Running on OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard).

Software updates are set to check daily. Firewall is turned on.

It just doesn’t quite sit right to have no security or anti-virus on it, is it really ok not to?

That’s what Dirty Shirley says to all her friends….

I’ve got avast running mine, get the odd report of viruses etc on websites. So, probably worth having. Although Apple OS is a bit like having a virus anyway.

Maybe use little snitch (I don’t bother) used macs for years, no issues, no antivirus.
Get sent the odd .exe files for pc’s if for some reason you click ‘open’ then text edit will open them and show a load of gobbledygook.
Would download and run applejack though as its useful ( run after every update and software install)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=mac+virus

Although Apple OS is a bit like having a virus anyway.

❓

Nope but they do sell an antivirus software
But don’t need any at the moment

Although Apple OS is a bit like having a virus anyway.

There’s more than one operating system, never in the world

No anti virus here for years on OS X and no complaints. I wouldn’t bother unless you read about an increase on issues becoming more common in future.

Although Apple OS Windows Vista is a bit like having a virus anyway.

FTFY 🙄
The only real issue was a Worm that infected Macs running OS9 back in the late ’90’s, which was transmitted via Photoshop files.
There have been many attempts by the Hacker fraternity to prove that OSX is vulnerable, but all their exploits involve having physical access to the machine.
AFAIAA, the issue is down to the way OSX handles attachments; you are asked every time if you actually want to open the attachment in question. If it’s something that’s iffy-looking, and you still give permission, then you’re pwned.
To be fair, Windows 7/8 are very much better regarding this sort of thing; I remember reading a review of Vista by a Windows expert who said it should be shipped with a virus warning on the box… 😯

I remember reading a review of Vista by a Windows expert who said it should be shipped with a virus warning on the box…

Curious – I’ve had Vista64 pretty much since its inception (last PC I bought was probably two months after Vista came out). Never had a virus or malware. Ran Sophos Enterprise whilst I still worked at a uni, and had MSE ever since Sophos’ license expired. Sure, it’s a bit long in the tooth by now, but that’s not virus related, it’s old PC related and newer software requiring a lot more grunt.

Echo what has been said. Used macs for over 20 years. One worm virus in that time

For what I know this is the only Virus around but its the user that gets conned in actually
installing it on there Mac. Just stay clear of it.
Mac Defender

Been running macs/unix for some time without AV. And so long as you don’t authorize something to install you’re fine.

They work on the basis that a true tech *should* set a windows machine up in that the user you log in with doesn’t have direct admin rights so has to request admin rights to change anything important. That way you would spot your machine asking to install some weird virus and not authorize it sudo access.

Install sophos or one of the others recommended here. Disable java if you do not need it.

Macs not needing AV is fanboi propaganda. Yes you may get away with no AV and have a greater chance of getting away with it than a windows system as there is more malicious code aimed at windows.

Ether way, remember this – the best AV protection out there is the user. No AV system offers 100% protection.

Edit – the above suggestion to create a separate accounts is a great idea as it guards against the users. If this is a family PC setup everyone with no admin rights, create an admin account and use it for admin only.

Have been on macs for 10 years. Family members set up with separate accounts with no admin rights. Never had any issues. My work windows laptop is a POS but of course that may be our IT monkeys setting it up wrong…

They work on the basis that a true tech *should* set a windows machine up in that the user you log in with doesn’t have direct admin rights so has to request admin rights to change anything important.

Admin rights are a bit of a red herring really. Without admin a trojan horse or virus can connect to the internet, read or delete all your important files, run any old bit of code that it likes. Windows 7 has annoying default levels of asking for admin passwords every time you sneeze, so viruses will not bother doing things that need admin because they don’t always need to. Getting admin on a big multiuser computer is an achievement that is useful, but realistically all a virus wants is to send spam emails from your computer, or in the worst case to delete files.

Windows has more stupid users that when presented with a box saying ‘this random thing you got off the internet might be full of viruses’, will just click to run anyway. It also has more different bits of software that might be broken and allow a virus to get in without displaying the stupid message above. The risk with macs I guess is that if safari or the mac email client or something gets badly hacked, it could affect 99% of users, whereas if one web browser gets hacked on pc, that would only risk some users.

Most important things on any computer are not to open dodgy websites, and not to go to dodgy links that people post on your facebook or email you.

Saying what has (or rather hasn’t) happened in the past makes no sense. The reason nobody wrote viruses for Macs in the past was because there wasn’t any point. Now they are a huge company and doing things people object to, they are a target. You’d be stupid not to protect your computer.

http://www.webpronews.com/flashback-botnet-infects-over-half-a-million-macs-2012-04

while we are on a mac thread: a neighbour has binned a iBook G4. is it any good for anything eg a home server or media hub? id need to buy a psu and fix the knacked screen…if it boots up…

realistically all a virus wants is to send spam emails from your computer, or in the worst case to delete files

…or log keystrokes.

but realistically all a virus wants is to send spam emails from your computer, or in the worst case to delete files.

Sorry Joe but that’s simply not true at all. The vast majority of malware nowadays is aimed at either controling your computer for potential use in a botnet, financial gain of many vectors such as harvesting credential information or pure identity theft.

There is a massive (and very profitable) underground industry dedicated to developing more and more advanced types of malware who’s sole aim is financial reward.

Saying what has (or rather hasn’t) happened in the past makes no sense

From a Windows perspective, I’d concur.

1) Most of the propaganda may be true of XP and older, but NT6 core OSes are a different animal. It’s simply disingenuous to tar current Windows systems with the same brush as a ten year old OS.

2) The vast majority of infections these days are exploits in third party applications (Flash and Java predominantly) and not the core OS. The other big security flaw is the user; if people intentionally bypass security by allowing malicious software to run, there’s not a lot you can do about that.

A bit of common sense goes a long way. The last virus I was affected by was on Windows 95 and I can’t remember the last time I got an alert from MSE; it’s in the order of years. If you habitually torrent cracked software and surf dodgy porn sites, ultimately you’ve only yourself to blame when something goes wrong.

3) There are of course considerably more hostile programs aimed at Windows. This isn’t because OSX is inherently more secure, but a simple economy of scale. PCs outnumber Macs ten to one, if you’re a virus writer then which platform are you going to target to reach the largest audience? And arguably, which platform is likely to have the most non-technical users who are going to be fooled by scam emails?

Wot Cougar sez.
Particularly point 2.

Sorry, I forgot to get to the actual point, which was answering the question.

I’m starting to think that AV is becoming unnecessary on Windows systems, let alone Macs, if you practice safe computing. I can’t quite bring myself to have the courage of my convictions and uninstall MSE just yet though. (-:

For Macs it’s about acceptable risk; if you’re happy that you’re not going to be taken in by hoaxes or install dodgy software then AV is probably unnecessary. If you can’t say this about the machine’s user(s) then it’s suddenly a lot more important. For all practical purposes the biggest security risk is probably PEBKAC.

Cheers everyone. Whilst we’re quite confident in keeping a check on anything inappropriate, the kids probably aren’t savvy enough to know when not to open emails and so on. Last time we tried having a separate login for the kids but with shared access to iTunes and iPhoto it really cocked the whole thing up, so we reverted to just one. Maybe I’ll just get some software.

Surely the most effective way to protect your mac is not running is as an admin user as a matter of course, then your log in can’t run new software, unless you type in the admin password. I was always taught it was bad form to run UNIX systems as a root user anyway – it’s what SUDO is for.

I’m starting to think that AV is becoming unnecessary on Windows systems

Win 8 has windows defender built in (same as MSE in win 8 ) so I haven’t bothered with any other AV soft for it

There are other routes for malware:

Shylock banking malware spreads via Skype – Hacking News
http://thehackernews.com/2013/01/shylock-banking-malware-spreads-via.html?m=1

A large number of victims in the UK, apparently.

Win 8 has windows defender built in (same as MSE in win 8 )

Yeah. Windows Defender in W8 is pretty much the same product as MSE (unlike Windows Defender in W7). Quite why they have two separate product lines here I’ve no idea; I can only assume they’ll merge at some point.

I’m also somewhat surprised that we’re not seeing an IE-style antitrust case over it, but that’s a whole other conversation. (-: