and the Unix muscle behind OS X is very strong.

I tried iAntiVirus (cannot remember the exact spelling). It was recommended by Macworld (the Australian one). It was not too bad as it did not consume much resources and space.

I used it for 2 years. It never found anything wrong.
So I cannot say if it is pointless to have...

yan03 said:

There are viruses for Macs by the way.

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Please do link us to the known virus please, before it scares the new peoples to the Mac OS.
There are all day everyday IT peoples in the forum and im sure they would have heard about it. And if there was it would be in every paper, news and blogged about 30secs after someone found it. So yes please link us ...

Cheers

Hahahaha another PC user who cannot absorb there are NO MAC OS X VIRUSES which illustrates what I posted. As tattooed asks, please point us to the so called viruses?

Thank you all for the quick feedback. I was recommended avast from someone at school earlier, not to sure about that.

Def gunna give clamxav a try since i HAVE to have AV if i want to connect to my schools network wirelessly.


HUGE FACEPALM

Just install ClamXav - it doesn't start up automatically and won't run in the background (unless told to do so, it can monitor folders etc if you set it to do so) so you can show the fools(who are insisting) you have Antivirus, without the cost or resource waste.

Your Mac has a built in firewall - in your system preferences, go to security and turn it on.

Done.

I have been a Mac user forever. I too believe we are safe from infection. However I understand the policies of others.

All antivirus programs written for the Mac are terrible. Why,..because we have not been conditioned to expect our computers to be rendered unusable by cyber thieves and bored 11 year olds trying to turn a quick buck stealing your identity. But when the day comes, (and it will come) that Macs are compromised won't we feel silly.

I have tested several AV programs recently for OS X 10.5 and 10.6. All modern AV programs with any merit have decent removal tools. I have tried ClamX which is free and useless. Norton, consumer security suite, Symantec corporate products, Intego security suites and virus barrier, ESET NOD32 and Sophos AV. IMHO Sophos was the leader of the pack for ease of use, smallest footprint and best support.

File Vault will certainly reduce performance as ann files are compressed using file vault so scanning times increase.

Currently I don't run any antivirus on my Macs. Why, I told you above. But policy is policy so buck up and do what they require.

You might not get infected but may accidentally pass an infection to someone. Highly doubt it, but you don't wanna be that guy.

6string said:

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That's not even a Mac, how dare you jest us. >_<"

CrimsonRequiem said:

That's not even a Mac, how dare you jest us. >_<"

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That's the point!
Couldn't even find a Mac virus image, yet alone a virus

Bushwookie said:

Thank you all for the quick feedback. I was recommended avast from someone at school earlier, not to sure about that.

Def gunna give clamxav a try since i HAVE to have AV if i want to connect to my schools network wirelessly.


HUGE FACEPALM

Click to expand...

If they just want you to have an antivirus software installed and they aren't picky about it, then just grab iAntivirus. It only scans for OS X-based malware, and since there are less than half a dozen known to exist, it'll be the easiest on your system. Of course there is the risk you could pass along Windows-based infected files, but then the school should already have that covered on their end, eh?

Funny how yan03 never posted a link.

converted said:

Ok but what about pop ups / spyware etc? its that the same rule for mac?

PC needs both av and spyware protection

Click to expand...

This will answer all your questions:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/sw...-official-antivirus-malware-firewall-faq.html