Should i run an anti virus program on my IMAC

I just got hacked into my imac last week i was running norton 360 as well but it didn't catch the thief. Does anyone here use antivirus? I did a total scan and it didn't pick up my issue so i did a total wipe off of mac and starting all over again. I am scared afther that happened, looking for other imac users advice. Thanks

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
We don't recommend any antivirus for OS X because they are useless (specially, commercial antiviruses like Norton). If you want to install an antivirus, install Sophos or ClamXav. See > http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg
As you were hacked, instead of installing an antivirus, you may want to install Little Snitch > http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html This app allows you to control all processes between your iMac and the Internet, and viceversa, so you have a total control over your Internet connection. If you find a strange process, just deny it. This is the best way to prevent hacks. Also, it's good to increase the security of your router (for example, using a WPA2 password, MAC filters...)

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Question: Do I need to run and anti virus program with MAC OSX Lion? Have heard different opinions! If so what would you recommend? Was looking at Sophos. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks

Question: Do I need to run and anti virus program with MAC OSX Lion? Have heard different opinions! If so what would you recommend? Was looking at Sophos. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks

Do I need to run and anti virus program with MAC OSX Lion? Have heard different opinions!
You will continue to hear different opinions here, where thoughts range everywhere between "anti-virus software is the evil spawn of Satan" to "anyone not running anti-virus software is a fool."
Truth is, this is still a very personal decision on a Mac. Depending on circumstances, it is still very easily possible to stay safe without using anti-virus software, but circumstances and personal preferences vary widely. Besides which, anti-virus software cannot even remotely provide you a guarantee of protection!
To learn how to stay safe (with or without anti-virus software), and how to decide whether to use anti-virus software, see my Mac Malware Guide.

No viruses on mac but should i still get anti-virus program?

I am getting a mac next week and i would like to know if i should buy an anti virus program even though macs dont get viruses.Thanks

There will be conflicts, and pages upon pages with arguments for/against anti-virus programs on a Mac.
ClamAV is a small program, unlike Norton, does NOT create any instability within MacOS and does not slow MY system down. I am not sure if you have used ClamAV, but there are thousands of users who use it WITHOUT a problem.
I use Clam to scan for a possible virus that come through e-mail, (ClamAV does scan e-mail too) and I use Microsoft Office tons, and use it between OS. Better to be safe than sorry, slowing down my computer or not. Again, I have not had any problems with installers, system performance, loss of memory etc. It's worth it IMO.

What's the best anti-virus program for my iMac?

Any help is appreciated.

ClamXav 2.2.5. But if you are concerned about the recent malware issues then see:
Helpful Links Regarding Flashback Trojan
Visit Thomas Reed's site for insight and help: Mac Malware Guide
A Google search can reveal a variety of alternatives on how the remove the trojan should your computer get infected. This can get you started. However, be careful about what you do as new variants of the malware circumvent the efforts of earlier tools.
Also see Apple's article About Flashback malware.
Apple has released Java updates for Snow Leopard and Lion users:
Java for OS X Lion 2012-003; available only for users of Lion with Java installed.
Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 8; available only for users of Snow Leopard.
Flashback malware removal tool; available only for users of Lion without Java installed.
Install whichever shows up in Software Update. It removes the malware (if present), updates Java (if present) and tightens up Java settings for the future. You may download from Apple's web site instead of using Software Update, but it's important to know which one to get, because the other two won't work for you.
For the truly paranoid see 10 Simple Tips for Boosting The Security Of Your Mac.

Should I install anti-virus program on my iPad?

Should I install an anti-virus program on my iPad?

You don't need one. As it stands, there are no known viruses for the iOS operating system.
You do still have to practice safe internetting. Don't click on links in unsolicited mails, be wise where you share your personal info, etc.
But most viruses are .exe files, written to execute on PC based systems, .exe files literally won't run on an iPad's operating system.

Anti-Virus program for iPhone!

Does any one has the idea about anti-virus program for iPhone? When I download the email, I am so concern about the virus attached with the email? Maybe, Apple should consider developing specific anti-virus program for iPhone!

Does any one has the idea about anti-virus program
for iPhone? When I download the email, I am so
concern about the virus attached with the email?
Maybe, Apple should consider developing specific
anti-virus program for iPhone!
iPhone is running OSX not to say that Mac OSX can't catch a virus, but its the least out there to catch one! So for now I dont think you need to worry about that. I am sure apple will be putting software patches soon as there are some other problems with the iphone as we've all had with our brand new gadgets or computers before. So wait it out and apple most likely will do a fix to it. As to virus protection...most mac users don't have to worry about it, I'm pretty sure if the phone is running a phone version of OSX then virus protection should be one of the invisible features inside.

Do I need an anti-virus program on a MacBook?

I'm a brand new MacBook user. Just bought the 13-inch aluminum body version from Club Mac and it was delivered yesterday. The notebook is actually for my wife to be able to use while she's recovering from knee surgery in a couple of weeks and I thought it was time to branch our family out from PC's and Windows. So I'm setting up the MacBook for her to be able to use it...and for our family to get more literate on a Mac and it looks great! My question is do I need an anti-virus program and if so, which is a good one recommended by Mac users? NOTE: because my wife is familiar with Windows, I had XP service pack 3 installed and have VM Ware Fusion onboard to be able to run both Windows and Leopard for her convenience and to assist us. So there MAY be some Windows use on this MacBook, at least at first. All responses, replies, suggestions, welcome. 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.

Which anti-virus program do you recommend?

My school requires that I install an anti-virus on my iBook G4. Which anti-virus program works better with Mac?

Look at these links.
The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/
Should Mac Users Run Antivirus Software?
http://db.tidbits.com/article/9511
Reviews of Antivirus products for Apple Mac OS X
http://netsecurity.about.com/od/macav/Reviewsof_Antivirus_products_for_Apple_Mac_OSX.htm
Antivirus software is not really necessary on a Mac, however if you receive many emails and forward them to PC users it may help them. I don't use any AV SW on my Macs. If you want to use one to detect a virus on emails, get the freeware antivirus application for Macs - ClamXav @ http://www.clamxav.com/ .
SecureMac has a lot of info about Mac security. SecureMac has provided several freeware Trojan removal tools. Download them here:
iServices Trojan Removal Tool (OS 10.4 or later) Download at http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/30265/iservices-trojan-removal-tool
DNSChanger Removal Tool (OS 10.3 or later) Download at http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/26652/dnschanger-removal-tool
 Cheers, Tom

How to handle multiple anti-virus programs?

I recently read that it's advisable (even on a Mac) to have several anti-virus programs running.
Are there any problems likely to occur if one installs more than one anti-virus program? Can both run automatically at the same time?

Aluti, welcome to Apple Discussions.
Look at these links.
The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/
Should Mac Users Run Antivirus Software?
http://db.tidbits.com/article/9511
Antivirus software is not really necessary on a Mac, however if you receive many emails and forward them to PC users it may help them. I don't use any AV SW on my Macs. If you want to use one to detect a virus on emails, get the freeware antivirus application for Macs - ClamXav @ http://www.clamxav.com/ .
SecureMac has introduced a free Trojan Detection Tool for Mac OS X. It's available here:
http://www.securemac.com/ This site also has a lot of info about Mac security.
 Cheers, Tom

Anti Virus program for Windows Conversion

I am planning to put VMware Fusion onto my ProMac in order to transfer many of my former PC programs. Hearing that AVG was a very good Anti virus program, I e-mailed them about which of their products I could use. They informed me that they are not compatible to Mac, even though I'd be using it for my Windows conversion program. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what anti virus program works best in protecting my Windows conversion program on a Pro Mac?
Thannks,
3D Dad

I am not clear on what you mean by your "windows conversion program". If you are using Fusion... you will be running Windows. You should use whatever antivirus program you would feel comfortable with running on any Windows machine. While AVG is not the "best" antivirus program out there, it is considered an excellent free option. I have seen many test results that show acceptable performance. Without knowing the details of the internal tests conducted by David's company, I can't say if his results would reflect those of real world use (David... I'm not questioning your results... I'm just saying that without knowing more about the test... I can't take that as being anything more than someone just saying they tested it and it didn't work).
I am very against running any Symantec products on any of my systems (and I expect many here would agree). They tend to be resource hogs and very often cause more problems than they can fix. Kaspersky is considered on of the best "pay" antivirus programs out there and it's much more friendly on your system than Symantec's Norton Antivirus:
http://www.kaspersky.com/

How can i tell if I have malware and what anti virus program is best?

please suggest the best anti virus program and how I can determine if I have a virus

The fact that your bank account was hacked doesn't mean that you have a "virus," despite what the bank may have told you. It means either that the bank had a breach of its internal security, which it prefers to blame on you, or that you chose a weak password or weak security questions that someone was able to guess. The password should a be a random string of at least 10 random upper- and lower-case letters and digits. You don't need to, and should not be able to, remember it.

What's Best Anti-Virus Program for a Mac?

I know that most people think that Macs don't get viruses, but I'm a computer teacher in a public school and we recently got the W97M virus. It's in the Microsoft Word program, and although it may not hurt specifically our iMacs, it has caused other problems. We get frequent error messages and also the spinning ball, the latter of which could be caused by a number of reasons. Another teacher used her flash drive from school on her home computer, and the computer died. It was a PC, but she's not sure if it's from the virus or not.
Anyway, I depend on flash drives a lot to transfer documents I create at school to my home computer and vise-versa. Ever since I heard about this virus, and we've gotten other viruses too, I haven't used my flash drives on my home computer. I have a G5 with the 10.3.9 operating system that eventually I'd like to upgrade. The only two anti-virus programs I've seen the names of are iAntiVirus and ClamXAV. I thought that I had read a while ago that ClamXAV detects the virus but doesn't remove it. (or it may have been another anti-virus program) I would like one that not only detects it but also removes it, whether the program is a free one or one you have to buy. Also, I need one that is okay with my present operating system (OSX 10.3.9) and also will work with whatever the newest OSX system exists when I upgrade.
Thank you for your help.

The developer of ClamXav created a front-end (the GUI interface) for an open source back-end that actually does the real work. There are apparently ClamAV applications for other platforms.
So it seems like the developer is saying that the 1.1.1 version of ClamXav for Panther is the current front-end version, but the back-end "engine" is a slightly older version. The back-end for the Tiger and later version no longer works with Panther. But that should be OK, because the program downloads updated definition files as new malware is identified. Since the developer can no longer support creating a version for Panther, this version is the last one.
Also, ClamXav is a scanning program. It does not take any action to remove malware (as far as I know). It just tells you about what if finds, and it's up to you to remove or replace the compromised file. I my case, the only things it finds are malware embedded in spam/junk emails, so I just need to find and delete those emails.
Note: I had not used ClamXav in a long time, and the 1.1.1 version does not work in Snow Leopard. But there is a beta 2.0 version that does work with Snow Leopard.

When i download a file from the web i get "Anti-Virus Program not found " message. This has been happening since I change anti-virus programs for CA etrust to Sophos. How do I get Firefox to recognise my new Anti-virus program?

every time i download a file from the web (ie. a PDF file) i get "Anti-Virus Program not found " message. This has been happening since I changed anti-virus programs for CA etrust to Sophos. How do I get Firefox to recognise my new Anti-virus program?

That is a very good warning provided by the Download Statusbar extension. Something like that should been built into Firefox. I filed this Bug report a couple of years ago, about the lack of a warning like that. <br />
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=480855 <br />
I have looked everywhere that I can think of to find a list of '''IOfficeAntiVirus providers''' ''(as mentioned in the Bug report)'' that will work with Firefox, so I can't answer that for you.
You might want to ask the developer of the Download Statusbar extension about it. He might know which AV programs are compatible with the Windows API that Firefox uses for the download scan. <br />
http://dlstatusbar.proboards.com/index.cgi? <br />

Do I need to get a firewall or anti-virus program for my new IMAC?

I'm a new Mac user and have heard that firewall or anti-virus programs are unnecessary on Macs, but I'm wary anyway. If I chose to utilize such programs, what should I get?
And, is it advisable to shut my system down each night?

anti virus isnt not necessary for the most part with macs
shutting down/ restarting is a gray area. do you HAVE to, no, BUT it can help fix or clean up little stuff when you get lag or the random little glitches the restart will normally fix it.
i was not restarting my machine except maybe once a month but now im restarting every few days, my brother went to restarting about daily and he is working on his machine all day everyday so meh if it works for you what ever.
leaving your machine on will give a little more ware on parts and all but if your at either end of the user spectrum (light user or demanding user) it shouldnt matter much to you, if you are light you shouldnt get to a point that anything fails and if you are demanding you will probably gets parts to fail either way.
-matt

Install firewall or anti-virus program for new ipad

Do i need to install a firewall or anti-virus program for new ipad

Apfelwurm wrote:
Your Wi-Fi router should already sport a firewall.
Check its documentation.
Unfortunately, the router firewall can prevent the iPad from accessing the Internet!. I didn't look into the details but my router firewall has three basic settings, Minimum, Typical and Maximum. Internet access is blocked with Typical and Maximum settings.

Should i run an anti virus program on my IMAC

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