virus on a macbook

poisonivy1 · Jun 2, 2011

can macbooks get avirus?i was told in the apple shop that they cant but i read on a forum that they can,which is correct?

schweb · Jun 2, 2011

Many member ask the question about viruses and malware on the Mac and in addition to using the search function at the top of the forum, you'll find almost all your answers here:

Official Antivirus, Malware, and Firewall FAQ

schweb · Jun 2, 2011

I've moved your post to a more proper forum; please be sure to check the forum descriptions to find the best place to post.

By posting in the right forum you help people not only find your question faster, but it helps others looking for the same information in the future.

Thanks for understanding!

poisonivy1 · Jun 2, 2011

thanku,very informative,sorry am new to forums

kdyarb2002 · Jun 2, 2011

stay away from shady sites because you can and will get a virus, just a matter of time

poisonivy1 · Jun 2, 2011

i am careful but i always had a security suite on my pc,would u say its advisable to do the same on my mac?

MYmacROX · Jun 2, 2011

kdyarb2002 said:
stay away from shady sites because you can and will get a virus, just a matter of time

Just to clarify:

Some porn websites will say that you need a video codec to view something and if you install their (fake) codec, you are really installing a trojan. Not a true self-replicating "virus". Not harmful, easy to remove. Not all that scary.

If you try to pirate (steal) copies of iLife or iWork apps, you may be really installing a trojan. Not a true self-replicating "virus". Not harmful, easy to remove. Not all that scary.

If you do a Google search for images and one of them is targeted by the MacDefender malware (also a trojan), you could receive a fake alert that you are infected and then prompted to purchase an app to remove something that isn't even on your Mac in the first place. Don't give them your credit card # and follow this advice to make sure it wasn't installed. Also not a true self-replicating "virus". Not harmful, easy to remove. Not all that scary.

Some members on here use clamxav to monitor the risk of malware on their Macs. Probably not necessary, but if you are one of those that likes that extra "security blanket" to make you feel better, you might want to look into it.
Most members on here don't use any a/v software. Keep informed and don't install anything if you don't know what it is.

poisonivy1 · Jun 2, 2011

MYmacROX said:
Just to clarify:

Some porn websites will say that you need a video codec to view something and if you install their (fake) codec, you are really installing a trojan. Not a true self-replicating "virus". Not harmful, easy to remove. Not all that scary.

If you try to pirate (steal) copies of iLife or iWork apps, you may be really installing a trojan. Not a true self-replicating "virus". Not harmful, easy to remove. Not all that scary.

If you do a Google search for images and one of them is targeted by the MacDefender malware (also a trojan), you could receive a fake alert that you are infected and then prompted to purchase an app to remove something that isn't even on your Mac in the first place. Don't give them your credit card # and follow this advice to make sure it wasn't installed. Also not a true self-replicating "virus". Not harmful, easy to remove. Not all that scary.

Some members on here use clamxav to monitor the risk of malware on their Macs. Probably not necessary, but if you are one of those that likes that extra "security blanket" to make you feel better, you might want to look into it.
Most members on here don't use any a/v software. Keep informed and don't install anything if you don't know what it is.

ok thanku,i have a macbook pro,i5,mc 700

Mac Math · Jun 2, 2011

So no porn, no illegal downloads, no Google and you will be safe.

MYmacROX · Jun 2, 2011

Mac Math said:
no Google and you will be safe.

No. That is an extreme interpretation.

I use Google daily and sometimes even for image searches. Just know what to do if the image you click on is linked to Mac Defender scareware.

I don't stay home and hide under my bed because there are bad drivers on the road. I drive cautiously and have insurance to cover my butt in case I'm hit by an uninsured driver.

Vasilis · Jun 3, 2011

Do not forget that OsX is a unix OS, just like Linux. Thus, all the *.exe or *.com files are not a threat. Maybe some trojans, but again I am not sure.

OsX comes with a really nice tool, the "netstat".
Open a terminal and type "netstat -ap" and hit enter. You will see a list of all the programs which are using a tcp connection. These are the programs that are using your internet connection.

You may search on the Internet for these programs, and if you find that there are a trojan, simply delete them.

bobtomay · Jun 3, 2011

Mac Math said:
So no porn,

That would be an extreme interpretation also. Just don't download and install the fake video codecs that some sites say you need.

chas_m · Jun 3, 2011

kdyarb2002 said:
stay away from shady sites because you can and will get a virus, just a matter of time

Uh, no. There are no viruses for Macs. Sounds like you should read the sticky as well as the OP.

poisonivy1 · Jun 3, 2011

what does open a terminal mean?

thanku all,im new to mac tho so dont know what "open a terminal" means

MYmacROX · Jun 3, 2011

poisonivy1 said:
thanku all,im new to mac tho so dont know what "open a terminal" means

Terminal is where you can type in commands for your Mac.
It is found in Finder>Applications>Utilities.
Apple - Mac OS X - What Is Mac OS X - All Applications and Utilities Scroll down to almost the very bottom.

poisonivy1 · Jun 3, 2011

another thing learned

thanku for that,a lot to leaarn but im getting there

harryb2448 · Jun 3, 2011

Highly respected Mac specialist Other World Computing or OWC for short, have written an excellent blog on MacDefender etc and other names by which this trojan is known. As reported there are no viruses for Mac's Unix operating syste,:-

Dismantling the Trojan Horse | Other World Computing Blog

HelpdeskRules · Jun 4, 2011

As far as I'm aware there are no Viruses for the Mac on the loose - so why are there Anti-Virus programs for the Mac then?

Viruses tend to be written for Windows based computers so your Mac wont get infected from a virus if an infected file/document is opened on your Mac. However, if you were to open the same infected file on a Windows computer then it's likely that they would get infected.

So, if you work in a mixed environment (i.e. have Macs and a Windows based PC) then scanning your Mac every now and again with something like ClamAV will stop you potentially spreading a virus on to a non-Mac computer.

I use a Mac at home and a Lenovo PC at work. As I'm fairly confident that I dont have any files with viruses in them etc. I only bother running ClamAV once every couple of months or so as I have a fully-working AntiVirus and AntiMalware package on my works computer.

harryb2448 · Jun 4, 2011

so why are there Anti-Virus programs for the Mac then?

Simple it is called marketing and making a buck! By all means run ClamXAV on your Mac, and if need be ClamWin on Bootcamp etc., from the same company. Both are freeware.

schweb · Jun 4, 2011

Many member ask the question about viruses and malware on the Mac and in addition to using the search function at the top of the forum, you'll find almost all your answers here:

Official Antivirus, Malware, and Firewall FAQ

virus on a macbook

poisonivy1

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schweb

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kdyarb2002

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MYmacROX

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Mac Math

MYmacROX

Vasilis

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chas_m

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poisonivy1

MYmacROX

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HelpdeskRules

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