Capman Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Is anybody here a mac user, or does anybody have any knowledge of macs? Mainly what I am after is some information as to a good anti virus program for macs, googling it leaves me none the wiser, although I have just recommended PC Tools iAntiVirus to someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Tarun Posted May 27, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 27, 2011 I don't use a Mac, but... Back with BlackHole RAT there's some coverage on how Comodo and Sophos have anti-virus programs for Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capman Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 He had Sophos installed and that was what found 2 trojans, but couldn't delete them. I'll see how he gets on with iAntiVirus, then perhaps get him to give Comodo a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Tarun Posted May 27, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 27, 2011 I'd be leery with anything Comodo though. Should see our other discussions. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0_0 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky and others have Mac editions: Mac Antivirus Software Review - Malware Monitoring for MacsMac and Linux AV software - Antivirus protection for alternative operating systemsAbout.com 2011 Readers' Choice Awards - Best Mac Antivirus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capman Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 I'd be leery with anything Comodo though. Should see our other discussions. That did make me wonder why you had mentioned Comodo in the first place actually. Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky and others have Mac editions: Mac Antivirus Software Review - Malware Monitoring for MacsMac and Linux AV software - Antivirus protection for alternative operating systemsAbout.com 2011 Readers' Choice Awards - Best Mac Antivirus Thanks gUiTaR_mIkE, that gives me some things to look at. --- I have mentioned http://www.clamxav.com/ to him, because reading around made it seem like a good one. (This all takes me back to about 12 years ago when I wasn't too clued up on Windows security and would spend ages searching, reading and trying stuff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Tarun Posted May 28, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 28, 2011 That did make me wonder why you had mentioned Comodo in the first place actually. Yeah I pretty much just referenced an article we posted about Blackhole RAT. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_A Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 F-Secure have just released F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac which is normally priced at just under €32 per year, but there is currently a 30-day free trial available. The user interface is just like the Windows version. Note for Non-European users (and those using old fonts) € is the "Euro" currency symbol.) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capman Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 Thanks James, I'll pass that information on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldmannen Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Antivirus products for Mac are probably just to cash in on fear. Are there really any notable amount of virii in the wild that targets Mac OS X to warrant the use of antivirus software on that platform? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Tarun Posted May 29, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 29, 2011 Variant of BlackHole RAT and Mac Defender, amongst others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_A Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Best to let F-Secure answer that. Interesting that they discontinued it due to a lack of threats: In 1990s, we used to have a Mac product. It eventually got discontinued due to lack of threats. Then, in October 2007, we saw something unusual: a DNS Changer Trojan for OS X. We estimated the risk level of new Mac malware and as a result, we started developing F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac. While we have seen new Mac malware every now and then, many experts have been downplaying the malware risk on Mac OS X systems. But the fact is that we are seeing more and more activity. Just during the last week, we've seen a significant rise of infections with Mac scareware trojans. These trojans are distributed via poisoned Google Images Search links. The trojans attempt to trick the user into believing their Mac is infected — when it's actually clean. Once the user is convinced he has a problem, he will purchase a license for the fake security product called MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector or MacGuard. The trick is actually quite convincing. The user is redirected to a web page which doesn't look like a web page at all. Instead it resembles Mac's Finder ... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0_0 Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Antivirus products for Mac are probably just to cash in on fear. Are there really any notable amount of virii in the wild that targets Mac OS X to warrant the use of antivirus software on that platform? McAfee Labs - Mac Malware Monsoon in May My favorite bits. <snip> Mac users should understand that millions of Windows threats exploit the user, rather than the operating system... Sadly, many Windows users have grown accustomed to the tactics of those who seek to gain control over their PCs. But even sadder will be the non-Windows users who have lived in ignorant bliss... Furthermore, ZDNet estimates that 60,000-125,000 customers have called Apple support this month about such malware. Of course only a fraction of those infected would actually pick up the phone, so the problem is likely much larger. I wanted to add this blurb from Apple. It's apparent (IMO) Apple wishes to believe their products are immune from attack, well mostly but Apple knows this is not the case, the low incidents are a direct result of small market share = no incentive to attack, very low ROI. If Apple is immune why the need for security teams or system / software patches - sounds a bit like Windows Update if you ask me. Stay up to date. Automatically. When a potential security threat arises, Apple responds quickly by providing software updates and security enhancements that can be downloaded automatically and installed with a click. Apple works with the incident response community, including the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) and the FreeBSD Security Team, to proactively identify and quickly correct operating system vulnerabilities. In addition, Apple cooperates closely with organizations such as the Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERT/CC). The most telling quote. Security Advice. The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box. However, since no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, antivirus software may offer additional protection. Translation: Apple is vulnerable to attacks just like PCs no matter what the Kool-Aid Drinkers believe :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldmannen Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Well it seems to me that the Mac OS X operating system is relatively secure, and that the malware here says "You're infected by evil malware!! please permit me to install on your system so I can infec-- err I mean clean it, you can trust me, I promise I'll be good". The fault lies at the (l)user, not the operating system per se. It is possible to develop relatively secure software, but there is no cure for idiocy. The computer got infected not because the system is insecure, but because the user is an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0_0 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The computer got infected not because the system is insecure, but because the user is an idiot. Sometimes - and at times the problem is the OS... <snip> to proactively identify and quickly correct operating system vulnerabilities. and so it is with Windows, only in greater numbers. <snip> Mac users should understand that millions of Windows threats exploit the user, rather than the operating system There's no argument that Windows is far more vulnerable, there's more PCs on the road. I don't have a dog in this fight, I just get annoyed by the superiority complex Mac folks seem to have. I used Apple for about 3 years in a digital audio class, I found nothing particularly exceptional with the OS, browser, or the recording software. In fact we had many problems with the OS, a version of Leopard I believe. IMO the myth that "Apple is a perfect machine" is a fallacy. I think it's wrong to give naive Apple users the sense they can do (or click) anywhere on the internet and no matter what - they are safe because they own a Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_A Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 ... <snipped> ... Translation: Apple is vulnerable to attacks just like PCs no matter what the Kool-Aid Drinkers believe Made even more funny by the cross-references at the bottom of the WikipediA page: "Gullibility" and "Irrationality". Seriously though, the most vulnerable part of a Mac is the browser (Safari). Look at the results of hacking contests and it's usually Safari that is used to PWN a Mac. Such as this example from CanSecWest in 2008, when the headline was "PWN 2 OWN over: MacBook Air gets seized in 2 minutes flat": This year, the PWN 2 OWN hacking competition at CanSecWest was over nearly as quickly as the second day started, as famed iPhone hacker Charlie Miller showed the MacBook Air on display who its father really was. Apparently Mr. Miller visited a website which contained his exploit code (presumably via a crossover cable connected to a nearby MacBook), which then "allowed him to seize control of the computer, as about 20 onlookers [read: unashamed nerds] cheered him on." Of note, contestants could only use software that came pre-loaded on the OS, so obviously it was Safari that fell victim here. Nevertheless, he was forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement that'll keep him quiet until "TippingPoint can notify the vendor," but at least he'll have $10,000 and a new laptop to cuddle with during his silent spell. Roll forwards to this year and things haven't improved: First up, and first to fall, was Safari 5.0.3 on fully-patched Mac OS X 10.6.6 I suppose that's why pretty much all the knowledgable Mac users I know run Firefox or Chrome. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_A Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you are running Snow Leopard (a.k.a Mac OS X 10.6) then Apple has just released a Security Update (2011-003) that updates the definitions for the built-in Anti-Virus, in order to remove the fakeAV MacDefender See Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection for the details. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0_0 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Did this guy attend U.S. public schools??? IMO the myth that Apple is a perfect machine is a fallacy. To keep the peace, in alphabetical order: AMD is the bestus CPU ever! Apple is the bestus puter ever! Intel is the bestus CPU ever! Linux is the bestus OS ever! Windows is the bestus OS ever! This covers the main arguments circulating the web, should make most users happy - now I'll go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capman Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 This covers the main arguments circulating the web, should make most users happy - now I'll go away. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Tarun Posted June 2, 2011 Administrator Share Posted June 2, 2011 It's funny. Within eight hours the patch is already useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_A Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 ... Within eight hours the patch is already useless. Maybe not. The Security Update also turned-on daily AV updates (just like any other AV definitions update) and: Apple has since updated its signature database to include this new variant, ... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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