Apple tells Mac users: Get anti-virus

[Hatter The Mad]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/02/apple_mac_av_advice/

 

[NickK]

Yup BBC news even:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7760344.stm

Cha-ching - I bet the anti-virus companies are falling over themselves with this new revenue stream!

Only thing is anti-virus on the PC often result in replacing bits of the OS or using odd behaviour. In addition the OSX release cycle may mean that 'pay-for' updates are costly..

 

[MikeHunt79]

Hmm, I have no AV on my PC or Mac, and have had no problems... I do the occasional full scan but that's it!

 

[Ross1234]

Thats one less argument for the mac brigade then

 

[deadite66]

lol

 

[Maccy]

Tried Avast and it's rubbish, just keeps crashing during a scan.

 

[MikeHunt79]

Does anyone use a Firewall also? I find "Little Snitch" pretty good...

 

[Maccy]

Still using nothing, any advantages to it?

 

[Curunen]

It was only a matter of time.

 

[Craig321]

What's that? Macs need an anti virus now?



Oop, looks like PCs can game as well

 

[Ross1234]

Does anyone use a Firewall also? I find "Little Snitch" pretty good...

Does it not work the same way as Ubuntu in that no ports are open by default so there is no need for a firewall? Something to do with IP tables or something.

 

[joey1211]

But recommending the installation of multiple avs is surely asking for trouble.

 

[Ross1234]

But recommending the installation of multiple avs is surely asking for trouble.

Yeh I took it as installing an AV, an anti spyware and so on, not multiple AV's

 

[Slogan]

The news isn't necessarily bad, just a sign of the growing marketshare and increased usage of the platform. The Microsoft boys will laugh but it's becoming popular enough to warrant making viruses for.

As with Windows, with level-headed usage, picking up viruses and spyware is a difficult thing to do. Using anti-virus on both platforms may be advised to save hassle but it's not essential for running your computer securely in my opinion.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I'll never run an Anti-Virus on my Mac. I'm just too alpha.

 

[Slogan]

I'll never run an Anti-Virus on my Mac. I'm just too alpha.

Not if Apple bundle it into the software which I could see them doing far, far in the distant future when there might actually be a problem or issue with viruses on Macs.

Would probably work quite well with Software Update.

 

[Spyhop]

Does anyone use a Firewall also? I find "Little Snitch" pretty good...

Little Snitch is good, but it's only an outgoing firewall. That and the built in Leopard firewall (incoming) are a nice combo to fully control all connections.

I'd wager that most people who have a clue about what they're doing don't even use AV on their Windows PC - and have zero viruses. So this is a massive non issue to me.

 

[geekyEd]

yup no anti virus on either, dont browse much on the pc you see.

 

[Spyhop]

Even if you did, you have to be a n00b or extremely unlucky (passive software vulnerability - same applies to every OS) to get a virus on Windows these days.

 

[AJUK]

Is it 1st April. What a strange statement to make, I am still yet to be convinced of the need on a Mac platform. Perhaps the new iVirus software is in the pipeline from Cupertino.