Apple Virus?

[CommonSenseOTB]

That's an interesting and informed statement Cmd. Cheyd. People should read all of it and make up their own mind.

[Eric Walch]

What I was saying is that I ran software update and installed the security update, which is something I usually don't do by hand, but rather wait for the automatic weekly (or two-weekly, or monthly? I have no idea actually) notification.

If you want to know, just look in system preferences -> software-update. You can choose between daily, weekly or monthly.
And I also updated it now manually without waiting for the scheduled update.

[Dragonfire]

Apple Tech Support is pretty good, but they can be a bit funky at times. Tho I have to give them kudos for their warranty policy. As long as you're under the 10-year warranty, if something goes wrong with the computer, they fix it for free, or if they can't, they replace it for free.

I'd like to know if a) those instructions from Apple were real, and b) if they had good motivation. Seems to me like all of those have a sound technological backing to them. Especially 4...don't "pass the buck" by sending the customer to some forum or blog. FIX the problem! And force-quitting is not going to solve a virus issue.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

Viruses are the primary reason I use linux to surf the web; it's difficult - not impossible, mind - to pwn a linux machine, and even then most of the damage would be contained to userspace and relatively easy to fix.
The chances of infecting kernelspace are very low, unless you're doing something stupid like granting root privileges with a userland password: Looking at you, Ubuntu!

[Dragonfire]

Mm, yeah, love Ubuntu.

[JensAyton]

And force-quitting is not going to solve a virus issue.

As I said before, there was no virus. MacDefender is a simple scam – a normal application that pretends to be a virus scanner and shows bogus virus warnings in order to fool people into sending money.

[Dragonfire]

Ahh, yes. Similar to the "Antivirus Free" scam on Windows.

[Capt. Murphy]

You want a real conspiracy theory? The anti-virus software companies create the problem just so they can sell the software to everybody.....................<snip>.......................... You guys can take that and run with it if you want. I just pony up the dough for the software renewal each year. I have no choice, if I want to interact with the world outside my house. None of us do!

I've never felt the need to use paid for security software on any Windows machine I own. There have always been a host of good free AV and antimalware/spyware programs out there. Used in combo with intelligent surfing and clicking I've never had an infection and have only ever had about 3 potential infections caught by the software (in about 15 years of windows machine ownership)

I currently use MS Security Essentials, coupled with weekly manual scans with Malware Bytes and SuperAntiSpyware. Firefox with NoScript addon for all my surfing. No images or scripting allowed in emails without permission. No software firewall (well only the Windows one - does it count..?), just the router standard NAT. Secunia PSI tells me when Flash/Java - anything else I've got installed has a patchable security threat.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

Firefox with NoScript addon for all my surfing.

I would install Adblock Plus along with. It's been reported that the bad guys often hijack adservers to spread malware. I can't say how true the hijacking stories are, but there's little reason to doubt it; and making annoying adspam go away is a bonus anyway.

[Capt. Murphy]

There are adverts on the web???

It's already installed - just forgot I had it.....

Thanks Cmdr Wyvern.

[Dragonfire]

Firefox with NoScript addon for all my surfing.

I would install Adblock Plus along with. It's been reported that the bad guys often hijack adservers to spread malware. I can't say how true the hijacking stories are, but there's little reason to doubt it; and making annoying adspam go away is a bonus anyway.

No hijacking necessary. Doubleclick and the other dim-wit advertising services just LET them post whatever, unchecked. 90% of the ads I see from Doubleclick, Tribal Fusion, and the like (and about 30-50% of Google Adwords) are known virus/malware/scam websites.

I use Web of Trust to check everything. You can get an extension for Google Chrome from WoT to automatically check links before you click 'em. By the by, this site has a good rating.

[DaddyHoggy]

Firefox with NoScript addon for all my surfing.

I would install Adblock Plus along with. It's been reported that the bad guys often hijack adservers to spread malware. I can't say how true the hijacking stories are, but there's little reason to doubt it; and making annoying adspam go away is a bonus anyway.

No hijacking necessary. Doubleclick and the other dim-wit advertising services just LET them post whatever, unchecked. 90% of the ads I see from Doubleclick, Tribal Fusion, and the like (and about 30-50% of Google Adwords) are known virus/malware/scam websites.

I use Web of Trust to check everything. You can get an extension for Google Chrome from WoT to automatically check links before you click 'em. By the by, this site has a good rating.

Glad to hear it, spam assassins spend a fair portion of their online life, IDing and deleting any spambots and their signature block URLs...

[Commander Wilmot]

The government and anti-virus companies also try to project what sort of changes to existing viruses hackers will develop next. But Cmdr. Cheyd probably knows more about that than I do.