Mail is telling me my password is incorrect do i have a " virus" issue?

Question

My mail program  has stopped receiving mail from the server, Cincinnati Bell, zoomtown.  I have had numerous weird sent items that come back as undeliverable to people not in my contacts. When i try to log in it tells me that my password is incorrect. I tried to check on webmail and CB is saying they have locked my account for suspicous activity and i should remove the " virus" and they will reopen  my account. I thought that macs did not get viruses.any idea what is  causing this problem?  

Answer 1

Whatever motivated Cincinnati Bell to suspend your account was not the result of a virus, and it was premature of them to imply one exists. The most likely cause of unauthorized activity is that your credentials were stolen by any number of possible means, including some that are completely beyond your control. "Phishing" exploits and the many forms in which they appear are the most common explanation for theft of passwords and other sensitive information, and the only protection against that threat is recognition and avoidance.
Pursuing an "anti-virus" solution for what you describe will be futile.
Change your password, with their assistance if necessary. If you used that same password with other accounts, change them also. Don't use trivial passwords and make sure your wireless network and the devices that create it are protected by their own passwords, as well as from physical access by anyone you don't trust.