Macs and Viruses

[tp2021]

Is it true that macs can't be infected? Someone told me this, but I doubt it. They probably just can't get infected very well, but why is that?

[TDMVPDPOY]

they do get attack, but its not common like windows base pcs....

[Supreme_Being]

No actual viruses, although there are a couple of basic Trojans out in the wild - so long as you don't enter your admin password every time something asks for it (at least not without knowing that you're installing something reputable), you'll be fine.

[ducks]

because bill fucking gates does not touch a mac

[koriwhat]

:)

[baseline bum]

sudo rm -rf /*

[PixelPusher]

Mac OSX is not immune to viruses, no operating system is...it's just that they are immune to viruses designed to exploit Windows, which make up 99.999% of viruses out there. If Macs continue to increase in overall market share, they'll become a juicy enough target for those Russian mob backed hackers to design and sell packages for them as well.

[baseline bum]

Mac OSX is not immune to viruses, no operating system is...it's just that they are immune to viruses designed to exploit Windows, which make up 99.999% of viruses out there. If Macs continue to increase in overall market share, they'll become a juicy enough target for those Russian mob backed hackers to design and sell packages for them as well.

I don't buy the hype that Windows only gets attacked because of its large user base. OSX's core is based largely on FreeBSD, one of the major OS used in servers that power the internet. You could wreck a lot more damage finding exploits in FreeBSD or Linux than you could in Windows, so there's no way there isn't motivation for crackers to try to attack them.

[dougp]

I don't buy the hype that Windows only gets attacked because of its large user base. OSX's core is based largely on FreeBSD, one of the major OS used in servers that power the internet. You could wreck a lot more damage finding exploits in FreeBSD or Linux than you could in Windows, so there's no way there isn't motivation for crackers to try to attack them.

OSX is notorious for taking forever to patch security flaws - someone released the stats a year or two ago, and it was just staggering. I'm gonna see if I can find the article and then edit my post.

[spurster]

Is it true that macs can't be infected?

No


They probably just can't get infected very well, but why is that?

The Mac OS is based on Unix, and Unix is better organized in terms of what programs and users are allowed and, more important, not allowed to do.

Microsoft software has had the tendency to add features that make exploits easier, e.g., if an email attachment was a program, then Windows would run it if you clicked on it. I think many computers are still set up this way.

[Dex]

http://letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=do+macs+get+viruses

[Obstructed_View]

Two words: Market share. The Firefox people learned that lesson the hard way. Of course Apple is going to perpetuate that myth, since most of their target demographic knows very little about computers.

[koriwhat]

Two words: Market share. The Firefox people learned that lesson the hard way. Of course Apple is going to perpetuate that myth, since most of their target demographic knows very little about computers.

not true. i own a mac, been building pc's since i was 15, been using linux on and off since i was 17, program websites with css/xhtml/php&mysql, but i also know the difference between reliable and pure crap.

winOS is just an over bloated pile of shit that isn't anywhere close to OSX let alone any distro of linux.

well if most of apple's demographic are dumbasses then i guess windows demographic are complete fuckin' retards.

right now i run OSX on my imac and opensuse11 on my pc. have fun fixing your winOS over and over again or just reinstall it when it stalls because that seems to be the windows IT tech solution and i'll just keep working on my OS's that simply work.

ps: and before the comments about windows playing games and macs not able to.... i bought a damn console to play games not a computer! i keep my business and play separate. i hear all the time that that's the biggest issue with macs but consider the demographics right? most windows users don't play games! they do stupid office shit and whatnot which they could be doing on a reliable linux box with free office suite programs. yep companies could be saving billions but they'd much rather be complete fuckin' retards like the rest of the community of windows users.

[koriwhat]

OSX is notorious for taking forever to patch security flaws - someone released the stats a year or two ago, and it was just staggering. I'm gonna see if I can find the article and then edit my post.

and let me guess, you use winOS? hahaha. you're one to talk about late security patches. hahaha. give me a break!

sp1 came like a yr to late when it should had been packaged with the damn release of XP yet everything was rushed as is everything with microshit. and sp2? sp3? sp4? come on now... XP is what? 7-10 yrs old now. shit still fuckin' sucks and you people stand by it and now vista is out and you all still have shit to talk about OSX? what the hell?!

you stand by an OS that is nothing but flawed. you probably stood by georgie bush as well. it figures.