On May 29, 2011, at 11:58 AM, rmwoods wrote: > I probably missed a discussion of this,and if it's the wrong list, be > my guest,and move or erase it, but; > > Should I really look for a Mac (PPC) anti-virus, etc., program? This > query is occasioned by the fact that I just paid some bills over the > Internet (a long way from my home in Canada) and a relative suggested > this was an unwise thing to do. I've been doing it for years now.
Short answer: No, you don't need it. Your relative is poorly informed. Viruses have actually never worked that way. In theory, unsecured public internet access COULD be subject to man-in-the-middle attacks, but if you have a https connection to your bill paying site, even those will be usually thwarted, because the interloper cannot easily present a valid ssl certificate. (note this is not impossible, but frankly, people capable of doing that aren't sitting around internet cafes hacking plebe's bank accounts. They're hacking the banks themselves) Don't accept any 'unsecured' or 'unknown' certificate, as a general rule. As for Mac malware, go find the thread on this list about 'The boys who cried Wolf'. Basically the ONLY Mac malware threat is a fake antivirus that claims your mac is infected with malware and essentially extorts you to make it stop. See: <http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4650> Turn off the Safari preference 'Open "safe" files after downloading' and you will largely immunize yourself from any Mac malware threats, so long as you don't listen to what the random web page popping up is telling you about your computer. This is the key to modern "virus" prevention, regardless of platform. The old school viruses are mostly passe now, in favor of web-delivered malware. IF a web site EVER tells you you need to install something and offers a link, don't believe it. If it's telling you you need a new Quicktime codec or a newer version of Flash or something like that, *manually* go to the source of those plugins, like apple.com or adobe.com and download them. That's it. That's really all you need to do to protect yourself: don't automatically open files and don't automatically do what your web browser tells you. Brian Krebs, a tech writer for the Washington Post, puts it this way: Brian Kreb's 3 Rules for Online Safety: Rule #1: “If you didn’t go looking for it, don’t install it!” Rule #2: “If you installed it, update it.” Rule #3: “If you no longer need it, remove it.” This is an elaboration of the Rules of Computer Ownership and System Security: If you let the bad guy install software on your computer, it's not your computer anymore: A) If he has access physically to your computer, he can install software B) If you let him do it remotely, he can install software C) If you install it for him, he can install software These are the ONLY ways malware can get on your computer, Mac, PC, Linux or Commodore64...every infection is a violation of one of those rules; most often, these days, it is rule "C". Rule A is easy. Lock your doors. (physically...don't let people at your computer when your not there) If your computer is exposed to others, lock *it's* doors: set your screensaver to require a password, set a password to log in. Take it with you. Set up a guest account without admin rights for friends to use. Make sure anyone who DOES have admin rights is conscious of the risks. Rule B is covered by 'Keep your system up-to-date; this includes important external-facing software like web browsers and their assorted plug-ins, particularly Flash, and Flash-infested software like Adobe Acrobat. Turn off un-needed services (which is where OS X shines, pretty much EVERY outward-facing service is turned off by default, like web servers, remote login, etc) Rule C is only covered by user alertness: don't automatically open files and don't automatically do what your web browser tells you. AT BEST any anti-virus software is re-active; they can only prevent threats when they're known. The above advice is all pro-active...it's good against unknown threats, even unknown unknowns, as the opera goes.. -- Bruce Johnson "Wherever you go, there you are" B. Banzai, PhD -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
