hi gary
being new to mac what in your recommendation is the best anti virus and spyware programs and also i was looking into 1 password as a password security program whats your take on the subjecy
— paulie3660
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anti virus and spyware programs
Comments: 5 Responses to “anti virus and spyware programs”
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I don't use any anti-virus Mac program. There are zero Mac viruses active in the field right now. Only proof-of-concept things and reports of vulnerabilities. Until there is actually a legitimate threat, I refuse to let the anti-virus software makers scare me into spending money on their software. When a threat does arise, it will be interesting to see if the anti-virus companies are able to beat Apple itself to a fix.
As for 1Password, I love it and I use it. Highly recommended.
OK, got it on anti-virus, no need. But what about spyware? I travel with my macbook to a lot of countries, hooking up to hotel and airport networks. I have twice encountered what looked like pfishing attempts, and have some concern about who might be watching over my shoulder when I'm in some guest house in the back of beyond. Virus safety is one reason I use the mac; am I just being paranoid on the spyware question, or is it a legit concern? Thx.
True spyware would be something that would be installed on your Mac just like any malware. Other than things you install yourself, there aren't any dangers. Just take the regular precautions -- only download from sites you trust, only install things you trust, keep your mac up to date, etc.
But it sounds like you are concerned about more than just spyware. You should read this article I wrote on online security:
http://macmost.com/online-password-security.html
Hi Gary,
Is there a utility that can check if I have spyware running in the background? I have MacMini and last month my e-mail account was hijacked, and my identity compromised. I changed certain security settings and passwords and the unauthorized e-mails using my internet address stopped.
The most likely way that email is hacked is your password was guessed by a bot that tried the most common passwords and dictionary words, dates, etc. Or, someone listened in on a non-secure wifi connection or public computer. (See http://macmost.com/online-password-security.html)
But there's no connection between your email password and your Mac's system. I wouldn't be too worried. You could consult with a security expert to be sure you have no spyware -- it would be hard to use software or something like that and be 100% sure.