antivirus / malware/ trojan scans on mac

I remember during my PC days, every 3-4 weeks I would run a comprehensive scan of my hard disk, which usually meant a good 5-8 hours of scanning and deleting and rebooting. I had a whole routine that involved scanning with 2 different online scanners, then a hosted antivirus and antimalware and antirojan scan, then doing some more scans in windows safe mode and DOS (CMD) and etc etc etc.

I've had my macbook now for more than a year and not once have I scanned my HD. But I'm thinking perhaps I should? If so, what program(s) should I use?

Please, expert opinions only Thanks.

 

Mac's don't USUALLY need virus scans. as there are only a hand full of viruses out there. By the way what you 'used to do with windows' is WAY over kill, I do a virus scan ever couple of months, and when I download files, I scan those. Other than that I don't worry unless my computer is acting up then I investigate.

 

Pretty cool, ain't it? I'm using an old PowerBook as I type. This has got to be at least three years old and never has any sort of malware scan been run on it. The only problem this machine has ever had is with keys falling off. First the "R" and a couple of days ago the bracket key. Time to go see the Apple guys for its first repair. LOL

 

Seriously bro, that's some major overkill even for windows. Even if you're really anal retentive about such things, running adaware, virus scanner and an online virus scanner is more than enough.

Though I do find it funny that Mac users don't run spyware scans. I guess that's why several reports have been published stating that mac users are more vulnerable than windows users because they lack the paranoia. Spyware/Malware should be run once a month on every system, even if it's just to get rid of tracking cookies.

 

We lack paranoia because there is nothing for which to scan at this time. When malware starts showing up on Macs (and it will eventually), we'll start installing the same sorts of protection currently needed on PCs. Posts like yours have been common for years, but at this point, there still is no need for malware protection on Macs.

I do agree though, the OP's routine for his Windows machine was extreme, but, if it worked for him, so be it.

 

There really isn't a need for such, there are no major Mac viruses out in the wild right now, there's no major outbreak (I'll be sure to warn everyone if there is ), so there's no real need!

 

I understand why many people reading the OP's post believe his routine is/was over the top but I don't honestly think thats completely true. What routine you employ, how often you scan, with what software, whether hardware firewalls etc are employed and what methods are used for dealing with issues are entirely situational. I cannot state that explicitly enough. For one person simply only using net access to get mail on a client (outlook, mail, entourage etc, not web based mail clients) or RSS feeds one method will/should be sufficient. Clicking on a webpage can give you a nasty infection without needing to engage in some dodgy file download. Whenever you browse you are essentially downloading due to the interaction of user to site.

For people who use standard P2P software (Limewire etc) an entirely more critical view should be taken as they are simple and incredibly effective malware distribution systems. Torrents again provide differing threats due to their nature of only being combined at point of completion. Some AV softwares may find it incredibly hard to determine what they are looking at until the whole puzzle pieces itself together at the end and then triggers in a split second. If the AV isn't fast enough or aware/told to be aware the little rodent gets through its legs and is in the basement chewing through the cables before you know its there, so to speak. N.B: Replace 'cables' with 'credit card details', 'basement' with Moscow, rodent with 'guy called Vladimir'.

If your in a corporate environment and you don't take precautions if something happens YOU MAY BE LIABLE for the damage. This can mean an end to your career or legal action, or both. Its happened and I know solicitors firms who take actions against employees for this. There is no such thing as a completely secure system as many network admins will unfortunately attest to, only ones which are very well protected and precautions taken. But if your stupid enough not to have taken 'adequate reasonable precautions' its your head that will roll. If I found anyone causing a breach their life would not be worth living. (BTW crying to your boss afterwards that macs don't get viruses and thats why you bought one doesn't constitute 'adequate reaonable precautions', it just makes you look like a liability and doesn't get you your job back.)

Apple OSX users also have the serious potential of being the computing equivalent of the plague monkey. A virus not made for OSX can lay dormant on an OSX system without causing damage. Once it transfers to a Windows system you or the other guy are screwed. To anyone (like me) who uses OSX and Windows together please be aware that all the Windows scans in the world are worthless if that little fruit-labelled laptop on your desk is a carrier waiting to trigger and outside the range of your AV's scan.

Apple users would be wise to get wise to potential threats. Learning from Apple 6 months later that a threat exists and you have become an unwitting victim is of little good when you have been hit. You can cry to Apple tech support all you want, it won't have stopped somebody from using your credit card or social security number in the meantime nor will Apple be liable for the effects. Apple themselves recommend protective measures,

http://www.apple.com/support/security/guides/

IMHO if anyone out there in Apple land hasn't become best friends with firewalls like Little Snitch or an equivalent you are a sitting target. You can buy it or do as I do so far, which is to run it and it tells you to buy every 3 hours (not as annoying as it sounds). It monitors all incoming and outgoing connection requests and gives you a menubar visual and popup HUD on mouseover of all activity. Get it here, and do get it,

http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

As for AV and malware etc I'm running the beta of iAntivirus from PCTools who have been in the PC malware game for a long time with good reputation. Its free, fast, resource usage appears minimal (not like Norton) and is hopefully effective. It does NOT scan for windows threats so if you are worried about harbouring a Windows threat in your mac files I recommend making a copy of your files, transfer them to an external HDD, plug into windows pc and scan it from there. iAntivirus is available free here

http://www.iantivirus.com/

As a final note your choice of browser is significant. Apple have not been either efficient or honest regards many issues effecting security (see their recent security update to fix the DNS issue, which gave users an illusion that it fixed the vulnerability when it did nothing of the sort). This attitude is reflected in its onboard browser Safari which PayPal pulled from its recommended browser list as unsafe to use as regards Phishing scams. If IE7 on Windows can remain recommended when Safari is dropped there is a problem and no amount of Apple fanboyism helps that situation. I always use Opera or Firefox on banking sites or others that require any login details or verification, financial or otherwise. If that is Apple's way of dealing with the issue, by effectively faking remedies or not admitting they exist why should we believe Apple advertising that tells us we are secure (its profitable as it takes sales away from Windows alternatives in doing so and to me that means its biased in favour of not admitting any security flaws existing, again Apple are not liable if one does pop up in the end).

BTW I work for DSL support, my companies network infrastructure is under consistent and determined attacks on a daily basis from all angles and attack variations (e.g. DOS attacks on a daily basis particularly). I have to deal with customers, mostly businesses, who's employees amongst other things decide to plug in a flash drive or transfer files from there mp3 player/laptop and their network now runs like its stuck in molasses because of that employees actions. Last week I had a lad move a program from his iPod in disk mode over to his workstation (behind his Sonicwall firewall and outward-facing AV) and this rogue activated and started attacking his TCP/IP protocols from within causing serious issues for the small company's operations. It was a known rogue on Windows for over a year but since no OSX scanning had picked it up it wasn't killed and sat there waiting for a compatible victim. Unfortunately its always our/my fault = 1 hour call for something that is eventually discovered to be something that isn't even supported. So I know what I'm talking about. I wonder if he still has a job.

P.S: For Windows users I personally recommend Avast AV from www.avast.com. Its free, very efficient, takes up little resources, is easily configurable and if it blocks something its easy to figure out what, how and why (AVast stopped their OSX project a while ago unfortunately). For firewalls I use Comodo from http://www.comodo.com/. As with Avast its free and easy to handle. Better the hunter than the hunted. Happy hunting.

 

wondering... if i were to bootcamp windows on a mac, and then run AV stuff cuz i use windows, would it also scan the mac side of the HDD or just the windows side?

 

Just the windows side.

 

Spyware targets browsers, and not necessarily O.S's.

 

Your point? People have been warning Mac users for years that our day will come; it will. But, at this time, there is nothing against which Macs need protection. Viruses and other malware do not, at this time, have an affect on Macs. As I have already acknowledged, they will one day. When that day arrives, Mac users will require protection.

 

I still like littlesnitch because the firewall that ships with OS X does not know about or care about outgoing packets. I miss that feature zonealarm had and I always had the feeling I was in total control of my data on my windows box. I'm thinking I'll purchase and install littlesnitch family pack on our Macs.

I am also looking at iantivirus. It's free and claims to be nonintrusive. Since we have teenagers, I'd rather have the AV software BEFORE they download something nasty. Lastly, I don't care about scanning exe's on our Macs because we don't have any windows boxes under our roof.

There is no way for a virus to originate from our end because we don't have any exes. If somebody brings an infected usb stick to our house, the bug cannot get off their stick because there is no OS here that could allow it to spread. Our computers are mac and our file servers are Linux. If we were downloading exe's I would worry about us possibly being the source of a bug, but what reason could we possibly have to download exes?

I do agree in principle that Mac users have little to worry about but as the market share of OS X ramps up, I choose to prepare in advance. I should also mention that some of the vulnerabilities of Windows do not apply to OS X. As a Unix system, there are some inherent safeguards in place. However, as mentioned earlier in this thread, Apple is slow to respond and sometimes misrepresents our level of security. To me that's reason enough for to opt for a more proactive approach. To me the cost of littlesnitch ($59 family pack) and the time spent installing and configuring iantivirus (freeware) would be a small price to pay.

 

It's just odd that with the millions of millions of Mac's out there, You'd think you would see some viruses.

 

I thought I read somewhere that even there are millions of millions of Mac's out there, it only represents 10% of all the computers.

If this is true, does this mean that like 5% is like linux and 85% is windows?

 

Yes, Windows is still very dominant. I think its actually around 8% right now.

 

I think Jurisprudence had a very good point about Macs being transmission vectors. I've experienced this first hand from friends. Friends who mocked my use of antivirus tools under windows. I haven't run a virus scan in ages, and usually have the a/v inactive, but actively scan downloads of any sort, have everything firewalled off, regularly check programs that start up, and occasionally run spyware scans. I don't comprehend how Mac users celebrate complacency if they're connected to the internet at all.

 

Simple fix for this. Do not share files with unknown Mac computers. Complacency is a huge issue for Apple and it's customers. Safari doesn't even have a phishing filter because apparently even though phishing sites are not O.S. specific, Apple's O.S. is still invulnerable to it because, well, they're Apple.

Most people are lax about security, but Apple users almost seem like they WANT it to happen they are so lax.

I love Mac's, but I'll always pass on this type of conceit.

 

I know DK already answered this as regards OSX being unable to scan Windows bootcamp partitions but I'm wondering about the reverse. I'm about to install XP on my MBP (new 320gb WD drive installed ). Could I install my copy of Macdrive on the Windows side and make it scan the OSX side. I honestly have more faith in Avast AV on Windows in picking up potential threats, just due to experience and their level of experience.

 

Actually those are U.S. numbers, as the Apple market share is much much lower outside the U.S.

"In the worldwide market, Apple is still not listed in the top 5. Toshiba is currently listed as the #5 worldwide computer maker with sales of 3.157 million computers for 4.4% market share.

Apple has not yet released its own number for the June quarter, but in the year ago quarter, the company sold a total of 1.764 million Macs. If Apple were to see its total sales increase by the same 38% that Gartner reports for the U.S. market, Apple could report somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.43 million Macs, still well below Toshiba's sales."

So it sounds like their market share would be in the ballpark of 2-3% in global market share right now.

http://www.macobserver.com/article/2008/07/16.10.shtml

 

Yes, globally Windows is even more dominant, but I think Mac OS X is about 4% globally. But yeah, Apple products are in the product mindset I would say in North America, UK and Japan, really. The other areas are more lacklustre, and Apple is slowly addressing it. In Hong Kong, the de facto business city of Asia, you see lots of awesome cell phones, and not so much lots of white earbuds like here in North America.