[Hidden-tech] Security: Mac vs. Windows is no longer an argument

[Chris Hoogendyk]

andrew bellak wrote:
> okay, so here's a quick poll / survey question:
>
> if you run Mac, do you use 3rd party ant-spyware and/or anti-virus 
> software?  Is anything built in into Leopard (OSX)?
>
> since I'm usually behind a modem, then a wireless router, I've been 
> advised that it's redundant and just slows one's machine.

Good replies from Roger and Robert.

For some time I have not trusted the anti virus software sold for Macs. 
They seemed to cause more trouble than they prevented. While Virex was 
originally developed on the Mac many years ago (long before Mac OS X), 
it was bought out by McAfee (a PC software company). In such cases, Mac 
software doesn't fare very well. Another prime example is Retrospect. 
That was once one of the best software products anywhere. It was bought 
out by EMC several years ago, and both development and support have 
seriously languished. It seems to be dying the long slow death of neglect.

I think that the primary threat on Macs is user behavior. The OS and 
applications like Firefox try to provide protections, but the user is 
the boss. So, download an executable from the web and the OS will issue 
a warning when you try to run it. But, you can still say, "yes, I want 
to run it."

So, in the interest of user education and in parallel with the link I 
posted the other day to the NSA Security Guides, those who want to learn 
more about how to avoid risky behavior should check out the CERT 
Security Tips -- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ -- There is a huge 
amount of stuff there. Since this is the shopping season, check out 
particularly the tips related to Shopping Safely Online and Browsing 
Safely. Whether it says so in those or not, I never do activities that 
involve money or secure information on public wireless networks.


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Chris Hoogendyk

-
   O__  ---- Systems Administrator
  c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
 (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

<hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>

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Erdös 4