Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Summary: Security form Sophos has introduced the world's first business-strength anti-virus program for Mac users - and it's completely free for home consumers What's the catch? There isn't one!
Security form Sophos has introduced the world's first business-strength anti-virus program for Mac users - and it's completely free for home consumers!
Gallery: Sophos' Mac antivirus in actionWhat's the catch? There isn't one! Here's what Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, had to say:
[poll id="569"]That means your home Macs can be protected automatically in-the-background with the latest anti-virus protection, checking every program you run, every file you download, every USB stick you insert, completely free. Is there a catch you're wondering? Well, nope! There isn't!
Why do you need an anti-virus scanner for the Mac OS, after all, isn't Mac OS immune to malware?
Think again!
Here are just a few examples of the threats that face Mac users.
Fake websites masquerading as legitimate sites:
Sexy video lures:
Hacked Twitter accounts (for example, former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki):
[poll id="570"]Download Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition for Mac.
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Talkback
Any conditions on using this in a school?
the usual FUD from zdnet
let's have a look:
- the free anti-virus detects a windows virus within a file that can't damage your mac (still: there are NO viruses and worms for the mac, NO as in zero), sure it would be nice to detect the windows virus before you send the file to your windows suffering friends
- the other videos?
it detects trojans!!! (programms that pretend to be something else). shocker!
news flash: trojans for the mac have been around forever and trojans are a minuscule percentage of threats on the internet because (unlike viruses and worms) they can't spread automatically but have to single handily installed by the user himself, as always don't install programms from sources you can't trust.
so let me get this straight again: an antivirus company wants to give you an antivirus programm for free (like a drug dealer - first shot is free and wants to sell you a paid version with "pro" features down the road) and puts some scary videos on the internet that state exactly what has been the case for about a decade now: no viruses and worms for the mac (remember the stuxnet virus is a windows only virus that can't damage your mac), but there are a few trojans (at last account a few dozen).
so no, you still don't need antivirus software on a mac if you stay clear of a few suspicious programms from dark corners of the internet and yes, the usual pundits on zdnet don't give you some backround information, because they are lazy and uninformed or rather want to spread some FUD.
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Do you have students or teenage kids?
If yes - you know that telling them to stay-away it tatamount to telling "go here - cool stuff!"....
He said he has already seen it on the student computers - lets not get into the "don't need" bobiroc is well past that.
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Most Vulnerable Operating Systems
X-Force tracks vulnerabilities by platform and has produced metrics this year
to show the operating systems with the most disclosed vulnerabilities. The
following chart shows the operating systems with the most vulnerabilities
documented in 2008. The top ten operating systems account for nearly 75% of
all vulnerability disclosures affecting operating systems.
Operating System Percentage
Apple Mac OS X Server
Apple Mac OS X
Linux Kernel
Sun Solaris
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows 2008
IBM AIX
Others
14.3%
14.3%
10.9%
7.3%
5.5%
5.2%
5.1%
4.8%
4.1%
3.7%
24.9%
Table 7: Operating Systems with the Most Vulnerability Disclosures, 2008
Several operating systems have remained in the top five list over the past three years:
? Apple Mac OS X
? Apple Mac OS X Server
? Linux Kernel
? Microsoft Windows XP (with one exception in 2007)
X-Force? 2008 Trend & Risk Report
Page 40
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Most Vulnerable Operating Systems
X-Force tracks vulnerabilities by platform and has produced metrics this year
to show the operating systems with the most disclosed vulnerabilities. The
following chart shows the operating systems with the most vulnerabilities
documented in 2008. The top ten operating systems account for nearly 75% of
all vulnerability disclosures affecting operating systems.
Operating System Percentage
Apple Mac OS X Server 14.30%
Apple Mac OS X 14.30%
Linux Kernel 10.90%
Sun Solaris 7.30%
Microsoft Windows XP 5.50%
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server 5.20%
Microsoft Windows Vista 5.10%
Microsoft Windows 2000 4.80%
Microsoft Windows 2008 4.10%
IBM AIX 3.70%
Others 24.90%
Table 7: Operating Systems with the Most Vulnerability Disclosures, 2008
Several operating systems have remained in the top five list over the past three years:
? Apple Mac OS X
? Apple Mac OS X Server
? Linux Kernel
? Microsoft Windows XP (with one exception in 2007)
X-Force? 2008 Trend & Risk Report
Page 40
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Most Vulnerable Operating Systems
X-Force tracks vulnerabilities by platform and has produced metrics this year
to show the operating systems with the most disclosed vulnerabilities. The
following chart shows the operating systems with the most vulnerabilities
documented in 2008. The top ten operating systems account for nearly 75% of
all vulnerability disclosures affecting operating systems.
Operating System Percentage
Apple Mac OS X Server 14.30%
Apple Mac OS X 14.30%
Linux Kernel 10.90%
Sun Solaris 7.30%
Microsoft Windows XP 5.50%
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server 5.20%
Microsoft Windows Vista 5.10%
Microsoft Windows 2000 4.80%
Microsoft Windows 2008 4.10%
IBM AIX 3.70%
Others 24.90%
X-Force? 2008 Trend & Risk Report
Page 40
Wrong.
http://news.techworld.com/security/5392/worlds-first-os-x-virus-hits-apple/
Looks like you are wrong.
Hilarious!
Mr. Cluley admonishes about the need for Mac users not to stick their heads in the sand re security, and right on cue....
If you think a virus is defined by not requiring user interaction, you don't know what a virus is. If your restrictive definition of "virus" is accepted, it could just as easily be said that true viruses are rare for Windows as well.
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
You really should be banned for offering a screwed up answer, even if it's a joke. This was a joke wasn't it??
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
"you still don't need antivirus software on a mac if you stay clear of a few suspicious programms from dark corners of the internet"
This holds true for any computer...
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
I would recommend calling the company and ask.
That may open another "free" use for folks....
I'll pass for now.
The advice is don't install codecs from porn sites, gaming sites, or anything else other than trusted sources.
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
The same pretty much goes for Windows these days. Avoid questionable internet sources, do not download music, movies, applications from illegal/questionable sources such as P2P/BitTorrent, and browse safely recognizing phishing and security scams and avoid the porn.
The infections may be rare (for now) but has the potential to grow as Macs and MacOS gains popularity and usage and becomes a more appealing target. Better safe than sorry.
um, not really
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
don't let your guard down .Prevention is better than cure
So basically...
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Thats the general attitude. I have seen the same attitude amongst some PC users and even IT/Network Managers. I have a couple friends that refuse to put Security Software on their Gaming machines that are connected to the internet because they claim it eats up valuable resources. I also know a Network Manager for a School District that is in my area that does not put security/antivirus software on any of his servers for the same reason because it uses resources. Even after getting infected they still refuse to protect themselves. Stupid is as Stupid does as they say.
NO viruses
RE: Free anti-virus for your Mac - And why you need it!
Windows without AV software is like unprotected sex with a hooker. A Mac without AV software is like unprotected sex with your wife...
Because there will never be a Virus for OSX, right?
Then again, OSX is fading into obscurity again. Maybe that'll make sure that nobody targets it.