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Anti Virus

  • 20-10-2008 11:03am
    #1
    davychase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭


    This may come across as a stupid question but i am a mac virgin and just purchased the basic macbook on the apple site. Bought the 4gb ram package from crucial so looking forward to receiving them this week.
    Anyway, whats the story with virus and spyware/malware protection with macs. Do they require anti virus software and firewalls?
    For instance, I have McAfee virus protection and firewall on my pc and run regular scans with Ad Aware. Will I need the same programmes on my mac?


Comments

  • #2
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    A lot of those applications don't even exist for Mac OS X. Have a look at this thread for some suggestions:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055351400

    As to whether you need an AV solution or not, it depends on your own views - you'll see both sides of the story in the thread I linked to. I don't think it's as quite as necessary as it on Windows, at least yet, but you should always exercise common sense (avoid opening email attachments you don't recognize, "dodgy" looking executables, etc).

    Another thing to consider is if you use files from your Mac on a PC a lot, you could unwillingly infect the Windows system even though your Mac is completely unaffected (as it would be by Windows-based viruses, trojans, etc).


  • #3
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,693 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Yeah, there are anti-virus apps available for the mac but they mostly scan for windows viruses. I've never used nor needed one and I've been using Macs for about 13 years now. Ditto for malware. It may change in the future but at the moment the virus threat on the Mac is practically zero.

    But if you still want to get one make sure it's free.

    And OSX has a built in firewall, you'll find it in System Prefs > Security.


  • #4
    davychase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭davychase


    Appreciate it. I'd be careful enough about what i download but i suppose it'd be no harm to have some sort of free software on it. Just looking forward to the knock from the courier now.


  • #5
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    /OT: McAfee makes baby jesus cry.


  • #6
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    Sean_K wrote: »
    /OT: McAfee makes baby jesus cry.

    So does Norton TBH - probably the two biggest pieces of crapware in existence today...


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  • #7
    ZENER
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,163 ✭✭✭ZENER


    J-blk wrote: »
    So does Norton TBH - probably the two biggest pieces of crapware in existence today...

    Amen brother !! :cool:

    ZEN


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