[jakey02]

I just got the new macbook pro and i want to get some type of anti virus software, but there is such a small section of stuff compared to an old pc user. The only two products i've seen have been Intego VirusBarrier and Nortons. Is there any other better products or suggestions?

[Kickaha]

Yeah. Avoid Norton at all costs.

There are no Mac viruses, but if you want to make sure you don't pass along a Windows virus to someone else in an email or document, go download ClamAV/X. It's free, it's good, and it won't screw over your system like Norton.

No need to spend money on this, really.

[kscherer]

Intego makes a pretty good product. But you will find that most of us are going to recommend against any anti-stuff. Ant--this and that is just going to slow your machine down while it accomplishes very little. You will find that, if someone sends out an e-mail that is nasty-laden, your antivirus will find it and eliminate it, although said nasty would have no effect on your Mac, anyway.

Just avoid the stuff. You'll be happier for it.

[Windowsrookie]

Originally Posted by jakey02 I just got the new macbook pro and i want to get some type of anti virus software, but there is such a small section of stuff compared to an old pc user.?

Why? There are no Mac viruses.

[kretara]

If you really want some kind of Anti-Virus software then use Clam.

If you want your OS to kernel panic often and to demonstrate windows like instability than install Norton, otherwise stay as far from any Norton/symantic/macafee product as you can.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by kretara If you want your OS to kernel panic often and to demonstrate windows like instability

That's beautiful!!

[Fahrenheit]

Originally Posted by Windowsrookie Why? There are no Mac viruses.

Some companies and Universities require anti-virus software for all machines on the network. People know that Macs don't have any virii at the moment, but thats not to say that Macs can't help spread them.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Farenheit Some companies and Universities require anti-virus software for all machines on the network. People know that Macs don't have any virii at the moment, but thats not to say that Macs can't help spread them.

That's exactly right. BSU, here in town, requires ALL computers, not just PCs, to have Anti-junk. Keeps you from forwarding tainted e-mails to the professor's PC. Big companies in town have the same policies.

[Kickaha]

Ayup.

Download Clam, keep it on hand.

[Windowsrookie]

But if all the Windows PCs have Anti-Virus software installed, wouldn't it detect the virus that a non-protected Mac sent?

[Kickaha]

Shhhhhh, don't point out illogic to IT personnel, it hurts their brains...



Seriously, if policy is "all computers will have anti-virus software installed" then that means all computers. Don't question the policy. The policy is all. Kneel before the policy.

[curiousuburb]

Intego are evil. Search here or Google there and the buzz is often bad.

OS X is 6+ years of no viruses. Some trojans, but they require user authorization so caveat emptor. But nothing self-propogating for OS X. Almost no malware, period... but then again, if you choose to install untrusted stuff, that's not practicing safe surfing, is it.

In my experience since OS X release early this century, Norton borks more systems than it helps.
ClamAV is open source and is less crash prone. But only if you have to clean up other people's MS-infected mail.

YMMV, but if you're new, you need to bring some fresh mindset to your Apple experience.
These dudes think about damn near everything when they design things.

When in doubt, try the most obvious and intuitive thing (drag and drop works almost everywhere), not the methods of your old OS... you'll usually find that the obvious or intuitive solution is the way Apple builds things.

You don't fight the system nearly as much, and it's not just better engineered, it's a less frustrating experience, once you get it.

See Switch 101 and/or Mac 101 or ask here.

Soon you will focus on the creative rather than the troubleshooting, young grasshopper.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Windowsrookie But if all the Windows PCs have Anti-Virus software installed, wouldn't it detect the virus that a non-protected Mac sent?

That would be the big Yup! Funny, huh! Kinda like "If my kid is not immunized, he can't go to that school full of immunized kids 'cause he might give them something?"

Best anti-virus software on planet Earth is Mac OS X!

That's what we tell our customers. But like Kickaha said, don't peev the IT!

[Brad]

Just to reiterate the main points from above:

• Mac OS X doesn't need antivirus software because there aren't any viruses. The only thing you'll be doing it cleaning files of Windows viruses so you can't be a "carrier".
• AVOID NORTON/SYMANTEC AT ALL COSTS. Ahem. Yes. Their "support" record for Mac OS X is astoundingly bad.
• If you must get antivirus software for Mac OS X, don't pay for some big commercial package. As noted, it's not really doing anything for you anyway; so, it's not worth any serious investment. The free and open source ClamXav should be plenty capable of appeasing any neanderthal IT guys.

[kscherer]

Yeah. Funny that whenever you read some article about the absolute necessity of having anti-virus on the Mac, it's always the Norton guys doing the yacking. Wonder why that is?

[rasmits]

If your University is forcing you to install anti-virus software, do what I and every other Mac user I've ever known did: Tell them to suck it.

It's not like they're actually going to check.

[Fahrenheit]

Originally Posted by rasmits If your University is forcing you to install anti-virus software, do what I and every other Mac user I've ever known did: Tell them to suck it. It's not like they're actually going to check.

How about just installing it. No need to get macho over antivirus requirements.

[Kickaha]

Yeah, like I said. Download it, keep it around, run its updater every so often... no biggie.

[Banana]

Originally Posted by Farenheit How about just installing it. No need to get macho over antivirus requirements.

Rasmits is probably correct about that they never check it. So yeah, you could just install it, then have it do nothing. (e.g. turned off or disabled or whatever)

[thegeriatric]

You will comply. Resistance is futile.

[ast3r3x]

They don't have a way to check on the mac I don't think. Unless there is a way to do versioning with OS X Server. At my school they require that you have certain things installed and have something that checks your windows installation if your versions are up to date too. Can't get on the network without verification.

[kretara]

At the University that I used to work for they required all computers to have some form of anti-virus software. I told them that I installed Clam on my Macs. They wanted proof so I opened up terminal and handed over my laptop to the useless central IT idiot (I was a department IT type person) and told him to use his Unix skills to see if Clam was running.
Since he only knew windows he told me "OK, I believe that it is installed".

I love fcking around with windows only people.