IMAC virus protection

Bought my new imac on Saturday and am a virgin user!Hurrah!
I was led to believe I will not be plagued with virus and nasties, but on doing a bit of general surfing yesterday a page flashed up that looked like a windows type application warning me of virus malaware and nasties on my computer and general having lots of red flashing bits, seeing as it was not looking like an official MAC type thing and more recognisably windows, I chose not to run the fixes etc and download the tool. Basically it spooked me and I came out of it even though the Mac was asking me if I was sure I didn't want to go with it.
Should i be doing something to scan for viruses?!! Or checking if I had worms?? UGH!
I have switched the firewall on now.
Don't want my lovely new toy to grind to a halt.

frankie5 wrote:
Sorry, really another banal question for you I'm sure but you get to call your self a proper philanthropist!
Don't be silly. I learn just as much from these forums as you do.
Well had a few teething troubles getting my mail up and running so didn't want any of those settings to stop me being able to get my mail in.
Oh right, which I'm assuming are all sorted now.
When you said "nothing but essential services checked" I can see that window in the security settings menu, what would you class as things I should check in there?
I'm assuming you mean in the Sharing pane. What I mean is leave it all unchecked unless there is something specific you need. For example if you don't need +users of other computers to remotely view and control your computer+, then leave Screen Sharing unchecked.

Similar Messages

What is the recommended virus protection softwear for iMac 10.6 Snow Leopard ?

My iMac v 10.5 has had viruses more than once. I recently upgraded to v 10.6 Snow Leopard. I wanted to check what virus protection was recommended. Best Buy told me MacKeeper was the best one to use. After reading reviews I am hesitant to install it. Any opinions?

Read Klaus's User Tips and his reference to Thomas Reed's website on Safe Macs.
It is not likely you actually had viruses since there are no known viruses in the wild that infect Mac OS X machines.
DO NOT take the advice of Best Buy...MacKeeper is one of the worst of the worst and most users on here consider it to be malware. Once installed it is extremely difficult to remove.
Anti-virus software is not needed with Macs. Definitely avoid that from McAfee and Norton as they have been shown repeatedly to cause serious damage to the operating system.

Virus protection on imac?

I have read several times that you should have virus protection on the imac. I have not done that. Is it important to do?

Agree with Allan.
There's really no benefit of having any virus s/w at this time. There are no known viruses in the wild for Mac, and when (note I say 'when' not 'if') there is, none of the current AV software will be able to detect it until after the fact.
We may one day be in a situation where AV s/w is necessary but given Apple's fairly aggressive stance with the App Store and GateKeeper (coming to ML), I wouldn't bank on that being any day soon.
As always, the best defence against malware is your own commonsense. Stick to tried and trusted sites, keep Java off or only on for sites that absolutely require it, and investigate any unsual behaviour you notice on your computer immediately (such as by posting on ASC for advice).
If you really must install some AV s/w, use nothing other than the free ClamXav, which seems to cause less problems than other AV s/w (aside from costing your nothing).

I have an iMac 10.6.08. Do I need to download virus protection?

Do I need to download/purchase virus protection for my iMac? Thanks for any help.

Not unless you are a careless browser. Please read other forum discussions on this topic.

Virus Protection etc. For Imac G4?

How can I get a Free form of protection for my Imac G4. Virus protection, Spyware or a Firewall? Because I've been looking all over the internet and I can't find any! Please help!

Free anti-virus - http://www.clamxav.com/
Free Firewall - already comes with OSX. In your Sharing preferences.
RD
PS - There's no need to create additional posts of the same question with different subjects

Virus protection for an imac intel

Are imac intel's secure from viruses? If not what is the Virus protection software I should buy?

Get Intego Virus Barrier X4 !!!!!!!!!!
Forget symantec, I had trouble with Norton Antivirus, For a few months it was fine than all of the Sudden it wouldn't update, even if I took it off the computer and reinstalled it.. I called them and I was transfered to over 8 different technitions and not one of them could help me. I kept getting error messages and i even tried software update trouble shooters from their website, and nothing, just more wasted space..
NORTON TAKES FOREVER TO SCAN THE COMPUTER FOR VIRUSES
The same issues happened to my iBook as well a few day later.
I made my transition to INTEGO VIRUS BARRIER X4. THE ARE NUMBER ONE IN PROTECTING YOUR MAC FROM VIRUSES. IT IS SO USER FREINDLY AND IT INTEGRATES VERY WELL WITH THE SYSTEM.
INTEGOS VIRUS BARRIER X4 HAS A FEATURE CALLED TURBO MODE, AND IT CAN SCAN AN ENTIRE HARD DISK IN MINUTES. The software doesn't hog memory, scan seeminglessly in the back round.
IT HAS A COOL INTERFACE, AND SIMPLY TO USE, EVEN MACWORLD MAGAZINE RATES THEM NUMBER ONE.
All the other antivirus's all come from compaies that made software for windows, they only make software form mac because the Mac population is growing. These guys are Mac only software, so they do their homework making sure it's the best.
It's not cheap, but do research and you can find the program for $47 in some websites, sometimes lower or highier. I first got it from amazon since they are more reliable to buy from.
I was amazed by the performance and got one for my laptop a few weeks later.

Is virus protection needed for iMacs?

Is virus protection needed for iMacs?

WZZZ wrote:
There are some highly experienced people here running Sophos free who say it's just fine. A lot of this talk here is urban mythology.
I'm not sure I qualify as highly experienced but I've run Sophos Home Edition almost since the day it was released on multiple Macs & I have had zero problems with it. I've even tried to duplicate the few reports of specific issues with it as best I can, but unfortunately almost none of the reports are from direct, firsthand experience. When I ask for details, I get evasive or incomplete answers, making it impossible for me to do much in that respect.
One thing I've noticed about many of those denouncing any & all commercial Mac AV software is a tendency to blame it for any problem they see without doing much if anything to try to verify that assumption. Another is that many of these folks don't seem to know much about how these apps can or should be configured, or how that can affect their operation.
But most of all, it seems to be an article of near religious faith for some Mac users that this kind of software is completely & absolutely unnecessary, downright evil, always a scam, etc. & react to any comment about that being overly simplistic as if it was heresy.
Please make no mistake: I'm not trying to tell anybody if they should run AV software on their Mac. I'm just suggesting that not all AV apps should be judged as if they were the same, nor should a few scattered or vague reports of issues with any particular app be considered as meaning it has or deserves a bad reputation. (If that were true, you could say the same of almost any app, to say nothing of every version of OS X or update for it Apple has ever released!)
All that said, Norton & MacKeeper (not to be confused with the MacDefender malware) do not have great reputations (for different reasons) & probably should not be serious contenders for anyone considering an AV app for their Mac. ClamXav is the most often recommended one, & as MadMacs0 mentioned, you might want to consider the newest full 2.0 version (not the app store one) if you want background scanning. It is not quite the same thing as say Sophos offers in that respect, & requires somewhat more effort to set up than Sophos' 'on access' scanner, but that's the point:
One size does not fit all, so be at least a bit leery of the advice of anyone that says otherwise.

Is virus protection need for the iMac, and if so, which product is recommended?

Not sure about virus protection of the i Mac, any recommendations?

Mac users often ask whether they should install "anti-virus" software. The answer usually given on ASC is "no." The answer is right, but it may give the wrong impression that there is no threat from what are loosely called "viruses." There is a threat, and you need to educate yourself about it.
1. This is a comment on what you should—and should not—do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet and gets onto a computer as an unintended consequence of the user's actions. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the computer, or who has been able to log in to it remotely. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it.
The comment is long because the issue is complex. The key points are in sections 5, 6, and 10.
OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user. Internally Apple calls it "XProtect."
The malware recognition database used by XProtect is automatically updated; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
☞ It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
☞ It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
☞ It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
☞ A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
☞ An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
Apple has so far failed to revoke the codesigning certificates of some known abusers, thereby diluting the value of Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. These failures don't involve App Store products, however.
For the reasons given, App Store products, and—to a lesser extent—other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. Sandbox security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they are not, and never will be, complete protection. Malware is foremost a problem of human behavior, and no technological fix alone is going to solve it. Trusting software to protect you will only make you more vulnerable.
The best defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and Internet criminals. If you're better informed than they think you are, you'll win. That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know when you're leaving the safe harbor? Below are some warning signs of danger.
Software from an untrustworthy source
☞ Software of any kind is distributed via BitTorrent, or Usenet, or on a website that also distributes pirated music or movies.
☞ Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, doesn't come directly from the developer’s website. Do not trust an alert from any website to update Flash, or your browser, or any other software.
☞ Rogue websites such as Softonic, Soft32, and CNET Download distribute free applications that have been packaged in a superfluous "installer."
☞ The software is advertised by means of spam or intrusive web ads. Any ad, on any site, that includes a direct link to a download should be ignored.
Software that is plainly illegal or does something illegal
☞ High-priced commercial software such as Photoshop is "cracked" or "free."
☞ An application helps you to infringe copyright, for instance by circumventing the copy protection on commercial software, or saving streamed media for reuse without permission. All "YouTube downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily malicious.
Conditional or unsolicited offers from strangers
☞ A telephone caller or a web page tells you that you have a “virus” and offers to help you remove it. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
☞ A web site offers free content such as video or music, but to use it you must install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "downloader," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one.
☞ You win a prize in a contest you never entered.
☞ Someone on a message board such as this one is eager to help you, but only if you download an application of his choosing.
☞ A "FREE WI-FI !!!" network advertises itself in a public place such as an airport, but is not provided by the management.
☞ Anything online that you would expect to pay for is "free."
Unexpected events
☞ A file is downloaded automatically when you visit a web page, with no other action on your part. Delete any such file without opening it.
☞ You open what you think is a document and get an alert that it's "an application downloaded from the Internet." Click Cancel and delete the file. Even if you don't get the alert, you should still delete any file that isn't what you expected it to be.
☞ An application does something you don't expect, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
☞ Software is attached to email that you didn't request, even if it comes (or seems to come) from someone you trust.
I don't say that leaving the safe harbor just once will necessarily result in disaster, but making a habit of it will weaken your defenses against malware attack. Any of the above scenarios should, at the very least, make you uncomfortable.
6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it—not JavaScript—in your browsers.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the left side of the address bar when visiting a secure site.
Stay within the safe harbor, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself.
7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" (AV) or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they are all worse than useless. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free security apps in the Mac App Store—nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial AV products?
☞ To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. This technique is a proven failure, as a major AV software vendor has admitted. Most attacks are "zero-day"—that is, previously unknown. Recognition-based AV does not defend against such attacks, and the enterprise IT industry is coming to the realization that traditional AV software is worthless.
☞ Its design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere. In order to meet that nonexistent threat, commercial AV software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
☞ By modifying the operating system, the software may also create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
☞ Most importantly, a false sense of security is dangerous.
8. An AV product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," has the same drawback as the commercial suites of being always out of date, but it does not inject low-level code into the operating system. That doesn't mean it's entirely harmless. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
An AV app is not needed, and cannot be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful, if at all, only for detecting Windows malware, and even for that use it's not really effective, because new Windows malware is emerging much faster than OS X malware.
Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else. A malicious attachment in email is usually easy to recognize by the name alone. An actual example:
London Terror Moovie.avi [124 spaces] Checked By Norton Antivirus.exe
You don't need software to tell you that's a Windows trojan. Software may be able to tell you which trojan it is, but who cares? In practice, there's no reason to use recognition software unless an organizational policy requires it. Windows malware is so widespread that you should assume it's in every email attachment until proven otherwise. Nevertheless, ClamXav or a similar product from the App Store may serve a purpose if it satisfies an ill-informed network administrator who says you must run some kind of AV application. It's free and it won't handicap the system.
The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have all the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
10. As a Mac user, you don't have to live in fear that your computer may be infected every time you install software, read email, or visit a web page. But neither can you assume that you will always be safe from exploitation, no matter what you do. Navigating the Internet is like walking the streets of a big city. It's as safe or as dangerous as you choose to make it. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

Do I need virus protection for my Imac ?

Is this a dumb question ?

Macs are not impervious to virus's. But if you do er on the paranoid, then there are a few options out there...
ClamXV http://www.clamxav.com/
an open source antivirus engine as a back end and has the ability to detect both Windows and Mac threats.
And Sophos http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition.aspx
I don't have any virus protection, and have never had any problems... this is one of the reason I made the switch.

Virus protection for iMac-Leopard

There seems to be a divergence of opinion, in general, regarding the need for virus-protection software for Mac. ( I used Intego Internet Security with my previous machine- 15" Flat Screen with Tiger.)
The local Apple Store regarding the subject would say neither yes nor no.
(I only talked to a salesman, though.)
If there is a technically well-informed reader of this message, would you kindly answer the questions: a), is virus protection necessary; and b), if it is, would Intego be the way to go - if not, what would you suggest?

Another vote for ClamXav, a wonderful protection for Mac. mtatmc is 110% right. Antivirus/antimalware protection is not just thinking about yourself and your computer, it is about thinking about everybody's safety when browsing this internet. It's not just about infecting your own computer, but passing it over to your friends' computers, to your family members' computers etc. Of course, no one wants that to happen.
Maybe there are not so many viruses/trojans in the wild like there are for PCs, but don't be fooled... it is not thanks to Unix nor because Unix is safer than anything else out there... Nothing is bullet-proof and everything can be broken. It is just because PCs are a lot more popular than Macs, and attackers found them a lot more interesting to attack. Things are changing though and we have to be careful about this. Macs are becoming popular more and more, by the day... and it is just a question when these nasties will hit us. There are already some nasty trojans for the Macs in the wild, and you don't want to take any chances.
Besides ClamXav, there is avast! antivirus for Mac recently released. It is one of the best antiviruses out there, but it is not free... and the biggest problem, Mac version has some issues, some bugs that still need to be fixed. I am a long time avast! user on my PC, but on my Mac, I use ClamXav and I am not even sure if I will switch to anything else.
Another little thing... download and install DNS changer removal tool, it is a must have.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/33696
Cheers!

A question regarding Virus protection..

Hey! So my mac is about 2 years old now. I was wondering is there any virus protection programs that I should download to keep my Mac safe?
Also, are there any viruses that CAN attack a Mac?
As far as I have been using the mac there have been absolutely no problems that I have encountered. No virus problems I mean.
Do mac's come with any inbuilt or uploaded virus protection program or something?

There are no confirmed viruses on Mac operating systems. Occasionally someone says they have heard of one but those are isolated and not confirmed by the user community. The Unix-based Mac OS X operating system has strong security and when setup properly is highly resistant to virus attacks.
As shldr pointed out, a very good and FREE anti virus program is ClamXAV...if you feel you must have a virus protection program.
DO NOT fall for the misleading pup-ups regarding MacKeeper...that program keeps popping up (did on my iMac recently) saying your computer is infected with x-number of viruses...buy their software to protect your system. That is not true because there is no way they could know if you even did have a virus on your system.
So, bottom-line, you really don't need to worry about viruses, and do not fall for hype you might hear. If you do hear about a virus, come on these communities and ask...there are knowledgable people here who will have the facts.

Virus protection software

Hi. I probably should have asked this question months ago when I bought this computer, but after a discussion at work, realized that I should probably purchase and/or download some kind of virus protection. Any suggestions....for some reason, I thought something would come with my purchase of the iMac, but I think I was mistaken.
Thanks in advance.

Actually, it is not necessary to run anti-malware software on a Mac. I say malware instead of "virus" because there are no Mac OS X viruses. A "virus" is malicious software that installs and spreads without direct user action. All that Conficker stuff is harmless on Mac OS X.
There are other types of malware, such as Trojans, that do exist for Mac OS X. This type works by tricking the user into being installed by pretending to be something else. The user must knowingly run the software and give authorization for it to be installed. Using common sense and not running software from an unknown or suspicious source is sufficient protection. Nothing can prevent you from running and installing software, if that was your intention.
The one reason you may want to run anti-malware software on Mac OS X is if you exchange emails and files with people who use Windows. Any files and emails with malware may be harmless on your Mac, but it can cause problems to others if you forward it. There is a free program called ClamXav.
http://www.clamxav.com/
The best way to use such programs is to run it periodically to scan your Mac's hard drive. Basically, run it periodically and don't worry about malware the rest of the time.

Internet Security and Virus Protection

I am brand spanking new to the Mac world. Just bought a beautiful 27" iMac last week. My question, Is there a need for virus protection/internet security software with macs?? I have long heard the possible myth that macs dont get virus'. Is this true?? If not, what is best that uses the least memory to run??
I have long loved AVG for windows

Is there a need for virus protection/internet security software with macs?? I have long heard the possible myth that macs dont get virus'. Is this true??
It is true that there are no Mac viruses at this time. There are a few trojans, but these are very rare and have threat levels ranging from low to none. See my [Mac Virus guide|http://www.reedcorner.net/thomas/guides/macvirus> for more details on this.
As to internet security, one never knows when a new exploit will be discovered, but Macs are pretty secure. I've never used any kind of internet security software and have never needed it. Just use that internet filter that's between your ears and you'll be fine. There are also a couple good general security documents linked to at the end of my virus guide that will be good reads for this purpose.

What's the best anti-virus protection?

What's the best anti-virus protection for my imac?

If you are running an older, unsupported OS like Leopard or Tiger, then you might consider running Sophos Home (free). Since Apple is no longer providing security updates for these, it could be a good idea.
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition.aspx
System requirements
Not sure if Sophos Anti-Virus will work on your Mac? These are the technical requirements:
    Mac with Intel or PowerPC processor
    256 MB of memory
    150 MB of available disk space
    Mac with OS X 10.4 (Tiger), 10.5 (Leopard), 10.6 (Snow Leopard), 10.7 (Lion) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
    Supports all Apple Mac hardware including iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro and the new MacBook Air

Virus protection, specifically Intego

After reading several recent articles and speaking to people, I am almost convinced that I finally need virus protection for my iMac and new MacBook. I have heard that Intego VirusBarrier X5 is the best. Here are my questions:
1) Do others agree that virus protection is now a good idea for the Mac?
2) Does anyone have experience with Intego VirusBarrier X5 and, if so, what it is?
3) Should I purchase Intego Internet Security Barrier or just VirusBarrier X5?
Thanks

I suggest reading the following and the provided links:
Do You Need Anti-Virus Protection for Your Mac?
According to Rich Mogull's article, Should Mac Users Run Antivirus Software?,
"The reality is that today the Mac platform is relatively safe. There are hundreds of thousands of viruses and other malicious software programs floating around for Windows, but less than 200 are known to target the Mac, and many of those are aimed at versions of the Mac OS prior to Mac OS X (and thus have no effect on a modern Mac).
It's not that Mac OS X is inherently more secure against viruses than current versions of Windows (although it was clearly more secure than Windows prior to XP SP2); the numerous vulnerabilities reported and patched in recent years are just as exploitable as their Windows equivalents. But most security experts agree that malicious software these days is driven by financial incentives, and it's far more profitable to target the most dominant platform."
Mr. Mogull is a computer security expert. I recommend reading the entire article as it is quite informative.
For additional information on viruses, trojans, and spyware visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on viruses and spyware.
I would avoid using the commercial products because most all of them seem to cause problems. If you feel you must have anti-virus software for your Mac, then I would recommend you use ClamXAV. It's every bit as good as the commercial products but has the benefit of only functioning when you run it, if you choose. It's also freeware and Open Source. You'll find it at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
OS X has an excellent firewall included. If you think you need more protection than that provided by your hardware router, then activate the built-in firewall via the Security preference pane.

IMAC virus protection

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