> On Feb 8, 2005, at 11:50 AM, Rick McCutcheon wrote: > >> This raises for me the general question of what people are running for >> virus >> protection (if anything) on their vintage Macs -- meaning anything >> running >> with OS9.x and below. Any related comments on this subject would be >> welcome >> (at least by me!).... How careful do we need to be given the >> relatively >> [sic] diminished problem in the Mac world. (Or is that too quick an >> assumption?) Etc. >> >> > > Nothing. > > I haven't run anything on any mac of mine since the days of > Disinfectant. No viruses either. The last virus I got on any Mac was > WDEF, which I cured by upgrading to OS 7. > > Even MS Word and Excel macros aren't very widespread anymore, and > modern versions of both those programs intercept macros when you open > the file. > > My opinion is that any company selling Mac antivirus software today is > committing fraud. > > In the now nearly four years after the introduction of OS X not one > single virus attacking it has been released. a pathetic proof of > concept was floated by Intego last year...it amounted to a file with a > spoofed icon and creator/program types. > > Even MacWorld couldn't find any REAL viruses to show for their pathetic > OS X security article in the March issue..the illustration shows a > bunch of Windows viruses. > > Mac users cannot 'inadvertently' pass on Windows viruses, it has to be > a deliberate act. MS Word and Excel macros don't affect the Mac, and as > I said are rare in any case. > > The differences between the OS X and Windows security models make it a > lot harder for viruses to be written for the Mac. > > I'm sure someone will jump in and proclaim that this is just 'security > though obscurity' or some such claptrap, but it isn't. > > It has ALWAYS been harder to write Mac viruses than PC viruses. > > -- > Bruce Johnson
I too have not run anything since the days of Disinfectant, but have wondered if I am being foolhardy. (I'll let everyone know if suddenly I'm hit -- we'll know how to narrow the field of possible culprits, eh?) Although I use email a great deal and from multiple accounts I haven't had a hint of anything bothering my system in the past several years (always running OS8.1 - 9.1). I do a lot of research on the internet and there too I cannot recall anything ever causing problems. So that does raise the question in my mind about why several big name companies are selling high-end products that cost a pretty penny.... hmmm Now spam, that's a different question and some people may rightly regard it as a form of virus. I know I get a lot of that and have to filter it out and use various tools to minimize/fool it. But that's a different discussion (I think) -- what intrigues me is this question of virus, defined as someone writing a program to deliberately do harm to another person's computer. Maybe this is reason enough to stay away from the other world... (not that I am tempted in the least). Rick -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
