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

[Robert Heller]

At Sat, 6 Dec 2008 19:10:10 -0500 ATG Worldwide <atgworldwide at comcast.net> wrote:

> 
>    ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
> 
> 
> This week I contacted Yes Computers to ask this very question.  They  
> indicate that they have not had any computers serviced for virus  
> infection / spyware etc... and indicated that they believed that at  
> this time this was not an issue.

Right, MacOSX, like Linux and other UNIX-like/based systems (basically
every current O/S *except* MS-Windows), are pretty much imune to viruses
(yes, they can be affected by rootkits attacking unsecured network
services).

It is true that many MacOSX users also run MS-Windows via some sort of
virtualization (eg Parallels, VMWare,  etc.).  The virtualized
MS-Windows systems can be affected by viruses, although I doubt very
many MacOSX users that run virtual MS-Windows systems would be using
the virtual MS-Windows systems to do the sorts of things that would
expose the virtual MS-Windows systems to viruses, like using either IE
or OE, since those sorts of functions are available via native MacOSX
applications (Safri/Firefox, AppleMail/Thunderbird).

> 
> I do not run any 3rd party apps to protect my system at the moment.
> 
> Michael Aronson
> Consumer Exports Group, Inc.
> 
> 
> On Dec 5, 2008, at 1:47 PM, Chris Hoogendyk wrote:
> 
> >  ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's  
> > area.
> >  ** If you did, we all thank you.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 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.
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > ---------------
> >
> > Chris Hoogendyk
> >
> > -
> >  O__  ---- Systems Administrator
> > c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
> > (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
> > ~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
> > <hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>
> >
> > ---------------
> > Erdös 4
> >
> >
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> ATG Worldwide
> 413-306-4504
> atgworldwide at comcast.net
> 
> 
> 
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