Bob, I've seen you and Mrmacfixit say Macs don't get viruses but can get malware. I'm missing something in the distinction since according to Wikipedia, the definition of malware includes viruses. From 'From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Malware, short for malicious software, is software used or programmed by attackers to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems1. It can appear in the form of code, scripts, active content, and other software.2 'Malware' is a general term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software.3Malware includes computer viruses, ransomware, worms, trojan horses, rootkits, keyloggers, dialers,spyware, adware, malicious BHOs, rogue security software and other malicious programs; the majority of active malware threats are usually worms or trojans rather than viruses.4 In law, malware is sometimes known as a computer contaminant, as in the legal codes of several U.S. If people just understood that they have to be careful, have a good up to date antivirus program, and make regular backups, the Windows architecture would be pretty viable.
If you're going to pay money for an AV program, it may as well be one that detects almost every threat. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac came in at second place with 99.5 percent of malware detected.
Of course when you market something to millions, there're always going to be those who have to learn the hard way, and maybe a few who never learn. I've never had a Mac so I'm very naive about how they work. That's why I get confused when I read they don't get viruses but do get malware. I take it Macs are much more restrictive about what you can install on them.
- Dec 7, 2018 - You need an antivirus program on your Mac. That statement may. Also, because it offers nearly everything I could want in a security suite.
- Reed finds much more wrong with XProtect, the very basic antivirus software built into macOS, which only checks new software against a limited database of known malware identifiers.
I see Download.com has a lot of stuff you can download for the Mac, can you pick up malware for the Mac there like you can (and I did) for the PC? Sure, the Apple can get malware, trojans and such. But a virus has been defined as something that replicates and installs without the user helping. If folk redefine what a virus is, then you might not be able to help them but let's give that re-definition a few years and keep the definitions clean today for this discussion. I do use Apple things and don't use any antivirus because I have yet to find a virus. As to malware, I don't install bad things and I'm fine here.
The Windows antivirus industry has trained almost everyone to think they need antivirus on all computers. You see folk asking if they need it for their Smart TV! Thanks, Bob, for being the only person to try to answer my question. I don't care what anyone calls it, whether it is virus/malware/whatever.
Almost Every Antivirus Software For Mac Download
I just wanted a layer of protection. My son is 10, and he is using this Mac mostly for watching Youtube videos of others playing Minecraft (go figure) or videos of Lego movies.
He is playing with friends on Minecraft now on another computer, and I never thought I'd hear the words 'There's cake on the toilet!' This Mac is too old for Minecraft to work. So whatever protection you call it, it does not matter to me.
I'm a little leery of leaving the Mac unprotected. Unfortunately, the sites that will take me to download one of these compatible programs, then tell me that it is obsolete or invalid. This is not surprising. I just wish it weren't so.
I suppose I need to wipe as much personal and financial information as I can off this Mac, and let it go. I did have an Apple Airport, which I believe had a firewall, and I did have free AVG software. Now I have neither, the latter having forced an update which my Mac could not support. Thanks again for trying to help me! On how the definition of virus has changed. The last time I had this conversation with someone, here on CNET, I pointed them at the Wiki page as, at that time, Wikipedia showed a clear and distinct difference between malware and virus. As Wikipedia can be edited by almost anyone, it is not surprising that the definition changed.
But back to your dilemma. Take a look at this link; where you will find a version of ClamXAV that will run on your version of OS X. It is still updated, albeit manually, so you should be alright. BTW, a lot of AV software does not stop what Bob and I would call Malware. It will not catch that annoying toolbar that is almost impossible to remove or prevent you from installing MacKeeper.
You could, at a pinch, push that 10.4.11 machine into running 10.5 unless it is one of the truly old versions of the MBP. Leopard was the last version of OS X to support the PPC processor P.