FREE Antivirus software?

[wiredsc]

I have recently added AVG free edition to my PC and also the free Adaware edition, which is keeping my PC very clean of virus' and trackers etc.

I can't afford to buy any anti virus software at the mo, unless someone can tell me about some cheap software, however, I would prefer some links to FREE antivirus software and adware software for the mac if it is at all available.

Cheers

 

[mkrishnan]

*Thread cries out in anguish, begging for a sticky*

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/112316/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/109617/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/110075/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/107826/

Not all specifically targetting *free* antivirus, but why you want to be asking a slightly different question.

 

[keysersoze]

To paraphrase mkrishnan,

You don't need it.


Welcome to the Mac world.

 

[rtdgoldfish]

I don't think wiredsc is looking for antivirus software for Mac. The post says PC and I also don't think AdAware is available for the Mac. Is this correct, wiredsc??

 

[mkrishnan]

...I would prefer some links to FREE antivirus software and adware software for the mac if it is at all available.

Ahem, but I shouldn't have been snippy earlier. So I apologize. I don't know if there is free Mac AV or anti-adware, but I do know that I have surfed all over the internet, and have for a year, with no spyware or adware, and that after about six months of using the Symantec AV that my school provided me for free, I decided it was a waste of processor time, ditched it, and have not regretted the fact.

So, welcome to the wonderful world of macs....

Actually, do read the ten points to making your PC secure thread; if I didn't link that, I will edit this and add it in. AV and anti-ad/spyware are NOT what you should be looking for, but there are steps you need to take, even on a Mac.

EDIT: This thread. Well, it makes my snippiness look positively pleasant in places, but it's still worth reading. You need to have your firewall on, you need to turn on junk mail filtering in Mail (or something else that accomplishes not viewing HTML images in unsolicited mail), and you need to not open attachments from strangers. Or eat candy if they give it to you.

 

[wiredsc]

Thanks for the replies, so quickly too.

I have been in the mac world for three years about, the problem is, I have just gone through alot of hassle wiht my mac because of what appears to be a trojan that bizarrely got through, (apparently a lapse in OSX3 that a security update has solved) I just want to be careful for the future, as all my university work is on here.

I myself have hunted around and all I can find is Antivirus stuff that looks good, but it looks like I will have to save up for.

It seems that my predictions have been proven correct.

Yes I do know how to avoid all that, I have my firewall on etc, I just want something to scan downloaded files etc, not JUST emails etc which is standard.

Ill find something, and when I do I will let you know.

TA

 

[mkrishnan]

...a trojan that bizarrely got through, (apparently a lapse in OSX3 that a security update has solved)

Really? You got hit by a real live, damaging OS X Trojan? The only ones I've heard of are relatively benign proof-of-concept type beasts....

How did it happen? I'm sorry about that...that would stink.

 

[wiredsc]

I really have no idea! Like I said, it appeared to be a trojan, I was doing a lot of downloading, and at first I thought my system was going wrong because of the amount of stuff clogging my hard drive, however, when finder completely disappeared and constant system errors and programs constantly quit i bought a new hard drive and im alright now.

 

[ChrisFromCanada]

That is not a trojan. That is just a full Hard Drive. Just make sure you always have a few gigs (try to have 5 or more) free at ALL TIMES. OS X needs that for swap files.

 

[Applespider]

I just want to be careful for the future, as all my university work is on here.

Well, always keep a back up of your work - even if only to a CD. Makes any problems slightly less frustrating.

HD seems a lot more likely than you being the first known victim of an OS X trojan - still a PITA though for you,

 

[andrewm]

Adware software

Everyone has their own opinion as to the 'best' adware--and even as to the 'best' form that it should take.

I have personally avoided everything for this that is not free and open-source. My personal fave, therefore, and one that I have used for well over a year, is Privoxy. It acts as a proxy server that one runs on one's own computer. You simply install it and change a system network preference, and you will be able to use it immediately. It intervenes both for banners and entire domains (to put it simply); if it finds something that is *not* an advert, you can simply proceed past the warning.

It becomes slightly more complicated for those who must use a proxy to connect to the internet in the first place; there is still a section of the documentation devoted to this, and it is highly configurable.

My only complaint is that development appears (to me) to have slowed somewhat, as the current version has been stable for some time. I hope that they'll continue to improve it--there are some especially nice features that they have listed in their to-do.

Cheers!

 

[dirt farmer]

it may not be needed, but it catches all my email crap:

http://www.markallan.co.uk/clamXav/index.php


just be sure to NOT quarantine your email!

 

[GFLPraxis]

I have recently added AVG free edition to my PC and also the free Adaware edition, which is keeping my PC very clean of virus' and trackers etc.

I can't afford to buy any anti virus software at the mo, unless someone can tell me about some cheap software, however, I would prefer some links to FREE antivirus software and adware software for the mac if it is at all available.

Cheers

There are no viruses for the Mac.
And there is only one trojan, and it does not spread itself.

Your chances of being infected is practically none.

Why get an Antivirus?

And there is zero adware.

 

[andrewm]

Oops

Everyone has their own opinion as to the 'best' adware--and even as to the 'best' form that it should take.

Based on the previous post, and my own, I realise that I probably mistyped--the original poster, however, was looking for anti-adware software, and I put forth anti-advert software (which works for adware, too--on systems that have it--in that it prevents connections to the adware servers). I used the term 'adware,' however, to refer to Privoxy, which is anti-adware.

But the other posters are right about the lack of virii, spyware, and annoying adware for the Macintosh, although to contribute my two cents: Mac OS X has a BSD (viz. Unix-style) subsystem and, as such, 'worms' that affect Unix/Linux/BSD may have a chance to infect your underlying system. I've never heard of this occurring, though, on OS X.

-- Andrew

 

[wiredsc]

well these posts are all helpful I appreciate it, I am looking at 'ClamXav' it looks alright, but again, I know there are no virus' for OSX i think I am more concerned about trackers etc clogging up my system. It does appear that it was my Hard Drive, but I don't think it was too full as I have always kept control on the available space left, im thinking that there was possibly a fair amount of damaged segments on it or something.

Anyway, I am on a new HD now and its running fine, so I may consider ClamXav just to be careful, or I may just leave it.

thanks

 

[plinden]

Why get an Antivirus?

Although a Windows virus wouldn't affect a Mac, you could still pass on infected files to windows users. Whether that's a good thing or not is your own opinion.