Author Topic: Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?  (Read 3748 times)

Offline Gary S

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« on: September 30, 2011, 01:32:18 PM »
Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?

If so, which one.

I bought MacKeeper when I bought my iMac and have been Running MacKeeper. I bought MacKeeper and it says it has real time protection.

Thanks in advance.

I just searched here at a thread here at TS for MacKeeper and it didn't have much good to say about it. Just wondering.   Thinking.gif
Gary S

Offline Xairbusdriver

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2011, 02:08:08 PM »
Nothing specifically for virus', since there still haven't been any found in the "wild" for any OS X OS. But it might help to prevent forwarding them to my PC friends.

Software: <ClamXav>, XProtext (10.6 & 7), Firewall enabled, AdBlock, Autofill disabled, 1Password, disable 'Open "safe" files after downloading.'

Brainware: Remote images disabled in Mail, Don't click email links, never trust senders ID.

Personal beware: Never download from unfamiliar sites, use email alias' for new registrations, don't use Facebook/Twitter/social networking sites.

Frankly, I have certain hesitancies in paying a company for 'protecting' me from things they take pride in 'finding.' Seems like it's close to the line of 'conflict of interest.' dntknw.gif I'm both paranoid and cynical! laughhard.gif
« Last Edit: September 30, 2011, 02:11:28 PM by Xairbusdriver »
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline jchuzi

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2011, 02:36:44 PM »
I stopped using virus protection software. When I had OS 9, I got Norton Antivirus and carried it into OS X. I was getting constant kernel panics and removing NAV cured them. Then, I got Intego VirusBarrier (for no particularly good reason except that it wasn't Norton). The first time that I tried to make a Time Machine backup, the process was taking forever. I had to turn off IVB to have it complete in something less than geologic time. Finally, I decided (given the lack of Mac viruses) that AV programs were worse than the (nonexistent) viruses that they purported to cure.

I agree with XABD about Brainware and Personal Beware. There is no substitute for a thinking person sitting on the chair.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2011, 03:43:06 PM by jchuzi »
Jon

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Offline Paddy

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2011, 02:51:51 PM »
Not a lot of happy campers with MacKeeper in the comments following this review:

http://www.applegazette.com/featured-revie...view-mackeeper/

I've not used AV software since OS 9 days (and even then, not in the last few years of OS 9). I do have Clam XAV, but the only time I tried to run it, it looked like it was going to take a few weeks! I gave up. I figure if anything in the wild comes along that we truly need to worry about, we'll all know rather quickly. I have multiple redundant backups, so I'm not particularly concerned. Like Jon & Jim say - there's no substitute for a thinking person in a chair. If you don't know what something is, or it looks at all suspicious, no matter where it came from, don't click/download/open. Google is your friend (well, most of the time, anyway). Look things up if you don't trust them! wink.gif
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Offline kcourt

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2011, 04:17:19 PM »
I have the free app VIRUS BARRIER EXPRESS.  Not sure how effective it is but I run it once in a while.

Kathy flower-smilie.gif

Live simply,
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Leave the rest to God

Offline Xairbusdriver

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2011, 07:42:15 PM »
QUOTE
Not sure how effective it is
It's completely and absolutely effective!!! And. little known to even the "experts," it also prevents elephants from stepping on your lawn, much less entering your house! So, have you ever seen an elephant on your lawn?! I didn't think so...I rest my case! inspect.gif
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline Texas Mac Man

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2011, 08:01:14 AM »
In the 90s I used Norton AV, but don't use any AV with OS X. Don't use Norton AV with OS X as it causes many problems.

Also don't fall for the MacDefender AV scam software http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650
Cheers, Tom

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Offline Jack W

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2011, 09:17:26 AM »
I don't use Norton anything - nada-zilch-zero anymore.

Nor do I use any anti-virus software.

Jack
« Last Edit: October 01, 2011, 09:18:21 AM by Jack W »
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Offline Gary S

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2011, 10:48:54 AM »
Well, version 1.8 is installed on the iMac. I haven't used it much, nor have I had any problems as listed in Paddy's link.

I'm going to try to uninstall it and see what happens. I never used any virus program since OS since system 7, so I doubt I really need it.

I'll see how the uninstall goes.

Thanks

Gary S

Offline Gary S

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2011, 11:17:10 AM »
I uninstalled it with no problems. So I'm out $40.00 for something. happy.gif

I don't think I'll need it!
Gary S

Offline Johanbgoot

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2011, 01:11:45 PM »
I have Sophos (freeware version) installed and it works in the background.  It caught the MacDefender scam before I had heard of it and Apple wrote an update. I also use ClamXav if I download anything I am unsure of.  If I receive an update from say Adobe, I go to their website and download it.  Am I paranoid? No, I'm careful and as they say in French "mieux prévenir que guérir" or " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Johan
Hmmmmm. I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure that what you heard is what I actually meant!

Offline Gary S

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #11 on: October 01, 2011, 01:38:28 PM »
Yes. My iMac doesn't seem to be running any faster but, how can one tell unless your on an older Mac. The Intel i3 processor is pretty fast in itself.

I wish I would have gotten the Intel i7 but I think it was a difference of $200 or $300 bucks and well, times were tight.
Gary S

Offline Raven

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2011, 08:15:06 PM »
I purchased my first Mac in 1995 and use it all the time in my design business. I've thought about using anti-virus software, but never have. Am I being naive?

Yet, today I get this email from appleid@id.apple.com:

Dear (My Name),
Because too many invalid attempts have been made to answer your security questions, we were unable to reset the password for your Apple ID _____. The ability to reset your password has been temporarily disabled to protect the security of your account. You will be able to create a new password in eight hours.
If you believe you have received this email in error, or that an unauthorized person has attempted to access your account, don't worry — your account is still secure and no one has been given access to it.
To review and update your security settings, log into appleid.apple.com >
Thanks,
Apple Customer Support

IS THIS LEGIT? Should I respond or just delete?
« Last Edit: October 11, 2011, 09:44:26 PM by kimmer »
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2011, 09:40:41 PM »
First, I have asked the admin(s) to redact the text you say is your Apple ID. That's really a password and should never be published publicly! eek2.gif

That is their address. It's a secure server, however, so any link you see should show "https://". So, did the links include that? Did you look at the Raw Source of the message (and you were just looking at the text only version, right?). You have Remote Images turned OFF, right?

So far, it seems whoever was attempting to access your account still hasn't been able to come up with your Apple ID.

But you don't need AV software to lose control of your email address, which may be all that's really happened. Anyone you send an email to can have your address in their address book. Anyone running Windows can have their address book 'harvested.' That's one reason to use email aliases; just throw it away if/when it gets stolen.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline kimmer

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Do you use Virus protection on your Mac?
« Reply #14 on: October 11, 2011, 09:45:15 PM »
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Oct 11 2011, 07:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
First, I have asked the admin(s) to redact the text you say is your Apple ID. That's really a password and should never be published publicly! eek2.gif

Done.