The Mac doesn't get PC viruses.

Forums › Desktop computing › The Mac doesn't get PC viruses.

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khull

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#394799 22-Oct-2010 15:57

The source of instabilities usually arise when people start trying to run Office for Mac, use Adobe Reader/Flash products or run windows natively on a Mac.

Kyanar

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#395005 23-Oct-2010 12:50

ScottStevensNZ: Fortunately, once again its economies of scale. Also, with the archtecture of OSX you would need to gain admin or SUDO privledges to be able to install anything - you would probably also need to issue an execute command for the virus from windows meaning at the very least you'd need to start up an ssh session to the mac - just like if you are trying to use a UNIX machine from windows using telnet - assuming of course you can get past the sand boxing of the virtual machine. The SSH telnet method wouldn't work with boot camp because the OSX environment isn't started - the worst you could do would be write crap to the shared drive which both OSX and Windows use. You could put an executable on it, but the user would then have to run it and provide the login credentials ...

You do realise you just described the majority of Windows viruses too right? For the most part, actual self-installing viruses are pretty rare nowadays (yes, I do know they exist). The majority of viruses nowadays are installed manually by users through social engineering.

Regs

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#395100 23-Oct-2010 20:47

ScottStevensNZ: all they are saying is that OSX is not capable of contracting a windows virus - aka 'PC' to use their own Mac vs PC terms

and this is where i have a problem.

To many non-IT-savvy people, a PC is just that, a PC - whether it is a Mac, Linux or Windows. Saying that the Mac cannot get 'PC' viruses is factually incorrect and could be breaking advertising laws. If they had said it cant get "windows" viruses I wouldnt have had a problem with it... but then i guess that might break other advertising rules here.

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freitasm

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#395106 23-Oct-2010 21:28

Actually for many non-IT-savvy they think exactly the opposite. for them a PC is anything running Windows. They make this distinction thanks to good Apple marketing and from other people perpetuating this concept.

The problem is that IT-savvy people also think like that...

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oldmaknz

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#395107 23-Oct-2010 21:31

If it were rephrased as

"Windows viruses cannot execute on Mac"

it would be correct.

ScottStevensNZ

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#395539 25-Oct-2010 19:09

freitasm: Actually for many non-IT-savvy they think exactly the opposite. for them a PC is anything running Windows. They make this distinction thanks to good Apple marketing and from other people perpetuating this concept.

The problem is that IT-savvy people also think like that...

Agreed, I tend to think that most non-IT savvy people think that a mac is different to a PC - from an OS and BIOS point of view then thats correct. Apple have done a very good job marketing 'Mac' As opposed to just the Operating System. True, yes by and large most PC viruses now need to be activated somehow, and you have to ask yourself how many people when looking at a browser window which pops up and says "OMG! You have a virus, quick download this!" click on it and download it. My non tech savvy friend got a mac at my reccomendation because of exactly that. I can't be bothered doing re-images restores and keeping virus sigs up to date for a non tech savvy person. As I said - OSX has heaps of security flaws - Apple is *Slow* at dealing with them so economies of scale are in actions. But, on saying that using Apples own internal and marketing language - PC vs Mac - I think people would be drawing a very long bow in trying to accuse them of false advertising.

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ntsan

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#396835 28-Oct-2010 14:00

maknz: If it were rephrased as

"Windows viruses cannot execute on Mac"

it would be correct.

Well just change from PC to windows would be the same, so

The Mac doesn't get Windows virus :p

reven

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#396864 28-Oct-2010 14:55

i just read this today

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/10/new-java-trojan-attacks-mac-os-x-via-social-networking-sit...

not truly a mac virus, a java trojan horse, but still a security problem effecting mac computers.

FreakyKiwi

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#396869 28-Oct-2010 15:08

Probably OT but where did this usage of "Virii" come from?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plural_of_virus#Virus

tangynz

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#396946 28-Oct-2010 17:46

Where do Ingram benefit by recommending Mac? Are they going to distribute?

tangynz

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#396959 28-Oct-2010 18:34

ignore previous post..just logged into Ingram and see they are distributing if you are an Authorised Reseller

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alasta

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#396987 28-Oct-2010 19:35

Like many others in this thread I will concede that OS X has more than its fair share of security holes, but I'm not sure that I agree with the widely held belief that virus writers are less likely to target the Mac because of the smaller user base. Viruses seem to be far less prevalent on OS X than they were on system 9, yet Apple's market share in the US is now around 20% which is a huge increase on where they were ten years ago.

James21

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#409707 26-Nov-2010 02:35

What about me,i use ProteMac NetMine

.It's firewall for Mac.It's helps me a lot,for protect my Mac.

uknzguy

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#411798 1-Dec-2010 22:04

alasta: Apple's market share in the US is now around 20% which is a huge increase on where they were ten years ago.

Name your source please, that figure seems high. Statcounter.com pins it at 13% in North America (6% worldwide).

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