The Official Mac AntiVirus and Firewall FAQ

[Jaygray]

OK I guess my hardware Router protects the iMac? Or am I off base?

Protection is not necessary for the Mac. You can not run a typical Windows program inside OS X (the Mac operating system). PC viruses are Windows based programs designed to screw with your operating system. Since they can not be run on the Mac operating system, you do not need protection from them.

Look at it this way--Suppose you have a cold or the flu. Do you worry about your dog/cat or other pet catching your cold? No one ever says, I was sick and then my dog caught my cold. Just like a dog can't catch a people cold, a Mac running OS X can't catch a PC virus.

And a PC virus on the Windows partition on your harddrive can't jump over to OS X (Mac) side of the drive either.

 

[joelw135]

Protection is not necessary for the Mac. You can not run a typical Windows program inside OS X (the Mac operating system). PC viruses are Windows based programs designed to screw with your operating system. Since they can not be run on the Mac operating system, you do not need protection from them.

Look at it this way--Suppose you have a cold or the flu. Do you worry about your dog/cat or other pet catching your cold? No one ever says, I was sick and then my dog caught my cold. Just like a dog can't catch a people cold, a Mac running OS X can't catch a PC virus.

And a PC virus on the Windows partition on your harddrive can't jump over to OS X (Mac) side of the drive either.

Thank you for the clarification.

 

[ChristiansMac29]

Firewall and security questions

I have had my MacBook for close to one year and I am running OS X 10.4.11. I just learned about how to turn on the firewall to keep my computer extra secure. I am concerned about not having the firewall turned for all of the time. How do I check to see if I have any viruses, spyware or any other type of program that has latched onto my computer without my knowledge. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

I have also been using Firefox if that helps at all.

 

[surfmac]

OSX Virus

Apparently there are MAC OSX viruses....

OSX.Lamzev.A - Symantec.com

Discovered: November 13, 2008
Updated: November 13, 2008 4:35:12 PM
Type: Trojan
Infection Length: 34,308 bytes
When the Trojan is executed, it creates the following file:
/Applications/ezmal

The Trojan then opens a command shell, which allows a user to select an application and a port number.

The chosen application can then be used as a back door and allow a remote attacker to gain access to the compromised computer.

The Trojan copies the chosen application to the following location:
/Applications/[CHOSEN APPLICATION]/Contents/MacOS/2

It then makes a copy itself in the following location:
/Applications/[CHOSEN APPLICATION]/Contents/MacOS/1

 

[Telar]

Firewall Choices?

Hi! First Mac, a MacBook. (Was that a mistake? ;D ) The trackpad is very nice.

So eventually the question will come.:

I got to the Sharing Pref Pane but see no "Firewall" choice. Are the items on the left each a different part of the firewall? (pre-question of question 1)

My setup is cable modem,wired/wireless router, usb hub connected to a printer, two external hd, a PC desktop, and a PC laptop.

I anticipate never logging in to my home system remotely. I want to be able to share the external hard drives and printer.

Don't know yet if I want to share internal hard drives. What other questions should I be asking myself in relation to setting up a firewall? (Guess that is actually question 2.)

Question 1 is, given my setup as described above what would you suggest?

 

[louishen]

You can set-up a firewall at the router to protect the whole network

 

[RbyFzzl]

After getting my Mac notebook in the mail yesterday morning I started freaking out about downloading a virus (I've been notorious for doing that with all of the PCs I've owned). Thanks for this post, it answered a million questions.

 

[Yakirae]

Question answered, mod/admin delete this post please.

 

[ZeRea]

Not too sure if you already know about it, but I'll post anyway. A free antivirus programs for the Mac is iAntivirus, which can be found using Google. And, don't delete this thread, many people find it useful.

 

[JeffL27]

Virus scan stalled

I ran a scan using Norton anti-virus and it has just stalled. Is there something wrong with my mac?

 

[bobtomay]

Apparently there are MAC OSX viruses....

OSX.Lamzev.A - Symantec.com

Discovered: November 13, 2008
Updated: November 13, 2008 4:35:12 PM
Type: Trojan
Infection Length: 34,308 bytes
When the Trojan is executed, it creates the following file:
/Applications/ezmal

The Trojan then opens a command shell, which allows a user to select an application and a port number.

The chosen application can then be used as a back door and allow a remote attacker to gain access to the compromised computer.

The Trojan copies the chosen application to the following location:
/Applications/[CHOSEN APPLICATION]/Contents/MacOS/2

It then makes a copy itself in the following location:
/Applications/[CHOSEN APPLICATION]/Contents/MacOS/1

Some virus.

Instances found in the wild: 0-49 (meaning, they probably have not seen it at all)

First you're going to have to put in your password to allow it to install.

And then once installed, a user is going to have to tell it which application to use and which port ... and in the terminal... before it will do anything

The users with enough knowledge to put in all that info, know better.
The ones that don't know any better, well, they won't have a clue what to do once the terminal is opened.

LOL

surfmac, you work for Symantec or what?

 

[cwa107]

Some virus.

Instances found in the wild: 0-49 (meaning, they probably have not seen it at all)

First you're going to have to put in your password to allow it to install.

And then once installed, a user is going to have to tell it which application to use and which port ... and in the terminal... before it will do anything

The users with enough knowledge to put in all that info, know better.
The ones that don't know any better, well, they won't have a clue what to do once the terminal is opened.

LOL

surfmac, you work for Symantec or what?

And again... there is a severe terminology problem here. A trojan and a virus are two very different things. People need to understand this as any idiot can write a trojan, a virus is far more complex and menacing.

 

[cwa107]

I ran a scan using Norton anti-virus and it has just stalled. Is there something wrong with my mac?

Yes. You installed a Symantec product on it.

Seriously, you don't need it and Symantec's products are notoriously fickle. If you strongly feel the need to run an anti-virus product, check out Intego Virusbarrier X5.

Just note that these and all other Mac anti-virus products do nothing, other than to scan for Windows viruses that don't actually impact your Mac in anyway

 

[DaveySch]

i was reading through this thread and just realised its from 2005!! i was feeling very good about mac not having any viruses, but does that still count 4 years later????

 

[bobtomay]

Nope, still not a single virus in the wild that will run on OS X.

There are a couple of trojans out there. And for those, just don't be putting your password in to install something from a site that you shouldn't be trusting to start with.

 

[zongamin]

I recently changed from using ClamXav to Intego Virus Barrier (its in the macupdate bundle which I was getting anyway).

Compared to Clam its far quicker to scan, provides 'live' protection and doesn't impact performance on my G5 at all.

I was previously using the folder sentry option in Clam to scan everything I downloaded to my downloads folder - this was very slow and would often eat 100% CPU or crash.

Of course it hasn't found anything but as I have to transfer files from mac to PC regularly at least I can be confident that my mac isn't a 'carrier'.

With the firewall on, Little Snitch monitoring any outgoing connections and x5 checking for viruses I think I'm pretty safe. On top of this there is my router, and Firefox with No Script and Adblock Plus so I think I'm ok!

All of this could prove useless if you launch programs you don't trust and enter your admin password without thinking.

 

[colleenAZ]

Anyone use or have any experience with Doorstop X ?

 

[trapeze]

A previous poster asked a question about Limewire being a possible weakness for a Mac and I didn't see anyone answer it.

Anyone?

Is Limewire a vulnerability?

 

[cwa107]

A previous poster asked a question about Limewire being a possible weakness for a Mac and I didn't see anyone answer it.

Anyone?

Is Limewire a vulnerability?

Limewire and P2P clients like it, open up holes in the firewall to allow for the sharing of files. So, in essence, instead of being reliant solely on OS X for security, you are now also trusting Limewire to be a secure avenue for file sharing.

Personally, I'd avoid Limewire like the plague it is. It's policed heavily by both the RIAA and MPAA and is mostly a haven for junk. In Windows, it even goes so far as to alter the TCP/IP stack for its own purposes - and this alteration doesn't revert back to defaults after it's been uninstalled. I don't know how the OS X client works as I've never used it, but I'd imagine it's just as bad.

 

[APL]

What about torrents? And i have read threw this post and didn't really see a favorite virus/spyware program?