Macbook Pro - Which Anti-Virus?

Ingenious TROLL

Ingenious TROLL

Ingenious TROLL

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Afternoon all,

After a bad experience recently concerning my bank and some fraudulent activity I am obviously somewhat concerned how they've come about accessing my details.

I would consider myself a cautious and careful individual when it comes to internet banking and making online payments but I just can't hazard a guess as to how my details have been filtered.

I am looking to completely format my Mac, install all relevant OX/updates and then put on some decent anti-virus.

Any of you fellow Mac'ers recommend anything? Paid or not, I'll welcome all recommendations alike.

Cheers cheers.
 
visibleman said:
ClamAV, disable 'Sentry' (the auto scan part of it) and run it periodically.
Click to expand...

If you're going on-demand then you may as well install the free Bitdefender app, which has far superior detection to ClamAV.

monkeyspank said:
I don't feel that I am at risk. I am careful about installing stuff and clicking stuff. I have mostly strong, unique passwords. I have a good router.
Click to expand...

Mac users are at risk though, albeit lesser risk than Windows users, especially if running Flash, Java or other widely targeted platform. You can have as secure a router as you like, but one click to a compromised URL and you're toast. Even the BBC has served up cross-platform malware before now, thanks to invisible compromised iframes to users of all operating systems. Not to mention the likes of Flashback. So 'being careful' of what sites you visit just doesn't compute.

Apple's XProtect is only retroactive and doesn't detect many of the currently known in-the-wild malware samples. For the minimal overhead of an AV like Bitdefender (if you don't mind paying) or Avast/Sophos (if you want free) it's not really something you can instantly dismiss any more. If nothing else, the general laissez-faire attitude to security of most Mac users - encouraged by Apple - is more dangerous even than the exploits.

Eset's solution is very light and detects Mac, Windows and Linux malware and isn't much money. Personally I walk the middle ground and just run Bitdefender free on demand every week or so as I only use my MBP for browsing, email etc. However, to say 'I run a Mac so I'm safe' is very much pulling the wool over your own eyes.
 
Sophos and avast are both free... I've used sophos for years in a corporate environments and it's ok. Avast is better at picking up spyware from websites.

TBH I've seen more and more macs getting affected with web hijackers and ad proxies everyday, still no where near as many as windows. At home I don't run anything; as I'm sensible and would force anything that I didn't want of my machine off it, but in a mix (windows/Linux/Mac) environment; it's now a recommendation by Apple to run something, if not for the protection of your Mac but the other machines on the network. :)
 
Last edited:
I use Sophos and have always done for the last 6 years as where I work gives it to us for personal machines that we bring in with us. It's not intrusive at all, and I've never had a single issue.
 
Rainmaker said:
If you're going on-demand then you may as well install the free Bitdefender app, which has far superior detection to ClamAV.



Mac users are at risk though, albeit lesser risk than Windows users, especially if running Flash, Java or other widely targeted platform. You can have as secure a router as you like, but one click to a compromised URL and you're toast. Even the BBC has served up cross-platform malware before now, thanks to invisible compromised iframes to users of all operating systems. Not to mention the likes of Flashback. So 'being careful' of what sites you visit just doesn't compute.

Apple's XProtect is only retroactive and doesn't detect many of the currently known in-the-wild malware samples. For the minimal overhead of an AV like Bitdefender (if you don't mind paying) or Avast/Sophos (if you want free) it's not really something you can instantly dismiss any more. If nothing else, the general laissez-faire attitude to security of most Mac users - encouraged by Apple - is more dangerous even than the exploits.

Eset's solution is very light and detects Mac, Windows and Linux malware and isn't much money. Personally I walk the middle ground and just run Bitdefender free on demand every week or so as I only use my MBP for browsing, email etc. However, to say 'I run a Mac so I'm safe' is very much pulling the wool over your own eyes.
Click to expand...

me personally, on mac AND windows :p
I use windows free Ms security essentials- I have for years and it has never picked up anything.
 
I had some rather large, fraudulent payments made with my bank card recently. Turned out that my card details had been 'skimmed' by a highjacked cashpoint that also had a fancy little pin code stealing camera that a little scallywag had installed. Is it possible that this happened to you?
 
I wanted to know this to as a potential new mac user.

I have used eset nod32 for years on windows and not using AV software if I get a mac will make me feel vulnerable.
Is it really advised not to bother at all?

What if I do banking/online shoping and sorts?

thanks
 
monkeyspank said:
me personally, on mac AND windows :p
I use windows free Ms security essentials- I have for years and it has never picked up anything.
Click to expand...

Not surprising really. MS essentials couldn't detect a rain shower. MS themselves are actively telling consumers not to rely on it and to install third party AV.

Where have you been for the last 18 months or so.
 
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