Anti-spyware and anti-adware please

I didn't know quite where in the Apple forum to post these questions:
Does the firewall protection available with OS X provide protection against spyware and adware? If not can anyone please advise which software should be used in order to identify and delete spyware from the harddrive. Many times I have opened sites and a number of ad windows pop up. I do keep up with the security updates. I have searched the internet but am not sure if I should be downloading any of the softwares available. If anyone has any experience with these softwares please advise.
I have definitely received "phishing" e-mails I've immediately passed on to the proper authorities, of course, I have never answered them as this would have been for sure the way to get your private information stolen. In any case there still remains the possibility of spyware installed in my computer and I would like to be able to check and eliminate such software should it indeed be there.
Thanks
Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Don,
A firewall can't and won't protect you from your own actions. Don't get me wrong: Enable it and configure it properly.
If you visit skanky, dodgy, questionable, or otherwise unsavory Web sites, you're inviting problems. Especially if you go there with Open "safe" files after downloading checked in your Safari > Preferences >General tab, surf the Web logged into an administrator profile, click the Yes/No box to view content, install viewers (and provide your admin password to do so), use Limewire or other P2P, etc...
There is software that claims to detect spyware, but I haven't tested it or seen the code. Except for Apple's widget updater, I haven't seen much of anything in the way of software for OS X that phones home.
You might want to consider using Little Snitch to identify whether there's any software phoning home.
There are some choices for popup ad blocking in Panther Safari: SafariBlock - modeled on AdBlock for Firefox - and PithHelmet are two good solutions.
As always, YourMileageMayVary.
-Wayne

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Although anti-virus software is not necessary on a Mac, you do need to be aware of what's out there and how to protect yourself against possible new threats. See my Mac Malware Guide.
As for running anti-virus in Windows 7, that's a Windows issue. I personally put AVG Free on the Windows machines used by my family, but I'm no Windows expert. I'm sure different folks here will have different recommendations, and a few of those folks may even be Windows experts! (In other words, that may be a question better suited for other forums where a higher percentage of Windows users hang out.)

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I have recently visited some websites which infected my computer ,
to start off my fire walls was not on which my mistake , then safari had frozen so the massage appeared say i should call a number ( 18555450253) for immediate response which I did and the operator said he is from a protocol security company. he showed me how the firewalls was turned off and told to push and hold the shift button , and then i was able to use the safari browser again . However , he asked me to log on a website ( www.fastsupport.com) , then I downloaded an app there and he was able to use my pc remotely via sharing mode . he showed me how my pc was not secured , then He asked me to pay for anti spyware and another program called sophos anti malware . i do not trust him please help me delete those malware and i have turned on the firewalls.
i took some screens shot for you to have an idea of what i am trying to explain. thanks

That is a COMPLETE SCAM. You were taken.....NEVER respond to that sort of stuff.
I would reinstall OS X from the recovery disk. There is no telling what has been installed.
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Hi,
Following on from what Jay said, SpamAssassin can indeed use a lot of resources if badly managed. This includes using large numbers of rulesets especially if they add very little to the overall score, and simpler things such as not using a local DNS cache. SpamAssassin if tuned well and if your system has a reasonable amount of RAM (2GB or more) can work just fine.
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Hi LaEmperor,
From my experience with different AV softwares, I can say that they continue scanning them as part of the filesystem, despite of being disabled.
I am not sure about your question for the resources, but I´ll give two shots:
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Hi,
Is there any reliable anti-rootkit and anti-keylogger software for OSX ?
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Many thanks!

First, there's no software out there that can reliably detect all possible keyloggers. There are legit keyloggers that won't be detected by everything, for example. If you think that someone malicious has had access to your computer, either physical access or through a back door installed through some other method, then the only reliable response is to erase the hard drive and then reinstall the system and all applications from scratch.
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http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg
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Message Edited by Joanna_M on 03-30-2009 04:02 PM

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Greetings,
Like the OP states ClamX and MacScan, along with Integos stuff is out there. ClamX is free, but the other stuff costs.
I have tested the full versions, as we have purchased them all, and I have a machine unprotected buy a corporate firewall, on a private network/internet access, and I have yet to find a virus or malware in my day to day use. I imaging there are some around, I just haven't seen any legitimate ones.
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IronPort is good stuff, but it is primarily for email. I have not used it's web stuff, but it is likely not as good as WW (for example, can it inspect SSL? Can it cache? Can it do "behavioral analysis").
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Here's an article from March that lists the top anti-keylogger software. http://www.macping.com/top-10-software-that-can-effectively-block-mac-keylogger- programs-on-your-computer/#comments
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Regards.

Anti Virus and Anti Spam

md0221 wrote:
Always desirable to have a cloud spam filter that delivers to your exchange, in my opinion. If your lose internet or exchange goes down, they will sit in a queue until it comes back online to be delivered.
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Nick,
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Malware and Anti-virus

My company has a policy that we can use our personal laptops as long as it has some form of anti-malware and anti-virus software on it.
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Thanks.

No viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions.
It is possible, however, to pass on a Windows virus to another Windows user, for example through an email attachment. To prevent this all you need is the free anti-virus utility ClamXav, which you can download for Tiger and Leopard from (on no account install Norton Anti-Virus on a Mac running OS X):
http://www.clamxav.com/
The new version for Snow Leopard is available here:
http://www.clamxav.com/index.php?page=v2beta
(Note: ClamAV adds a new user group to your Mac. That makes it a little more difficult to remove than some apps. You’ll find an uninstaller link in ClamXav’s FAQ page online.)
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If you allow a Trojan to be installed, the user's DNS records can be modified, redirecting incoming internet traffic through the attacker's servers, where it can be hijacked and injected with malicious websites and pornographic advertisements. The trojan also installs a watchdog process that ensures the victim's (that's you!) DNS records stay modified on a minute-by-minute basis.
You can read more about how, for example, the OSX/DNSChanger Trojan works here:
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojanosxdnschanger.shtml
SecureMac has introduced a free Trojan Detection Tool for Mac OS X. It's available here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/
The DNSChanger Removal Tool detects and removes spyware targeting Mac OS X and allows users to check to see if the trojan has been installed on their computer; if it has, the software helps to identify and remove the offending file. After a system reboot, the users' DNS records will be repaired.
(Note that a 30 day trial version of MacScan can be downloaded free of charge from:
http://macscan.securemac.com/buy/
and this can perform a complete scan of your entire hard disk. After 30 days free trial the cost is $29.99. The full version permits you to scan selected files and folders only, as well as the entire hard disk. It will detect (and delete if you ask it to) all 'tracker cookies' that switch you to web sites you did not want to go to.)
A white paper has recently been published on the subject of Trojans by SubRosaSoft, available here:
http://www.macforensicslab.com/ProductsAndServices/index.php?mainpage=document_general_info&cPath=11&productsid=174
Also, beware of MacSweeper:
MacSweeper is malware that misleads users by exaggerating reports about spyware, adware or viruses on their computer. It is the first known "rogue" application for the Mac OS X operating system. The software was discovered by F-Secure, a Finland based computer security software company on January 17, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacSweeper
On June 23, 2008 this news reached Mac users:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/23/mac_trojan/
More on Trojans on the Mac here:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/63574.html?welcome=1214487119
This was published on July 25, 2008:
Attack code that exploits flaws in the net's addressing system are starting to circulate online, say security experts.
The code could be a boon to phishing gangs who redirect web users to fake bank sites and steal login details.
In light of the news net firms are being urged to apply a fix for the loop-hole before attacks by hi-tech criminals become widespread.
Net security groups say there is anecdotal evidence that small scale attacks are already happening.
Further details here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7525206.stm
A further development was the Koobface malware that can be picked up from Facebook (already a notorious site for malware, like many other 'social networking' sites like Twitter etc), as reported here on December 9, 2008:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7773000/7773340.stm
You can keep up to date, particularly about malware present in some downloadable pirated software, at the Securemac site:
http://www.securemac.com/
There may be other ways of guarding against Trojans, viruses and general malware affecting the Mac, and alternatives will probably appear in the future. In the meantime the advice is: be careful where you go on the web and what you download!
If you think you may have acquired a Trojan, and you know its name, you can also locate it via the Terminal:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/04/24/mac-botnet-how-to-ensure-you-are-not-part-of- the-problem/
As to the recent 'Conficker furore' affecting Intel-powered computers, MacWorld recently had this to say:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?email&NewsID=25613
Although any content that you download has the possibility of containing malicious software, practising a bit of care will generally keep you free from the consequences of anything like the DNSChanger trojan.
1. Avoid going to suspect and untrusted Web sites, especially p'orn'ography sites.
2. Check out what you are downloading. Mac OS X asks you for you administrator password to install applications for a reason! Only download media and applications from well-known and trusted Web sites. If you think you may have downloaded suspicious files, read the installer packages and make sure they are legit. If you cannot determine if the program you downloaded is infected, do a quick Internet search and see if any other users reported issues after installing a particular program. A recent example is of malware distributed through innocent looking free screensavers: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/malware-watch-free-mac-os-x-screensavers-bund led-with-spyware/6560?tag=nl.e589
3. Use an antivirus program like ClamXav. If you are in the habit of downloading a lot of media and other files, it may be well worth your while to run those files through an AV application.
4. Use Mac OS X's built-in Firewalls and other security features.
5. Stop using LimeWire. LimeWire (and other peer-to-peer sharing applications and download torrents) are hotbeds of potential software issues waiting to happen to your Mac. Everything from changing permissions to downloading trojans and other malicious software can be acquired from using these applications. Similar risks apply to using Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and similar sites which are prone to malicious hacking: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8420233.stm
6. Resist the temptation to download pirated software. After the release of iWork '09 earlier this year, a Trojan was discovered circulating in pirated copies of Apple's productivity suite of applications (as well as pirated copies of Adobe's Photoshop CS4). Security professionals now believe that the botnet (from iServices) has become active. Although the potential damage range is projected to be minimal, an estimated 20,000 copies of the Trojan have been downloaded. SecureMac offer a simple and free tool for the removal of the iBotNet Trojan available here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/files/iServicesTrojanRemovalTool.dmg
Also, there is the potential for having your entire email contact list stolen for use for spamming:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/technology/internet/20shortcuts.html?_r=1
NOTE: Snow Leopard, OS 10.6.x, offers additional security to that of previous versions of OS X, but not to the extent that you should ignore the foregoing:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/security/
Apple's 10.6.4 operating system upgrade silently updated the malware protection built into Mac OS X to protect against a backdoor Trojan horse that can allow hackers to gain remote control over your treasured iMac or MacBook.
http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/2010/06/18/apple-secretly-updates
Finally, do not install Norton Anti-Virus on a Mac as it can seriously damage your operating system. Norton Anti-Virus is not compatible with Apple OS X.

Does mac need anti spyware

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No. The best anti-anything you can use on a Mac is common sense.

Anti-Spyware behind router?

Is anti-spyware needed behind an Actiontec router?

liveandlearn wrote:
I only asked if a firewall was necessary behind a Verizon-provided router because two FIOS techs have told me that it usually is not.
Your original question was regarding anti-spyware. Anti-spyware and a firewall are not the same thing.
A firewall prevents access to your network. All inbound ports on the Actiontec are closed by default.
There is really no need to run a software firewall on your PC.
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Anti-spyware and anti-adware please

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