Apple security, is it working?

Question

As one of the very many people to have their Apple computer infected with "Mac defender..etc.." malware in the last month I have to ask can we trust Apples claims that their machines are proof to virus attack and that 3rd party security software is unnecessary and that Apples own security systems can deal with all potential threats?
I note that "Mac Defender " has been roaming the net for probably a month now and Apple has come up with nothing other than some advice about how to get it off the machine once on, that may be a bit late for the unsuspecting or naive  first-time mac-owner. I have 25 years experience working daily with PC systems and I am a very cautious Internet user but that program was installed on my Mac before I knew it, literally.
I certainly would not  trust my Mac to do any online financial business and I must say I am concerned that It has taken a credit card number for i-Tunes but at least I have used a dedicated card with a very low credit limit.
I would really like to hear other peoples views on Apple security and their experience's.

Answer 1

As one of the very many people to have their Apple computer infected with "Mac defender..etc.." malware in the last month I have to ask can we trust Apples claims that their machines are proof to virus attack and that 3rd party security software is unnecessary and that Apples own security systems can deal with all potential threats?
I'm not aware that Apple has claimed that the Mac platform is "proof to virus attack," but if it has, the claim has not been disproved. "MacDefender" and its variants are not viruses. A virus is malware that spreads without help from the computer user, and potentially without his or her knowledge. MacDefender is a trojan: malware that the user is tricked into installing by a voluntary act.
I'm also not aware that Apple has taken any position on the need for third-party security software. Whether it has or not, my own position is that such software is unnecessary and unhelpful in nearly all circumstances. All the known malware attacks against the Mac platform are very obvious both before and after the fact. The most effective defense against them is raising the level of computer literacy on the user's part. That's also the only defense against future variants, which will always be a step ahead of any attempt to automate the process of removing them.
Now, if someone handed me a Mac I had never used, and wanted to know whether there was any malware on it, I might use ClamXav to answer the question. But I wouldn't use it or need it to secure my own Mac.
I note that "Mac Defender " has been roaming the net for probably a month now and Apple has come up with nothing other than some advice about how to get it off the machine once on, that may be a bit late for the unsuspecting or naive  first-time mac-owner.
Other than instructions on how to remove it, what sort of response are you looking for? Whatever the response, it will be made obsolete by changes in the trojan, or by new trojans. The only thing that won't become obsolete is computer literacy, which is what everybody who uses a computer really needs.
I have 25 years experience working daily with PC systems and I am a very cautious Internet user but that program was installed on my Mac before I knew it, literally.
No it wasn't, and if you've been working with PC's for 25 years you shouldn't have fallen for such an obvious scam. Nearly identical scams targeting Windows have been all over the Web for months, if not years.
I certainly would not  trust my Mac to do any online financial business and I must say I am concerned that It has taken a credit card number for i-Tunes but at least I have used a dedicated card with a very low credit limit.
I think you're trolling, but taking what you say at face value, if you gave your credit card number to the MacDefender scammer and you haven't yet cancelled that card, then you're right, you shouldn't trust your Mac to do any online financial business. You shouldn't trust a PC either. Get somebody competent to do those tasks for you.