antivrus/spyware for macbook

JacksonHeightsOwn

any suggestions?

ive done the obvious google search, but i wouldnt trust anything up there ,

so any help would be great

Sad Professor

Anti-virus on the Mac isn't necessary at the moment, but some people like to use it anyway either to protect Windows computers on their network or for the placebo effect.

The doomsayers, however, will tell you that the Mac Virus Apocalypse is about to befall us smug Mac users any day now. They've been saying the same thing for the last 20 years, but I'm sure they'll be right one of these days.

Anyway, I don't use them myself but iAntiVirus and CalmXAV are popular. Avoid the paid ones such as Norton, McAfee, etc at all costs. They will do more damage to your Mac than any actual virus.

deckstunt

I don't use an antivirus. But if I'm downloading an app from an unknown developer, I use VirusTotal website. They will scan your file with about 40 different antivirus apps (including clamAV). It gives some peace of mind.

Another tactic is to download Softpedia's version of an app. As part of their reviews they scan for malware.

JacksonHeightsOwn

i dont even download anything on my laptop, but whats happening is people in my contacts are getting dodgy emails from my account, so i was thinking i must have some form of spyware or virus

any other ideas?

Sad Professor

chrisbonnie wrote: »

i dont even download anything on my laptop, but whats happening is people in my contacts are getting dodgy emails from my account, so i was thinking i must have some form of spyware or virus

It's extremely unlikely to be a virus/spyware. Check your email account's webmail and make sure it hasn't been hacked. Have a look in your sent box, etc. Probably a good idea to change your password as well.

maccored

chrisbonnie wrote: »

i dont even download anything on my laptop, but whats happening is people in my contacts are getting dodgy emails from my account, so i was thinking i must have some form of spyware or virus

any other ideas?

if your email address is out in the internet, it can easily be used as a mail address that spam etc is sent out in the name of. the best way is disable the email account for a few weeks until it dies down. if the spammers think your email account is dead (due to the bounces they'll be getting) they'll probably knock you off the list.

Liameter

Sad Professor wrote: »

It's extremely unlikely to be a virus/spyware.

I'll go further than that. It's impossible because there isn't currently anything that can do that in OSX.

Best solution is to change your email address each year.

conor.hogan.2

Oh I wouldnt be so sure of that.

http://www.brunerd.com/blog/2009/03/30/tearing-apart-osxrsplug-f/

A mac is not magic. That said I dont have an AV for mine. Never mind the sham of a browser that is safari when it comes to security holes.

Johnmb

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Oh I wouldnt be so sure of that.

http://www.brunerd.com/blog/2009/03/30/tearing-apart-osxrsplug-f/

A mac is not magic. That said I dont have an AV for mine. Never mind the sham of a browser that is safari when it comes to security holes.

That wouldn't be responsible for the problem the OP is having.

Liameter

Hmm...

"It's me, the guy silly enough in 2005 to promote the $25,000 virus challenge.
Here is the iron-clad irrefutable statement:

No malware of any kind can be injected over a network connection into a modern Mac OS X computer that is running in its factory shipped configuration without the user specifically enabling it to happen by ignoring and overriding the Mac's efforts to stop them from doing so. Period. It is impossible. Not 'difficult,' not 'tricky,' not 'not done so far because of low market share.' Just technologically impossible.

That's just a flat fact, not open to disagreement or counterpoint. And, it drives many hard core Windows advocates into an emotional frenzy.

If it were not potentially illegal to do so under an ambiguously written federal law, I would instantly offer the $25,000 again today to prove that statement wrong.

Jack Campbell, Hendersonville"

Nobody won the $25,000. (Quite a few tried.)
So ALL the "exploits" for OSX, past, present and future, rely on user stupidity like "Download this CODEC so you can watch naked ladies."

conor.hogan.2

Yes as do a high percentage of windows problems, although most is down to actual security holes.

Plus its not immune. Plus why is Safari constantly exploited in pwn2own, those exploits added to an osx exploit which will come sooner or later will ruin hoards of unsuspecting mac owners.

http://pingpond.com/safari-macbook-first-to-fall-at-pwn2own-2011-881826.htm - 2011 ie 6 years after 2005 a lot changes in 6 years.

Also Apple is sending out lion previews to security experts to check it, just to be sure. Point is its not intrinsically magically secure.

Liameter

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

...which will come sooner or later will ruin hoards of unsuspecting mac owners.

People have been saying this since OSX came out over a decade ago. We're still waiting.

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
Alice in Wonderland.

Talisman

This the fourth successive year that Chrome didn't get hacked so the weaknesses exploited in Safari are not due to the WebKit engine.

In recent years Safari has been the first to fall at that event. The likes of Charlie Miller made a name for themselves with their exploits. The good thing about the likes of Pwn2Own is that it encourages 'researchers' to find exploits in the software, but there is only one prize. Whoever exploits the software first gets the glory and the money. However just because it was the fastest does not necessarily mean it's the biggest, or best exploit. The other contestants are under no obligation to reveal their exploit so there is nothing to stop a disgruntled individual from unleashing it on the world.

This is a funny look at Pwn2Own:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d8dHXGgv8Y

conor.hogan.2

Ignorance is bliss.

An actual hole in osx proper might come, maybe not. But the major holes in Safari (and other browsers), in Java, in Flash and other third party software is there now.

No dont get me wrong, there has been no serious issue in 10 years. But saying it is "impossible" is ridiculous.

I could be wrong but from what ive read from pwn2own the exploits used are not to be released or talked about until they are patched. But that might just be the winner or not at all im not certain.

In 2011 the vulnerability was in webkit but there was a reason Safari was chosen as it was obviously easier/better to leverage it as opposed to chrome - google even offered an extra 5000 to be exploited.

Sad Professor

As usual this thread has gone way off-topic with everyone ignoring the most likely cause of the OP's problem: his email account getting hacked. Instead of worrying about Mac viruses that don't exist yet, this is something that people should be concerned about. Hacking into an email account is made incredibly easy due to the fact that most people use the same password for everything.

conor.hogan.2

The thread starts about virus/antivirus for the mac. In the second post the op brought up the reason he wants AV.

Although its mainly uncalled for as it was likely the guessing of your security answer, or using a common bad password etc which had nothing to do with the os most likely.

Or your account could be fine and it appears the mails are coming from your address when they are actually coming from a different address.