New mac user here......do I need an anti virs program??

Hi group,
I am a new Mac user after being a windows / pc user forever. I finally got fed up with Windows and it's unstable ways we i purchased an I-mac from my local apple store this weekend. So far everything is working great and I am happy with the Imac.
I do have a questions about the need for an anti-virus software. Do I need one with MAC? I have been told that there are almost no virus with Mac's, unlike a pc where you need nortin or someone other 3rd party package to keep your machine safe while surfing online.
Does my new imac have something pre-installed or should I purchase one?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

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.

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