While I understand that there are no viruses for Mac, I have to work with a Windows network on campus, and I do not want to pass one something. Also, ClamXAV once found something on my Macbook which Malwarebytes did not.
If you're not forwarding email with questionable attachments you've received, it's highly unlikely you could pass any malware to a Windows machine.
Read here - then make a decision.
Of course, if it is the campus "policy' that every computer must have an A/V software, that's another matter - and sorry, I am unable to make a suggestion since I've never run any of them on a Mac. I would stay away from Norton, McAfee and Avast (since they have had this habit of installing 3rd party junk with their app) and might look at Sophos, Eset, BitDefender & Kaspersky. But then, since your concern is passing on a Windows nasty (for which every Windows machine should have it's own A/V and not your responsibility to protect them) you'll need to see if the software scans only for OS X nasties or includes scanning for Windows nasties. If you get any of the apps that include scanning for Windows, would be willing to wager that you're going to see a negative impact on your computer.
However, there are some cases where AV software can be a good idea, or even a requirement. For example:
- If you need to use older software containing known vulnerabilities, such as older versions of Java or Flash, or old versions of Mac OS X (such as Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard).
- If you are using a Mac in an environment where AV software is required inflexibly
- If you frequently trade files with Windows users and don’t want to be accused of passing on a Windows virus
- If there is a major change in the malware affecting Mac users (in which case I will note it here)
I am perfectly willing to buy ClamXAV, but their credit card system keeps rejecting my card for no reason. It is frustrating. Is there another software that does what CamXAV does for my Macbook Pro?
While I understand that there are no viruses for Mac, I have to work with a Windows network on campus, and I do not want to pass one something.
Since Windows malware is inactive on a Mac, and it tends to be easy to spot (usually it shows up as a spammy e-mail attachment) it is very difficult for a Mac user to pass malware on to a Windows user. You practically would have to do so on purpose.
Even if you have a Macintosh anti-virus (AV) program installed, Macintosh AV programs only look for a small sub-set of Windows malware, so it is a foolhardy endeavor to try and protect Windows users from malware using a Mac AV program. Windows users need to protect themselves with meticulously updated AV software for Windows. There is no good reason why Mac users need to be using AV software to protect Windows users.