| [Beginner] antivirus Hi
Is it advisable to install antivirus on a mac ? or do macs still get away without it ? and if needed whats recommended
Thanks in advance
Alberto |
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 lordpufferComfortably NumbPremium
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| It seems that there are 2 schools of thought. Some run an AV, some don't. I run Sophos Free on both of my iMacs. I want to be safe and covered just in case. It updates by itself in the background and runs great:
»www.sophos.com/en-us/products/fr···ion.aspx |
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 Coma Thanks StevePremium
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand | reply to cshore
said by cshore : . . . whats recommended
I sometimes use ClamXav. It uses the very popular ClamAV open source antivirus engine as a back end and has the ability to detect both Windows and Mac threats.
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 skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2 | reply to cshore
I only run AV (Intego X6, the 2013 version sucks) on machines I use for business and only so that I don't forward any infected attachments to Windows users. Otherwise I just turn off Java runtime in my browsers and use some common sense. |
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| reply to cshore
said by cshore :Hi
Is it advisable to install antivirus on a mac ? or do macs still get away without it ? and if needed whats recommended
Thanks in advance
Alberto
Not needed...at all.
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 dellsweigExtreme AerobaticsPremium,MVM
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Campbell Hall, NY
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said by cshore :Hi
Is it advisable to install antivirus on a mac ? or do macs still get away without it ? and if needed whats recommended
Thanks in advance
Alberto
As long as you keep you Mac up to day with patches - especially third party stuff like Java and Flash (known offenders) and make sure your basic perimiter defense is in place (home router SPI firewall with MINIMAL or NO ports open)
then
you will be safe without running AV.
I have never been a fan of free AV products (with the exceptions of MSE) on Windows based platforms. Its hit or miss in that arena.
Malware authors target the masses and that means Microsoft products - and now Android to some extent. The vulerabilities they target are usually add-ons like flash or java or web browser/email bugs. The main reason these are so successful on Microsoft platforms it the lack of Kernel security - actually the Windows GUI runs at the same priority as the internals so its actually pretty easy to control a Windows machine.
Unix and Linux varients (IOS is UNIX) have been harder to crack due to the natural layering of the system. Even if a piece of malware can run due to a Java exploit - it still runs in that users space and will have a hard time getting to a place where it can do damage.
Enjoy the power of your new MAC - dont bog it down with un-needed spoftware
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 MikePremium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
kudos:1 | reply to cshore
Haven't ran an av for over a decade. You'll be fine. |
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| Thank you all for the replies. It looks like no AV is the way to go |
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| reply to cshore
I agree..
NEVER had a Viri, not since Mac OS 8 days.....
I too occasionally run ( the free) ClamXav...just for peace of mind |
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 SebehkXBL SebehkPremium
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Chula Vista, CA
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| reply to Mike
said by Mike:Haven't ran an av for over a decade. You'll be fine.
Ditto.
Last time I used one was around 2004. Paid for McAfee Virex. After a year of no detection of malware and the expiration of McAfee "support", they wanted me to pay full price for another year of "support". I said good-bye to anti-virus software.
The really last time I ever got a virus was around 1998, the Sevendust virus. After inoculation, never again an infection on the various Macs I have own through the years.
--->Robert
8-)
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