Is Anti Virus Software needed for a Mac (OS X); If so free solution? [closed]
I have a MacBook that I use for programming and graduate school work. Since I bought it, I've not given much thought to putting an anti virus on it. I bought it about 6 months ago and for some reason, doing so has never crossed my mind until this morning.
I scanned this site (using the search feature) to find what people might recommend. I had assumed that this would have been asked already. I've not found any post related to Anti and Mac.
But, I found this post and I started questioning whether I need it or not.
Do I need an Anti Virus on my MacBook? For my Window's machines, I run AVG Anti Virus free edition. Is there a free edition (of something) for a Mac OS X based computer?
Solution 1:
Here are two free options.
- iAntiVirus
- ClamAVX
Note that iAntiVirus does not scan for Windows viruses, while this makes the scan a lot faster just be aware that you could potentially pass on something to a Windows machine.
Also be advised that ClamAVX has slow scan speeds.
Solution 2:
I'll say, as of right now and for a user like yourself, the answer is no. The number of people I know who have had their Macs adversely affected by a virus or malware is zero. Not saying that there never would be a problem in the future, but it seems unlikely at this point that it would be as important as it is in the Windows world. And, if you're somebody that's using superuser.com during the beta, I would imagine that you are the type of person who will hear about impending danger with Mac viruses before it's too late to start using anti-virus.
Solution 3:
When it comes to Mac antivirus, you tread a fine line between getting useful answers, and getting answers that inspire mouth-foaming zealotry.
Disclaimer: I am a mac user (I own three of them) and I used to administer several hundred Windows machines for a living.
The security guy in me says that no computer should be without some form of automated malware protection. You take that how you like, but if it is connected to the internet, then it requires some form of protection.
The more realistic guy in me says that no, you don't need a mac anti virus. There just aren't that many live examples of malware running around in the wild, and in just about every instance that I'm aware of - these pieces of malware will ask for administrative rights.
Most normal people get a bit suspicious when the admin prompt comes up for no reason. At least, that's what I teach people (If you see this and you didn't ask for it, cancel!).