As Apple laptops and desktops gain market share, new users are being introduced to OS X. One of the questions that often comes up is, “Do I need anti-virus software for my Mac?” There has been a lot of debate back and forth as to whether AV software is useful. Apple had a Knowledge Base article recommending the use of multiple anti-virus packages for maximum protection. On December 2, 2008, the article (was at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2550) was removed from their site. Shortly after the page was removed, an Apple statement telling users that no system is 100% secure and AV software may be helpful was released.
So what does all this mean for Mac OS X users?
While many people argue that the Unix roots of OS X introduces an inherent level of security, history is filled with examples of virus and worm activity across almost all platforms, including Unix. For business users and remote workers, who must obey security policies and profiles, AV software will be a requirement. For home users and non-business use, running an AV package to protect against malware seems like a pretty minimal investment, both in cost and effort, compared to the potential damage that could be caused by an infection. Of course if you do choose to install AV software on your OS X computer, regular updates should be applied and either real-time scanning or regularly scheduled scans should be performed.
Its like not wearing a seatbelt while driving or a helmet while skiing or biking, its unlikely that you’ll need it at any given moment, but the consequences of not using one when an accident occurs may be catastrophic.
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3 Responses
April 30th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
[...] View original post here: The Barking Seal » Blog Archive » Anti-Virus for Mac OS X? [...]
May 12th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Randy,
You called it!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10234535-83.html
Just more stuff to license… *awesome*.
n.
June 13th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
It should be noted that the very first exploit on record (at least in the circles I run with) was against the “fingerd” daemon – an entity which typically existed only on UNIX platforms.
Similarly, the Kevin Mitnick worm (the first to propagate by means of undirected action) was targeted at UNIX mail relays.
About the only thing UNIX has going for it versus Windows, MacOS or whatever is experience – those that use it have been burned so many times the accumulated scar tissue is starting to look a lot like body armor. Windows too has been burned (a lot!) but the pain hasn’t propagated far enough up the corporate brain-stem to influence the corporate behavior vis-a-vis a “security first” directive.
MacOS is somewhere in-between, and at least benefits from the Berkeley-Kernel UNIX at its core.
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