OSX 10.9 Mail Virus or Malware?

Hi im running OSX 10.9 on a macbook pro and i seem to have some sort of virus in mail. It keeps emailing hundreds of people from my email address and i keep getting bounce back messages. its now gone so far that my email host has shut my address down.
How can i remove this malware????
Thank you

I cant see them in my sent items and i cant get onto the webmail to check. The emails i get say this ...... I have hunbdreds of them flooding my inbox.
This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.
A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its
recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:
[email protected]
   SMTP error from remote mail server after end of data:
   host mta6.am0.yahoodns.net [66.196.118.35]: 554 delivery error:
   dd Sorry your message to [email protected] cannot be delivered. This account has been disabled or discontinued [#102]. - mta1342.mail.bf1.yahoo.com
------ This is a copy of the message, including all the headers. ------
Return-path: <[email protected]>
Received: from [46.253.85.254] (helo=vipontqrs)
    by mail75.extendcp.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.80.1)
    id 1W2H8R-0004ZK-4c; Sun, 12 Jan 2014 09:15:12 +0000
From: chris@XXXXXXcom
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Puny Pharm
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2014 03:10:06 -0700
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
    format=flowed;
    charset="iso-8859-5";
    reply-type=original
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5931
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.6157
http://InnoGam.es/byeJ

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Will re-installing OSX and enabling Save Settings kill virus' and malwares?

Hello
My web pages are slow to load sometimes and I'm wondering if I have a virus or malware that is doing it.
I don't want to use virus checkers or malware checkers because I've heard they are themselves used by the virus writers to plant virus' and malwares.
So my question is; If I re-install OSX while enabling Save Existing Settings, will that remove any virus' and malwares if they are on my Mac?
Thanks for your help.

As there are no viruses for Mac OS X it is extremely unlikely that this is your problem, so let's concentrate on your slow page loading.
Firstly, you need a minimum of 10.5.7 (10.5.8 is better) to run Safari 4.0.3. You show you are using an earlier version of leopard.
Post back if you are not using Safari.
But to answer your direct question: just possibly, so read the following first:
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 and other malware that can possibly 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.
You can read more about how, for example, the OSX/DNSChanger Trojan works here:
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojanosxdnschanger.shtml
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 free trial the cost is $29.99. The full version permits you to scan selected files and folders only, as well as the entire hard disk. It will detect (and delete if you ask it to) all 'tracker cookies' that switch you to web sites you did not want to go to.)
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
This was published on July 25, 2008:
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
A further development was the Koobface malware that can be picked up from Facebook (already a notorious site for malware, like many other 'social networking' sites), as reported here on December 9, 2008:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7773000/7773340.stm
You can keep up to date, particularly about malware present in some downloadable pirated software, at the Securemac site:
http://www.securemac.com/
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!
If you think you may have acquired a Trojan, and you know its name, you can also locate it via the Terminal:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/04/24/mac-botnet-how-to-ensure-you-are-not-part-of- the-problem/
As to the recent 'Conficker furore' affecting Intel-powered computers, MacWorld recently had this to say:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?email&NewsID=25613
Although any content that you download has the possibility of containing malicious software, practising a bit of care will generally keep you free from the consequences of anything like the DNSChanger trojan.
1. Avoid going to suspect and untrusted Web sites, especially *********** sites.
2. Check out what you are downloading. Mac OS X asks you for you administrator password to install applications for a reason! Only download media and applications from well-known and trusted Web sites. If you think you may have downloaded suspicious files, read the installer packages and make sure they are legit. If you cannot determine if the program you downloaded is infected, do a quick Internet search and see if any other users reported issues after installing a particular program.
3. Use an antivirus program like ClamXav. If you are in the habit of downloading a lot of media and other files, it may be well worth your while to run those files through an AV application.
4. Use Mac OS X's built-in Firewalls and other security features.
5. Stop using LimeWire. LimeWire (and other peer-to-peer sharing applications) are hotbeds of potential software issues waiting to happen to your Mac. Everything from changing permissions to downloading trojans and other malicious software can be acquired from using these applications.
6. Resist the temptation to download pirated software. After the release of iWork '09 earlier this year, a Trojan was discovered circulating in pirated copies of Apple's productivity suite of applications (as well as pirated copies of Adobe's Photoshop CS4). Security professionals now believe that the botnet (from iServices) has become active. Although the potential damage range is projected to be minimal, an estimated 20,000 copies of the Trojan have been downloaded. SecureMac offer a simple and free tool for the removal of the iBotNet Trojan available here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/files/iServicesTrojanRemovalTool.dmg

How do I check for virus or malware on mac osx 10.5.8 safari ?

How do I check my mac osx 10.5.8 safari leopard for virus or malware?

Hello,
ClamXAV, free Virus scanner...
http://www.clamxav.com/
Free Sophos...
http://www.sophos.com/products/enterprise/endpoint/security-and-control/mac/
Little Snitch, stops/alerts outgoing stuff...
http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

I am having problems getting into ICloud and Mail etc from System Preferences. Do I have a virus or malware problem?

A few months ago, I had a problem with my Mail app going offline constantly. Since then, for no apparent reason, that problem has gone away and another has taken its place. Now I cannot get into ICloud or Mail, etc. from my System Preferences on my MacBook Pro. Do I have a virus or malware? Should I immediately take my notebook in for repair or can I wait a couple of weeks until I return home?

Probably not a virus or malware, as both are relatively rare on Macs.
Probably not a hardware problem that requires "repair".
This is probably a software problem that can be fixed with a little thought and routine maintenance maneuvers and troubleshooting.
Here are some basic troubleshooting and maintenance maneuvers:
1. restarting your computer
2. repairing your hard drive When to Run First Aid in Mountain Lion's Disk Utility - For Dummies
3. repairing permissions About Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions feature
4. starting up in safe mode OS X Mountain Lion: Start up in safe mode
5. a test user account Isolating an issue by using another user account
If you are not comfortable with this then you could take it in to your local "geniuses" at the Apple store. You could certainly wait a few weeks. Make sure you have a backup of any important documents that you don't want to lose, first.

How can I check for viruses and malware on my MacBook Pro?

I have a MacBook Pro running OS X (10.7.5). I don't have any anti-virus or malware software installed. My yahoo email account was hacked last night, after I had added the account to Mail on my mac (which obviously involved typing in my email account password). I'm now worried that I might have a virus or malwre on my computer as I've had that email account for years with the same password (foolish I know) and never had a problem.
Is there a way to check if my mac has any viruses or malware? Which anti-virus/malware software should I install to protect my mac?
Thanks.

Ever hear of this? I was using Mozilla, and now I'm scared, so on Safari. Even so, I'm worried about doing online banking until I know what's up. Despite that, I did online banking on Safari today, and the pages wouldn't load, or weren't clickable. Also, I'm getting blank screens on Safari. It all started after this happened a number of days ago, so I want to do a scan…. but newish to the Apple world, so don't want to screw things up even more (potentially) - by installing some incompatible malware scanner. From the other day:
has anyone's Macbook Pro ever been hacked? I was using Mozilla, just opened a twitter acct, was trying to cross link with G+, and all of a sudden all this weird stuff was happening: url bars erasing on its own (and fast), pages jumping from window to window, 2 unread msgs in Gmail later marked as read. I shut down and restarted. I don't know if it's a key stroke I did or if I may've been hacked. worried.

Do I need to have any type of anti-virus or malware, spyware protection for my Macbook Pro?

My Macbook is a year old. When I bought it, I was told by several people that I would not need any type of anti-virus software or anything to protect my computer because Mac did not get infected that often. However, I have had people today tell me that I do need protection for my computer. My Mac runs about as good as the day I got it, but I really don't want anything to happen to it. If I need to get an anti-virus, or malware/spyware software, what programs would y'all recomend? I am just looking for information. Thanks!

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.
If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only 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, 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 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.
For the reasons given above, App Store products, and 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. OS X 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 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. XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. 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, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what 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 that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily harmful.
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.
Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
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. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. 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. 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 is going to be infected every time you install an application, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you have the false idea that you will always be safe, no matter what you do. 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.

What kind of virus or malware protection is recommended?

I just got a new IMAC (home computor). I called Apple support and they said Apple doesn't endorse or recomend any specific virus or malware for my Apple... Any other users out there have any malware, spyware or anti virus app's they recomend to keep your PC virus free and running good?

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.
If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only 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, 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 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.
For the reasons given above, App Store products, and 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. OS X 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 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. XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. 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, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what 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 that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily harmful.
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.
Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
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. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. 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. 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 is going to be infected every time you install an application, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you have the false idea that you will always be safe, no matter what you do. 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.

Norton Internet Security cannot scan emails the use SSL. How do I insure that I do not get a virus or malware by opening an email in Thunderbird?

Norton Internet Security cannot scan emails the use SSL. How do I insure that I do not get a virus or malware by opening an email in Thunderbird? I have read that you don't have to click on a link to get malware but that some email can trigger malware just by opening and reading. Any suggestions to keep my emails from triggering malware? AOL Desktop software has it's own built-in email scanner but I'm trying to get away from using their software and rely just on TB.
Thanks

There are many aspects to this question.
First, using SSL or TLS to send and receive email is important because it prevents others from sniffing your email login. Particularly if you are using a device over wi-fi or on untrusted networks, this is critical because if others obtain your email login, bad things can happen.
Of course, using SSL or TLS with your mail server also protects the content of your email from being captured by others, so that's good too.
Second, you are correct that there can be security threats in email other than the attachments, although the attachments generally are the most dangerous. Your antivirus should protect you from bad attachments because in order to open them, they need to be written to disk in a temporary folder, and your AV software leaps into action whenever a new file is added to disk. You also can hedge your bets by using a two-step approach: first save the attachment to disk and only after it survives the real-time AV scan then launch it in the appropriate application.
Sometimes content in the message body can trigger a vulnerability in your email software or a plugin. As these vulnerabilities become known, Mozilla updates its software, but there seem to always be new issues discovered and there will never be perfect security. I'm not sure how helpful email scanning is for this problem.

Using another from address for Gmail account in Mac OSX Lion's Mail app

Hi,
On my iPhone I've set up gmail as an Exchange accout and when I send an e-mail, my from address appears to be the one I select as default address in gmail preferences.
Is there any way to achieve this in Mac OSX Lion's mail application?
Regards,
Erdem Kucuk

Hmmm, not sure what is going on, but from the Mail log, neither of those IPs have a name associated with them, 1st one is in Netherlands, 2nd one is iin Africa!???
Any idea why it'd be looking those up?
I wonder if your Facebook account has been hacked, or See if you might have this malware redirecting DNS queries...
http://macmegasite.com/node/3924
http://www.ehow.com/how_2128387_remove-osxrspluga-trojan-horse-mac.html
How to fix...
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20071031114140862
Known DNSChanger address ranges. Source: dcwg.org
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/03/court-4-more-months-for-dnschanger-infected-p cs/

What are some good free virus and malware programs?

what are some good free virus and malware programs?

The common census by the old timers on the forum is that you should not have any AV software on your Mac cause its not needed, yet the forums are full of people that have been infected with Malware which the same people help clean afterwards.
This totally befuddles me. I take care of quite a few macs and in the past few years have installed Anti Virus software on them and other than Sophos not catching the latest kinds of Malware that are out in the wild, I have not experienced any of the problems that the so called experts claim that they do.
Over the past few months I have migrated over 50 Macs from using Sophos to now using aVast Free Anti Virus for Mac. Other than getting more alerts of Windows viruses being found in Mail there has been no downside whatsover.
I believe in the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. So with that I will recommend that you should have some sort of Anti Virus software on your Mac. As I said prior, for now I an recommending avast Anti Virus for Mac. This will protect your Mac from getting infected with malware before you have to come back and ask the experts here how to fix your Mac and get rid of the malware.
When doing a scan I recommend that you only have it set to only show infections. Since it cannot read some compressed files and reports them as an error.

Does my iMac need an anti-virus or malware detection app to remain secure?

Does my iMac need an anti-virus or malware detection app to remain secure?

The best defense for keeping your Mac secure is YOU. Honestly, I will not tell you to not get software but YOU are the best way to stay safe. I myself have never used any software on my personal computers personally.
rules to remember:
Don't:
Open any e-mails from an unknown sender
Open any e-mails that have attachments unless that person is in your contacts...BUT, this one can be tricky as well. If one of your contacts gets infected, their computer could send an email (with an attachment) to everyone in their contact list. This is a trick to get you to open the attachment because you know the sender. So always check for really generic subject lines that sound fake, call them if you are not sure.
Click on any of those intrusive ads on websites.
Careful downloading software from the Internet that you are not sure about. Always do your research.
if you do decide to get software, I can safely say DO NOT GET MACKEEPER. STAY AWAY. I have heard only horror stories about this software.
Keep your Network safe, make sure if youuse an open WiFi connection to LOCK it.

I think I might have a virus or malware

I know that the likelihood is very slim that I have a virus but I have been having some problems lately. Earlier I had my laptop on and then I closed it and when I opened it back up and typed my password in it kept saying it was wrong. I even checked to see if caps lock was on and it was not. I had to restart my laptop for it to work. I also opened firefox today and it said that it was the first time I used it when it was not. The "you have never used this application before." message popped up. My Internet has also been slow. Graphics/images have not been loading on the Internet or they're pixilated and take a long time to become the resolution the image is at. I also have been having trouble with charging. I will leave it unplugged and then I'll charge it but it will say "battery not charging" but it is plugged in and it shows that it is plugged in it is just not charging but it is still not decreasing in battery power. If it is not a virus what is it and how could I stop these glitches from happening? Thank you.

Hi...
Doubtfull it's a virus or malware.
"battery not charging" but it is plugged in and it shows that it is plugged in it is just not charging but it is still not decreasing in battery power
Try troubleshooting the MagSafe adapter
If that didn't help, try Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
And since there are numerous issues, the startup disk may need repairing.
If you have Lion v10.7 insatlled, use Lion Recovery to repair the startup disk or reinstall the Mac OS X.
If you have a prior Mac OS X installed, help here > Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks
And make sure there's enough free space on the startup disk. Right or control click the MacintoshHD icon on your Desktop.
Click Get Info. In the Get Info window you will see Capacity and Available. Make sure there's a minimum of 15% free disk space.

Cannot uninstall AVG appears to be a virus or malware

am not sure how or when AVG somehow managed to "get permission" to install and corrupt my firefox browser, but it cannot be deleted now.
going into the add ons and tools, disabling AVG has no effect. in add/remove programs there is no AVG to be found.
since nothing within firefox can disable or block or remove it, it appears to be a virus or malware. have removed or disabled and restarted the browser, again and again and again. rebooted the pc 2 times after making SURE it was disabled. still there.
it does STUPID searches, type in something and it gives worthless answers. now each time I have to manually type in www.google.com to get to that site to be able to enter the search info. if I need to uninstall this worthless AVG thing by opening up the hard drive and taking sandpaper to those shiny disk things inside to scrape away AVG, Im going to do it.
if anyone knows how to get a version of firefox that DOES NOT HAVE AVG? then I want to download it. if there is a driver or something that will be able to block AVG from attaching like a parasite to firefox? then I want to download that as well

I can sense your frustration, but one important detail that would be useful to know is which of the many ways of searching and default pages has AVG Secure Search taken over?
* Search box on the built-in Firefox home page
* Search bar (where you can select the preferred search engine from the drop-down on the left side)
* Address or URL bar
* Replaced home page (Ctrl+n)
* Replaced new tab page (Ctrl+t)
The global Firefox Reset will clear all of those changes, but if only one or two are affected, there might be a shortcut to fixing it.

After update to OSX 10.9, Mail won't send attachments

Since upgrading to Mavericks (OSX 10.9), Mail (7.0) won't send email attachments using my employer's MS Exchange account. All other messages (without attachments) send just fine, and no Exchange server or account settings were changed. Attachments send just fine via the exchange web application, so it's not an account or mailbox size issue. The problem happens even with small attachments (I just tried one that was 173 kb).
After I hit send, the activity window says "adding message" for a time, then an error comes up "Cannot send message using the Exhange server" then give me an option to use my gmail or icloud which work fine.
Any ideas?

I actually was able to solve the issue using some info gleaned from other posts. I think it had to do with some exchange account settings from a prior version of Mail that were still on my machine and interfering with the new Mail app. Here's what I did to fix the issue.
Make sure I had a good backup in Time Machine (including system settings) in case something goes wrong
Delete Exchange account using "system preferences > internet accounts"
Close Mail
Show hidden files
Terminal command: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
Terminal command: killall Finder
Using Finder, locate and delete the file: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist
Using Finder, locate and delete the folder(s) and all their contents: ~/Library/Mail/V2/EWS-(your exchange acct info)I actually had a couple of these "EWS" folders in there from prior times that I had setup my exchange account. Not sure why ... I just deleted them all.
Empty the recycle bin
Reboot the computer
Hide hidden files (not necessary, it's just my preference)
Terminal command: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
Terminal command: killall Finder
Open "system preferences > internet accounts" and setup Exchange account as if it were the first time.
It took a while for all my mailboxes to rebuild and everything to come in, but after the initial sync, Mail 7.0 now works perfectly with my Exchange account including sending mail with file attachments. It's actually a lot quicker to receive and send than the prior version of Mail.
It doesn't seem like a widespread problem, but I hope this at least helps you (eprasek) with your issue. Best of luck!

I just planned to install windows 7 on my MBP Mid-2012 using VMware Fusion,so i am bit panic about viruses and malware's affecting through vmware,is there any way to avoid from this??

i just planned to install windows 7 on my MBP Mid-2012 using VMware Fusion,so i am bit panic about viruses and malware's affecting through vmware,is there any way to avoid from this??

usamasheikh wrote:
virus protection in vmware or on my running OS X 10.8.2??plz help me out
First, you can install Microsoft's Security Essentials in the Win 7 VM and keep it up-to-date. Second, you can turn off Sharing in Fusion's System Settings to keep the VM environment separate from your Mac. Third, you can look into Sophos Anti-Virus http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition/download.aspx for the Mac host.

OSX 10.9 Mail Virus or Malware?

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