Internet Security, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware

What is the best internet security, anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware software to use on a MacBook Pro 13' (Late 2011 model) on both Mac and Windows 7 (Parallel 7) without slowing down or effecting the operating system too much ? Do I need to get the free or paid version ?

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.)

Similar Messages

Do I need anti virus, ad- + spyware?

Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong forum. New here, and don't have a clue.
Just got my first Mac. Loving it, but needs some getting used to.
Anyway, the Apple sales guy told us that we would not be (ever) needing any anti virus, ad- + spyware.
I had all those on my Windows PC and am therefore worried that I will 'catch' something nasty if I don't have it on my Mac. Some other Mac users told me to really not bother, others say that I should use protection (hehe) as they've had problems with virus, etc.
Could any of you give me some advice on what to do? And why?

Yes, I have used ClamXav for about 18 months to scan all incoming emails, and also at startup other locations.
Works a treat!
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 from:
http://www.clamxav.com/
However, the appearance of Trojans that can infect a Mac seems to be growing, but is a completely different issue to viruses.
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.
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 the cost is $29.99. The full version permits you to scan selected files and folders only, as well as the entire hard disk.)
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 information on Mac security can be found here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/
The MacScan application can be downloaded from here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/buy/
You can download a 30 day trail copy which enables you to do a full scan of your hard disk. After that it costs $29.95.
More on Trojans on the Mac here:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/63574.html?welcome=1214487119
The latest news on the subject, from July 25, 2008, is:
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
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!

Is it true that Macs do not need anti-virus or spyware?

I know nothing about computers. This is our first Mac. We purchased our mac mini in Oct. 09. My nephew set it up & told us we didn't need a anti-virus or spyware. I just use the e-mail & my daughter uses it for school & face book. It has been slow and has been locking up on us. Last night I had to force close. I took a look in security and it said the firewall was not on. Is this a problem? Should it be on?

Welcome to the Apple discussions.
It's irrelevant that there are no current mac virus's, as, like the stock market, current performance isn't a gauge of the future. In addition, use of an antivirus is good if you receive files that you might forward on to your Windows friends, and want to ensure you're not passing on any virus's. I use, and recommend, ClamXAV, also recommended above. It's available from http://www.clamxav.com . I use it to scan mail and downloads.
You do want your mac firewall turned on. Click systems preferences, security, click the firewall tab, click allow only essential connections (if not already highlighted), click advanced, and enable firewall logging and enable stealth mode. If your daughter uses iTunes to download music, you don't need to do anything else. If she uses Bittorrent, then you should open some ports. Watching video's won't be impacted with the firewall enabled.
I've also installed a program named Little Snitch, which requires me to specifically allow any outbound communication. Once authorized, you don't have to do anything again. So, if something were to sneak through, it wouldn't be able to phone home without authorization. Little Snitch is available from http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html
On your overall performance, one thing you might do is to run OnyX, available from http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs/english/apps.html . Run the tasks on the maintenance and cleaning tabs, which does disk maintenance. Before running any disk maintenance, you should have a hard drive backup. A number of people have used this and found it improved performance.

Best anti spyware and anti virus for macbook

Anyone know is there is software designed fr Macs to protect against spyware and viruses?

There is, but a lot of it isn't very good for one reason or another, and it's not generally necessary. See my Mac Malware Guide.

One more time -- anti-virus or spyware needed?

I am sure this topic has been covered before, but over the holidays my "windows relatives" were giving me a hard time about not having anti virus sw on my computer. The argument is that OS X is unix based and therefore vulnerable. I have never had any problems. I am not really afraid of viruses, but the spyware argument caught my attention.
Thoughts?
Recommendations?
Thanks

Antivirus - at the moment there aren't any for osx. The main reason to have antivirus is to help stop windows users getting them when they pass them through you.do a google search and pass the articles on to your windows friends. Also, another massive windows vulnerability was reported yesterday so you might want to warn them
Spyware is more difficult. It's not a big osx problem as far as I'm aware, the system is much more secure, but it's not impossible. I'm not aware of any osx spyware out there. I'd do a google search for osx spyware to see what the tech consensus is.
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/malspyware.html
osx spyware almost non existent in march.
http://news.com.com/GartnerBeware+of+Mac+OSspyware/2100-7355_3-5645465.html
I hope that begins to help.
Oh there is a quite good open source app called clam xav which is a free virus scanner for os x - you might look it up.

Anti spyware and anti malware

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.
Barry
P.S. A "PC" is a Windows based computer, not a Mac.

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

What's the best type of anti-virus or spyware to use for cleaning up my MacBook Pro? I recently switched to a mac from pc, so don't know much about my computer yet.

I recently switched to a macbook pro from a pc, and am curious what type of (if any) virus protection or spyware protection to use for it. I keep getting a message to Install MacKeeper 2012; but am not sure if it's worth paying for or not. I'd like some advice on what would be the best protection for my computer. Also, I recently had the new microsoft office installed; which has been having issues freezing up quite often when I use it. I don't know if clenaing my mac would help with the Microsoft office stuff, or not (or even if that would be related)...also each time I restart my computer; all windows applications open (word, power point, excel & outlook). obviously I'm not very tech savvy to begin with so any advice would help! I'm hoping this computer will last me thru the next 4 years of grad school & just want to make sure this computer is well taken care of to last that long. Thanks!

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
You don't need an antivirus, but don't install Mackeeper if you don't want a damaged Mac OS > https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3036 See > http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg/

Anti-Virus XP Pro and OS X

Can I install McAfee Virus Scan on the (bootcamped) XP drive and Virex on the Mac drive, or will there be a conflict? I presume it should not, but just want to make sure before I install them.
MacBook Pro 15" Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2.16 MHz, 1GB RAM, 100 GB HDD

You can, and you should, install Virus Scan (or any other AV software) on your Windows volume. It will not affect Mac OS X.
Virex is not recommended for use on OS 10.4 and later and is not yet Universal Binary. If you really need to use Virex, use version 7.2, not version 7.5 or higher which contains a background scanner.
For Mac OS X, if you need to scan for Windows viruses, I recommend ClamXav:
http://www.markallan.co.uk/clamXav/

Firefox was infected with a virus or spywar and now tries to pop up a certain site every time I load a new page or refresh.

A few days ago my computer was infected with a virus from my antivirus license running out without me knowing it. Ever since then every time I load a page in firefox or refresh it a pop up window to a site that my ESET antivirus blocks comes up. This will not stop and I can't figure out how to fix it. I've deleted all temporary files on my comp and tried reinstalling firefox from scratch and still won't go away. I'm running out of things to try and not sure what to do. Any help would be greatly apreciated.

Do a malware check with a few malware scan programs.<br />
You need to use all programs because each detects different malware.<br />
Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of the database before doing a scan.
* http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php - Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
* http://www.superantispyware.com/ - SuperAntispyware
* http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html - Spybot Search & Destroy
* http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php - Ad-Aware Free
* http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx - Windows Defender: Home Page
See also "Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked and [[Searches are redirected to another site]]
If you can't fix it with the above listed scanners then you need to ask advise on one of the forums that specialize in malware removal mentioned in the <i>Popups_not_blocked</i> article.

Best Practice Internet Security with ADO / OraMTS / OraOLEDB and 9i?

Hi people,
I have the following scenario to support and I URGENTLY need some information regarding the security model vs performance envelope of these platforms.
We currently are developing a web-application using IE 5.0^ as our browser, IIS 5.0 as our server, ASP (JScript) as our component glue, custom C++ COM+ middle tier components using ADO / Oracle OLE DB to talk to a Solaris based Oracle 9i instance.
Now it comes to light from the application requirements that the system should, if at all possible, be supporting Virtual Private Databases for subscribers [plus we need to ease backend data service development and row-level security combined with fine grained audit seems the way to go].
How does one use Oracle's superior row-level security model in this situation?
How does one get the MS middle tier to authenticate with the database given that our COM+ ADO components are all required to go through ONE connection string? [Grrrr]
Can we somehow give proxy rights to this identity so that it can "become" and authenticate with an OID/LDAP as an "Enterprise User"? If so, how?
I have seen a few examples of JDBC and OCI middle-tier authentication but how does one achieve the same result as efficiently as possible from the MS platform?
It almost appears, due to connection pooling that each call to the database on each open connection could potentially be requiring a different application context - how does one achieve this efficiently?
If this is not the way to go - how could it work?
What performance tradeoffs do we have using this architecture? (And potentially how will we migrate to .Net on the middle tier?)
As you can see, my questions are both architectural and technical. So, are there any case studies, white papers or best practice monographs on this subject that are available to either Technet members or Oracle Partners?
Alternatively, anyone else come up against this issue before?
Thanks for your attention,
Lachlan Pitts
Developer DBA (Oracle)
SoftWorks Australia Pty Ltd

Hi people,
I have the following scenario to support and I URGENTLY need some information regarding the security model vs performance envelope of these platforms.
We currently are developing a web-application using IE 5.0^ as our browser, IIS 5.0 as our server, ASP (JScript) as our component glue, custom C++ COM+ middle tier components using ADO / Oracle OLE DB to talk to a Solaris based Oracle 9i instance.
Now it comes to light from the application requirements that the system should, if at all possible, be supporting Virtual Private Databases for subscribers [plus we need to ease backend data service development and row-level security combined with fine grained audit seems the way to go].
How does one use Oracle's superior row-level security model in this situation?
How does one get the MS middle tier to authenticate with the database given that our COM+ ADO components are all required to go through ONE connection string? [Grrrr]
Can we somehow give proxy rights to this identity so that it can "become" and authenticate with an OID/LDAP as an "Enterprise User"? If so, how?
I have seen a few examples of JDBC and OCI middle-tier authentication but how does one achieve the same result as efficiently as possible from the MS platform?
It almost appears, due to connection pooling that each call to the database on each open connection could potentially be requiring a different application context - how does one achieve this efficiently?
If this is not the way to go - how could it work?
What performance tradeoffs do we have using this architecture? (And potentially how will we migrate to .Net on the middle tier?)
As you can see, my questions are both architectural and technical. So, are there any case studies, white papers or best practice monographs on this subject that are available to either Technet members or Oracle Partners?
Alternatively, anyone else come up against this issue before?
Thanks for your attention,
Lachlan Pitts
Developer DBA (Oracle)
SoftWorks Australia Pty Ltd

How do I get rid of rootkit spyware and trojan malware?

Every time I go to open my safari browser a little grey box appears saying I am getting unauthorized access on my browsers. I believe this problem has occurred from streaming a movie.
The box also says this network may be infected. I then click okay and a red screen appears with a white box with writing in it saying to call a phone number immediately and that my mac has found two malicious viruses but I have read online that this isn't a virus just something attached to online streaming.
I don't know if I should download a program to get rid of this or to do something else. I tried to reset safari but it didn't work. Hopefully someone can help.
Thanks!

a red screen appears with a white box with writing in it saying to call a phone number immediately and that my mac has found two malicious viruses but I have read online that this isn't a virus just something attached to online streaming.
Whatever that is, it's completely bogus and should be ignored.
You're mixing a lot of metaphors. Please provide a screenshot of what you're experiencing:
Screenshots (Mac):
To take a screenshot hold ⌘ Shift 4 to create a selection crosshair. Click and hold while you drag the crosshair over the area you wish to capture and then release the mouse or trackpad. You will hear a "camera shutter" sound. This will deposit a screenshot named "Screen Shot...." followed by a date and time on your Desktop.
When you post your response, click the "camera" icon above the text field:
This will display a dialog box which enables you to choose the screenshot file (remember it's on your Desktop) and click the Insert Image button.
⌘ Shift 4 and then pressing the space bar captures the frontmost window.
⌘ Shift 3 captures the entire screen.
Don't capture or upload any information you consider personal. To edit an existing screenshot, read How to edit a screenshot.
Drag the screenshot to the Trash after you post your reply.

Scheduling Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware scans with Internet Security Suite

When I installed Verizon Internet Security Suite, the scan schedule for Anti-Virus was set to a default time of: Weekly at 12:00 am on Saturday. The Anti-Spyware scan was default scheduled weekly at 12:00 am on Sunday.
I don't want the scans done at this time. So I rescheduled them to run at 5:00 am instead of 12:00 on each day.
This didn't work. Even though when I look at the schedules for those programs, it shows the times I put in. But it still ignores the times I scheduled and always starts up both programs at 12:00. This is very inconvenient for me. How do you debug this?
Message Edited by Joanna_M on 03-30-2009 04:02 PM

I know what you mean. I have the same problem, here it is 6:31 am and I am awake and on my pc when all of a sudden verizon's virus scan pops up and starts it's scan. I scheduled that for 12:01 am. Plus not to mention the other day it said I have a virus but it couldn't repair it so it quaranteed it, then when I clicked on find out more information about this virus the page said it will be available soon. I did a search of the virus on radialpoints website and it couldn't tell me the virus either and then I found out through google that is actually a trojan and wrote a bunch of keys to the registry but the website never said what to do about it, whether to delete those keys or not.
I don't like to delete registry keys unless I am sure.
I used to have Norton installed and its virus scan used to do some odd things to. Like forget! Symantec said it was windows fault because it uses task scheduler.
I am seriously thinking about dumping this verizon suite if they don't fix it real soon and get their website's up and running!!!

Host based Anti-Virus and Cisco Security

Hello Everyone,
Happy Friday. I was wondering if there are any advantages to using 1 brand of anti-virus on PCs and servers as relates to Cisco Security. I know Symantec is soemthing of a competitor as opposed to Trend and Cisoc even uses Trend signature in some of their devices. I personally have a likeing for SYmantec as far as AV goes but if there is an advantage that is easily explited by a Cisco network of using something else I would like to know about it.
Thanks in advnace. All replies rated.

Hello angel-moon,
If you are talking about host based security then Cisco provides CSA,which is an extensive Host based IPS + Antivirus tool
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/vpn/ciscosec/csa/csa52/index.htm
hope it helps !

HT4993 anti-virus/anti-spyware for iphone

Is there anti-virus or spyware software you can download on your iphone or ipad like you can your mac?

I was told using free public wifi allows others to have access to the devices using the wifi... Is this not true?
Not quite true, no. It's not true that using public wifi gives people access to the device. What it does is allow people on that network to snoop on any unencrypted network traffic. So, if your phone is transmitting a clear-text password for the account that got hacked, that could be captured by someone else on the wifi network who has the right software on their computer.
That said, though, the chances of that happening in most places is not high. Perhaps if you were on a very large open network, like in an airport, or if you were in a country that doesn't have particularly stringent laws against hacking (like Russia), then it might be more likely, but otherwise it's far more likely that someone simply hacked your account remotely. Probably the password was not as secure as it should have been and it got cracked by brute force.

Internet Security, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware

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