MacBook Pro and Virus protection -Mac Newbe

I have just recently switched to Apple and purchased a MacBook Pro for home use. I am somewhat lost concerning what virus protection is "the best" to run. As with PC's there seems to be several offerings. I picked a "well known" version with my PC; however, a virus(worm,spyware...something) was still able to defeat the anti-virus and mess up my OS.

The last time I used a virus scanner on Mac OS was about 12 years ago. It only produced one false warning. The threat of viruses on OS X is much, much lower than in Windows, due to the fact that there's no real working virus for OS X yet, as far as I know. There are some concept 'viruses', but they all require user interaction to install, and with the new security features in Leopard it's very likely that you will notice when something fishy is going on (e.g. your Mac warns that you're opening a program when you have double-clicked something that was supposed to be an image).
I think that at the current time, it is more useful to maintain good security practices (enable your firewall, don't download and run any 'dubious' programs, check software update regularly and install security updates immediately,) than to install a virus scanner, which will only stress your system unnecessarily.
There are some situations where it's useful to install a virus scanner in OS X, though. First, if you use Boot Camp or Parallels (but then again, it may be more useful to install a PC virus scanner in your Windows partition). Second, to detect PC viruses, so you can tell if someone's PC is infected and prevent the virus from spreading to other PCs.

Similar Messages

I have a macbook pro what virus protection should i install?

I have a macbook pro, what virus protection should I install?

1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. 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 victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
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, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; 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.
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 actually been tested by Apple (unless it comes from the Mac App Store), 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. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe.
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 find some other way to evade Apple's controls.
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 presumably effective against known attacks, but maybe not against unknown attacks. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. Beyond XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT, there’s no evidence of any benefit from other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always 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 the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source. How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
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 address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Follow the above guidelines, 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 from malware.
7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
Their 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, the 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 itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
8. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. 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.
ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application.
9. The greatest harm done by security software, in my opinion, is in its effect on human behavior. It does little or nothing to protect people from emerging threats, but if they get a false sense of security from it, they may feel free to do things that expose them to higher risk. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
10. 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.

Firefox will not open at all on macbook pro and then crashes mac entirely.

My firefox wont open when I've clicked the icon, though there is a little blue light underneath it. I've installed and re-installed it and still not working. When I do click the icon in the dock my entire macbook freezes and I have to manually restart it. I'm afraid my knowledge of stuff like this is exceedingly limited, I've read through numerous problem solving posts but I just don't understand the instructions others have given. This has previously happened to my firefox and i renamed the .exe(?) file and that made it work but I can't remember how I did it/can't find the post that helped me. I'm sorry to be so basic but I don't know anymore and want my browser working again!

You won't want Firefox to be a .exe file, thats for windows. Make sure its extension is .app. You can do this by going to Finder>Applications>Firefox>the right click and click the "Get Info" button. Then, about halfway down will be the file name with the extension. Change it to Firefox.app if it is not already like that.
Also, you can check out this [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-keeps-crashing-startup support article] if this doesn't help.
Have a great day!!
Jon

I put a windows xp cd in my mac book pro and rebooted the mac,mac doesn't start up any more and the cd doesn't come out,what can I do now?

I put a windows xp cd in my macbook pro and rebooted the mac,mac doesn't come up any more and the cd doesn't come out,what can I do now?

Hossein,
As Guido said, you can use BootCamp to partition the drive. If you want to install, or reinstall Windows. You would launch BootCamp and it will actually guide you through the installation, you will only need to decide how large a partition you want. I would use BootCamp, I would not use disk utility. When you have installed Windows and you want to boot into windows, when you start your MBP hold down the option key, this will give you trha option of booting Mac OSX or Windows.
Joseph

I installed 10.6.8 from 10.6.6 on my Macbook Pro and now can't open Safari-think it's something to do with the Intego anti-virus software. Reverted Intego software back to default state and now computer just boots ups up slowly and can't access a thing.

I installed 10.6.8 from 10.6.6 OS on my MacBook Pro and have not been able to open secure sites on Safari. Think it has something to do with the Intego Anti-virus installed. Tried restoring Intego to default status and now my Mac barely boots up and does nothing else but spin. Ugh. Has anyone had similar issues and if so, were you able to resolve? How? Thanks,

1: Backup your user files folders of Documents, Music, Pictures etc., to a external powered drive (not TimeMachine) and disconnect.
2: Insert the 10.6 installer disk and reboot holding c
3: Simply reinstall OS X without erasing the drive, it will overwrite the installed version of OS X and the root level software, but leave your Applications folder contents (expect Apple bundled programs) and user files alone. (but backup anyway in case it fails)
4: Reboot and the Integro is gone out of your system, but there may still be something laying around in Applicaitons to delete. Use Software Update to get up to date.
5: You don't need anti-virus on a Mac, Apple provides it already for you sight unseen.
6: If you Software update, the bad certificate issues are pulled, thus are not a threat.

I have a MacBook Pro and an 1TB WD my passport for mac. I bought a second hard drive to act as back up and when I went to do this the original passport won't mount. It is showing in disc utility but it will not repair. I am told the mac cannot repair it.

I have a MacBook Pro and an 1TB WD my passport for mac. I bought a second hard drive to act as back up and when I went to do this the original passport won't mount. It is showing in disc utility but it will not repair. I am told the mac cannot repair it and I need to back up the files and then restore the hard drive. But I can't open the hard drive to move the files onto the new one!
Help me please. I am not very technical so please answer as if I have no clue!! This hard drive has my iPhoto on it and all my pictures of my son, wedding and my current photography course so I desperate to get it back!
Any help will he appreciated!

disk0s2: I/O error.
disk0s2: I/O error.
The MBP's disk is damaged and requires replacement.
Genius Bar Reservations: http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

I dropped my macbook pro and the screen is broken can i still use it with an external monitor? Or can I or how do I transfer hard drive files to my mac mini?

I dropped my 17" macbook pro and the screen is broken. Can I still use it with an external monitor? When I plugged it into a monitor I had used it with before, I'm not able to see anything on the macbook screen to control it. It came on but I just got the blue screen with nothing else after typing in my password. (Didn't see the password form just assumed it was there somewhere and it did go from space to blue screen but no desktop icons, files, dock strip at top or anything else, just blank blue screen) so I can't access the system preferences.
Or can I / or how do I, transfer hard drive files to my mac mini? If not salvageable as is can I pull out the hard drive and make it an external harddrive? In otherwords is anything salvageable? It seems it's coming on I just can't access anything. BTW I was told it would cost aprox $1000 to replace the screen! I paid almost $4000 for this thing and it was running great - makes me sick to lose it!

I'd like to promise you that everything will be fine if you just get the monitor going - but it's hard to know what the hardware damage might be. It might be the monitor, or the damage might be greater.
Your best solution would be visit your local Apple Store and let them know what your situation is. They have access to diagnostics you don't, and they might be able to the best way to save your data and keep you computing. It's still not covered, but they can tell you what your current options are.
Um, you might consider investing in a backup drive.
And there other repair options, too. Powerbook Medic http://www.powerbookmedic.com/xcart1/pages.php?pageid=67 offers reliable repairs, and quotes prices well under Apple's.

I partitioned my MacBook Pro and installed Windows 8 in it.....now I can't find my partition when I pressed option key when booting up.....so how can I do to find the partition to boot...I can see it in the disk manager in Mac....any ideas? thanks..!..

I partitioned my MacBook Pro and installed Windows 8 in it.....now I can't find my partition when I pressed option key when booting up.....so how can I do to find the partition to boot...I can see it in the disk manager in Mac....any ideas? thanks..!..

Hi LamboMong,
just try this:
http://refit.sourceforge.net
install, reboot twice and choose the Windows-Partition on next startup.
(The apple-bootloader doesn't display all bootable harddisks.
With rEFIt you can boot from all partitions/harddisks on your computer.)
I hope that will solve your problem.
Daniel Fernau

I am trying to play a DVD on my MacBook Pro and transmit it to my TV (use my TV as the monitor) utilizing a VGA cable and adapter for the Mac but the only image that shows up on the TV is the MacBook wall paper, any ideas on how I can transmit to my TV?

I am trying to play a DVD on my MacBook Pro and transmit it to my TV (using my TV as the monitor) utilizing a VGA cable and adapter for the Mac but the only image that shows up on the TV is the MacBook wall paper, any ideas on how I can transmit the movie from my MacBook to the TV? I also tried an HDMI cable and had the same issue.

you are probably seeing the extended display.. to see ur main display go to pefrences then display steeings and turn mirroring on.
this will display ur mbp main screen. good luck.

I recently bought a new macbook pro and set it up using the migration assistant and my mac mini. I can't get the text message forwarding feature to work with both computers.

I recently bought a new macbook pro and set it up using the migration assistant from my mac mini. I can't get the text message forwarding feature to work with both computers. It keeps saying that I only have 2 devices setup, my iPad and my macbook pro. When I mess with the setting on my mac mini, it goes from saying that that is one of the devices to my macbook pro being the 2nd device. I think that something happened as a result of my using the migration assistant and now it thinks that my macbook pro and my mac mini are one and the same computer. Any ideas?

Thanks, Sig.
The old computer is a 2.6 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
The new one is a 2.3 GHz intel core i7
In going over this, thanks to "tallking it out" with you, I did discover the Text Edit problem. Because I've still been unable to get the new computer text size (fonts or whatever) to match the old computer, I did not notice that the curser is now different--the line midway down the curser has to be placed on the line I am working upon, otherwise the edits go elsewhere on the page. Now, with a bit of difficulty, I am able to get Text Edit to work correctly.
If you have any ideas as to why my menu bar and Text Edit type are still so slow, I'd love to have them.
(I went through the process you suggested earlier, re my Trackpad preferences, and found no improvement.)

Can I use Mac Mini as a "server" for a MacBook Pro and iMac?

I want to develop a simple system for accessing my files from multiple devices.
I heavily use iTunes (190 GB), iPhoto (120 GB) and iMovie (30 GB, but want to do more when I get time). Additionally, I store lots of old videos on circa 10 portable hard drives (1 TB each), which I access occasionally.
The family use all this content and we currently have a MacBook Pro and are considering buying a new computer - either a new MacBook Pro or an iMac. We also have iPads, iPhones etc and a Time Capsule. We use wireless fibre optic broadband.
I don't really want multiple iTunes and iPhoto libraries. We want all our music and pictures in single master libraries that we can all access and update.
As there is seemingly too much data to store on iCloud, we need to find an alternative solution.
My possible solution is:
(1) Load my master iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie libraries ("iTPM libs") on a Mac mini
(2) Buy a new MacBook Pro or iMac (probably doesnt matter which)
(3) Link the MacBook Pro(s) and iMac to the Mac mini to access iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie and the master iTPM libs
(4) Plug the portable hard drives into the Mac mini whenever I need to access the video content stored on the portable hard drives
(5) Add "users" to the system (i.e. family members), in the same way you would access a shared server at work
(6) Over time, buy more computers to access the system in the same way
My questions are:
(1) Is this system feasible?
(2) If so, can I edit the iTPM libs from the MacBook Pro or iMac?
(3) If so, what happens if both the MacBook Pro and iMac are accessing the libraries at the same time? Which takes precedent?
(4) Would this solution be significantly slower than having separate libraries on the different computers?
(5) Is there an alternative approach that might work better for my needs? (which are, after all, relatively straight forward). When I went to the Apple store they were unsure!
Many thanks.

I heavily use iTunes (190 GB), iPhoto (120 GB) and iMovie (30 GB, but want to do more when I get time). Additionally, I store lots of old videos on circa 10 portable hard drives (1 TB each), which I access occasionally.
The family use all this content and we currently have a MacBook Pro and are considering buying a new computer - either a new MacBook Pro or an iMac. We also have iPads, iPhones etc and a Time Capsule.
[…] We want all our music and pictures in single master libraries that we can all access and update.
The "update" portion of this is where your problems will arise. You'd be better to consider your proposed system initially in terms of content "consumption", before getting into the nitty-gritty of editing shared content.
iTunes has the Home Sharing feature built-in, which solves the content consumption issue.
I don't know anything about sharing iPhoto libraries, but this KB article looks useful.
As for iMovie, I think there are two things you want to do: share the raw data (sound effects, music, photos etc.) that are used to create iMovie content; and share the finished results. Is that right? I'm not sure how you'd go about doing that, but if you clarify your aims in this regard, it'll help the next person who comes along.
When it comes to updating content, such as adding new music to iTunes or iPhoto, I'd suggest you do it through the Mac mini directly. This seems the least problematic solution. You wouldn't necessarily need a dedicated display for the Mac mini - you could use remote desktop or VNC or what-have-you.
As for speed: doing anything across a network is always going to be slower than doing it locally. But, it probably won't matter for content consumption (though if you're all watching different movies at the same time the drives on the server may struggle, and the wifi bandwidth might be tight).
I hope this represents a good initial response to your query.

HT201342 How will this benefit me. I have a Mac computer that i upgraded to Mountain lion, a macbook pro and an iPhone 4s which has the latest software. all i want is simplicity and to have one email account which which will not duplicate everything 4 or

I have been asked to set up an Icloud account by Apple.
How will having another icloud email benefit me. I have my work email which is all i require, but had to set up a @me account to get email on my Macbook.
I have a Mac computer that i upgraded to Mountain lion, a macbook pro and an iPhone 4s which has the latest software. all i want is simplicity and to have one email account which which will not duplicate everything 4 or 5 times.
My notes are duplicated, i have to delete my emails individually on all devices so whenever i put my phone on, all the emails i have deleted at work re-appear on my phone and again the same thing happens on my Macbook pro. I seem to spend all my time deleting emails 3 times.
Is there something simple in the set up of these that i am missing?
Any help would be appreciated

I have been asked to set up an Icloud account by Apple.
How will having another icloud email benefit me. I have my work email which is all i require, but had to set up a @me account to get email on my Macbook.
I have a Mac computer that i upgraded to Mountain lion, a macbook pro and an iPhone 4s which has the latest software. all i want is simplicity and to have one email account which which will not duplicate everything 4 or 5 times.
My notes are duplicated, i have to delete my emails individually on all devices so whenever i put my phone on, all the emails i have deleted at work re-appear on my phone and again the same thing happens on my Macbook pro. I seem to spend all my time deleting emails 3 times.
Is there something simple in the set up of these that i am missing?
Any help would be appreciated

Running 6.0.2 with MAC OS 10.6.8 on a Macbook Pro and Firefox crashes and crashes and crashes and crashes. What have you done to your software? It sucks.

Running the new and improved 6.0.2 with Mac OS 10.6.8 on a Macbook Pro and Firefox keeps crashing. When I have Yahoo on my screen with MY FAVORITES on the left side I can't click on ANY of my favorites without a crash. I can hardly navigate anywhere without a crash. Have a MacBook Air running same OS and same Firefox with no problems. So what gives? What is happening and what should I do to fix this?

something similar has been happening to me for a a couple weeks (even before the most recent update, but now is definitely worse) on my 2010 MacBook Air. Firefox freezes upon startup, and then freezes maybe every twenty minutes or so when I'm actively using it, staying frozen for at least a minute or two. it drives me crazy.

I've lost the use of Appleworks in 10.9.2. Is it possible to partition the internal hard drive of my MacBook Pro and install an older Mac OS (10.6.8) on the second partition with OS 10.9.2 on the other?

I've lost the use of Appleworks by upgrading to 10.9.2.
Is it possible to partition the internal hard drive of my MacBook Pro and install an older Mac OS (10.6.8) on the second partition with OS 10.9.2 on the other? I'd like to be able to boot to the older OS when I need Appleworks and few other applications that aren't available on OS 10.9.2.
Any suggestions?
Thank you for your help.

Hello again, WZZZ,
Here's an update. I was successful in creating two partitions on my internal drive, and in installing OS 10.6.6 on the second partition, as per your guidence. I now have it up to 10.6.8 with all the security updates and AppleWorks. A great thing.
Some thoughts:
• The partitioning had one hitch; it failed at first. But once I "repaired" the disc with Disc Utility the partitioning went thru.
• The partitioning took a long time in 'resizing the partition.' A few hours I think it was. Lots of progress bar watching.
• If I had it to do again, I'd size the two partitions differently. My original data was occupying about 230 Gb of the 320 Gb disc. I made the new partitions share the space, about 230 and 75Gb. That left very little available space for the main disc. I ought to have put some breathing room in there. As it is, it's an incentive to clean up all those files, especially all those iTunes files. I now have about 10% of available space there and mean to continue deleting.
So, all in all a good project that got me where I wanted to go. Thank you for your help.
Appreciatively,
wallah

How can I have the same environment on two macs on is a macbook pro and the other a Mac mini

How can I have the same environment on two macs on is a macbook pro and the other a Mac mini ?

Forget trying to use iCloud for this - it won't do what you want. iCloud syncs certain data like contacts and events, but it doesn't sync "environments" on computers.

MacBook Pro and Virus protection -Mac Newbe

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for