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OSX Viruses?

Apr 2, 2008
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Any AV company will tell you that it is needed to have an AV for OSX/Linux. They are in sales.
However, technically and the reality of the situation it is pointless with one given exclusion.

#1
There are no malware for OSX/Linux in the wild. There has been a worm made for OSX within last year, however
this was done on purpose in a lab to see if it could be done. It was done. However to get infected it takes 6 full steps
to force an infection on OSX.
-First, you have to download the worm manually.
-Second, you have to double-click the DMG installer
-Third, you have to agree to install
-forth, you have to give it your root password
-fifth, you have to agree again (via OSX)
-sixth, OSX warns you and you have to say "yes" to replace important OSX files

That is a lot of work to become infected. Thus is why there is no "spread".

#2
The other point people like to make is "Mac has too small of market".
Well, this has been said for 10 years now. Now, OSX is 8% WORLDWIDE.
Thats millions of computers to "attack". Just think of that one hacker that notices "hey, there are millions of machines that un-touched and they don't have anti-virus - wow". It still has not been done (see point #1).

#3
Last year a group offered $10,000 to anybody to make a trojan for OSX that could be spread - this was sanctioned by large AV companies for a true test. Nobody has stepped up to date to claim the $10K.

The main reason this has not been done, is because it cannot be done. Unless (see #1).
This can be explained due to darwin BSD code and the way it authenticates user activity and protects itself.

The ONLY reason to have an AV product on LINUX or OSX is if you had a linux file server that monitors windows shared files. Not to protect Linux itself, but to protect other windows machines on the network. At this point, there is wonderful opensource AV clients for this that are better than any "Paid" AV products out there.

I hope this clears up some things and anybody touting "no viruses - yet", just don't understand technology. This is not an argument about what OS is better than the other - they all have there places.

Jamie~~