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Question
I'm thinking about switching from Windows 98 SE to a Mac Mini. Some of the people I've talked with who own Macs say that anti-virus protection and malware protection programs are not neccessary on a Mac OS X system. Others, notably store sales personnel, tell me that no computer should be without anti-virus and malware protection. Who's right?
I'm on a very limited budget. Do I really NEED any of these programs to protect the Mac? How many viruses, worms and trojans are out there that can be a threat to OS X? If I do need protection programs, which do you recommend?
Also, I understand that Macs will begin using Intel brand processors sometime in 2006. From a security standpoint, would I be better off waiting for products that ship with the Intel chip, or is the current processor likely to be less vulnerable?
Thanks for producing such interesting and informative shows.
—R. Dahl
Answer A "Tech Talk" staff member responded:
You've asked two questions that are of definite interest to all Mac owners/soon to be owners. As far as anti-virus software goes, yes, I would recommend that you get it. There are currently no viruses that specifically target Macs at this time, but there're a few reasons that you should have it anyway:
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Just because there is not a virus for Macs now, doesn't mean that there won't be a virus tomorrow. People argue that Macs are so secure that no virus will ever get in. Yea, that's not so true. Apple, as of late, has been releasing quite a few security updates, because holes in their system are being found. Here's a link to the updates that have been released in the last year: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798. One day the viruses will appear, and they will not wait for you to run to the store to buy an anti-virus program.
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Just because there's not a virus for Macs doesn't mean there're not viruses for applications that Macs use. The biggest example would be Microsoft Office. There're tons of viruses for the Windows copy of Office. Mac Office can open Windows Office files, so you can be affected by those viruses the same that Windows is.
I don't believe that we are allowed to endorse a particular product, so I would recommend that you see what is being sold in the stores and search the Internet for reviews of the products.
As for the switch from IBM PowerPC to Intel x86 processors, your security issues remain the same. The vulnerability is in the software, not the hardware. The problem that you will eventually run into is that there will slowly be less PowerPC-based software being released for your Mac, if you buy one now. This may or may not be an issue for you, but it is something to consider.
I hope this answers all your questions.
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