Jan 19, 2013 6. Never install any commercial 'anti-virus' or 'Internet security' products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else. 3 days ago - Kaspersky makes the best antivirus software for Mac, but the free Avast isn't far behind. But recent years have seen more Mac malware and adware than ever before. On how much each antivirus product affected our laptop's performance. To do this, we used our custom OpenOffice benchmark, which.
No, you should not at this time. Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's. Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read. See these Apple articles: If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using Light from the App Store.
It's free, and since it's from the App Store, it won't destabilize the system. If you prefer one of the better known commercial products, then Thomas recommends using Sophos.( Thank you to for these recommendations.) If you already use Sophos, then be aware of this if you are using Mavericks: From user Joe Bailey comes this equally useful advice: The facts are: 1. There is no anti-malware software that can detect 100% of the malware out there. There is no anti-malware that can detect anything targeting the Mac because there is no Mac malware in the wild, and therefore, no 'signatures' to detect. The very best way to prevent the most attacks is for you as the user to be aware that the most successful malware attacks rely on very sophisticated social engineering techniques preying on human avarice,., and fear. Internet popups saying the FBI, NSA, Microsoft, your ISP has detected malware on your computer is intended to entice you to install their malware thinking it is a protection against malware. Some of the anti-malware products on the market are worse than the malware from which they purport to protect you.
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Be cautious where you go on the internet. Only download anything from sites you know are safe.
Avoid links you receive in email, always be suspicious even if you get something you think is from a friend, but you were not expecting. If there is any question in your mind, then assume it is malware. The only thing I would suggest is something like ClamXAV and only use it to check your mail directories.
And the only reason for this is that you could still be a 'carrier' for Windows viruses that you could spread to PCs (however, these days most ISPs have available means to set these up before ever reaching you which is the prefered method). As far as other forms of nasties, some simple rules: -Very basic rule of thumb, if you didn't ask for it, don't accept it.Never, ever click links in emails to go to any 'information sensitive' websites.
If you get an email, say from your bank, always go directly to the website from your browser. 'Phishers' can produce very convincing emails and phoney websites to extort your personal information.If a website says 'click now to upgrade.' If there is some app or plug in they claim they will upgrade, refuse and check directly with the distributor of said app or plug in.Avoid like the plague any sort of 'warez' sites. Besides the fact that they are breaking all manner of copyright laws, they are also real source of malware and trojans. I just bought a new mac book Air, and right away this screen popped up recomending mackeeper. Like a dummy I downloaded it.
Just the little free file that doesn't actually do anything, but of course it informed me that there were 64,000 problems that needed to be fixed on my 2 hour old machine. Anyway I am new to mac and limited in computer skills so live and learn.
I noticed my internet not running very smoothly shortly after. Videos are buffering non stop and that did not happen before. What should I do beyond uninstall mackeeper? Apple Footer. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums.
Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the.
This comment applies to malicious software ('malware') that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer.
That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it 'XProtect.' The malware recognition database is automatically updated once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders. The following caveats apply to XProtect.
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.). It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been another layer of built-in malware protection, designated 'Gatekeeper' by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't actually been tested by Apple (unless it comes from the Mac App Store), but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer.
His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe.
Gatekeeper has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following. It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user. A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could find some other way to evade Apple's controls. For more information about Gatekeeper, see.
Beyond XProtect and Gatekeeper, there’s no benefit, in most cases, from any other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence.
All known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called 'trojan horses,' which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win. That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source.
How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” 'player,' 'archive extractor,' or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy. A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn users who were infected with the 'DNSChanger' malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.). Pirated copies or 'cracks' of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe. Java on the Web ( not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system.
Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was never a good idea, and Java's developers have had a lot of trouble implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style 'virus' affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful. Fortunately, Java on the Web is mostly extinct.
Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a specific task, enable Java only when needed for the task and disable it immediately when done. Close all other browser windows and tabs, and don't visit any other sites while Java is active. Never enable any version of Java on a public web page that carries third-party advertising. Use it, if at all, only on well-known, password-protected, secure business or government websites without ads.
In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation 'https' when visiting a secure site. Why shouldn't you use commercial 'anti-virus' products?. Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere. In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance. By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks.
That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have 'phishing' links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them.
Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application. ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware.
It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else. A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning.
It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane.
All are disabled by default. Apple Footer. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the.