I wouldn't put it quite like that.

You see, whilst OS X's heritage can be readily traced back to BSD UNIX, the same cannot be said for Microsoft Windows.

As a result, as well as being greater in number, the scope of vectors for Windows viruses are deeper too. This somewhat mandates having something running to give you a helping hand in keeping an eye out for things.

If we take the rather nifty example of the infamous Duqu. That was delivered in a Microsoft Word document (although could have easily been any other document format supporting embedded fonts, e.g. a PDF File) that used the Microsoft Windows font parsing engine as a vector for remote code execution.

This gives you an idea of just how on the ball you need to be if you're planning to run windows without AV (although admittedly, Duqu is not the best example from an AV point of view... but that's because it's said to be written somewhat more competently than your average virus).

So that's just like Windows then. No AV on this box, not needed.

I've just handed back to the customer today a Windows machine that "didn't need antivirus". It was given to me to sort out because all the files on the single hard drive had vanished. The machine would still boot into windows, but that was it. No A/V on it because ";it had never been needed".

So what did I find?
1) A rootkit
2) The entire contents of the drive had a "superhidden" attribute set - this had to be removed (tedious)
3) The entire contents of the drive had all user permissions and ownerships removed - so blocking access. These had to be restored
4) The entire drive contents also had the "hidden" attribute set - this had to be unflagged before any more checks could be done
5) Now a number of restrictive policies appeared whiich blocked file access - these had to be removed
6) the next stage found another rootkit, trojans, keyloggers and a couple of browser hijacks. By now I could get at her files (research thesis and supporting docs) back these up and finally nuke the machine. A tedious and expensive job, which cost the customer dearly. And she found the hard way that Windows computers DO need antivirus software.


And before anyone asks, no the contents of the drive were not visible under Linux. I booted the machine with Knoppix and nothing was visible.

I imagine that your customer did not follow the "if" part of mixture's post ("if you follow basic maintenance steps and common sense when on the internet") and had only picked up on the "then" part (then you don't need AV).

(I do have AV on the laptop which sometimes connects to the internet without going through a stealth mode NAT router, or at least not one under my control. Using a stealth mode NAT router which I trust, with only trusted boxes on my side of it, counts as "common sense when on the internet" to me.)

I'd imagine too that the 'average' Windows user is actually more security aware than the 'average' MacOS user, it is certainly the case in my circle of family/friends/colleagues etc.

I wonder how much of that is down to Apple telling everyone that they don't need to think about security?

A good Mac anti virus is MacKeeper. But Apple are releasing their own Mac anti-virus this summer.

Never had a virus on my Mac though. Never used Safari, but Chrome does a pretty good job of not letting you access websites that could possibly be infected like in the report.

Again, because of the numbers involved. Same as with Android phones v iPhone (or Windows phone, or Bada, or what Symbian exists nowadays). Quantity of users is the biggest draw, as well as the open source OS.



Simple fact is that at least 500,000 mac users don't have that common sense approach and, honestly, would be the same as windows users who think that the AV that came supplied with their PC is all they need and have never updated something that was only good for 3 months. As the number of users grow, along with the "users" that should have a keyboard lock fitted and only bought the Apple as it's "fashionable", that proportion will grow and lead to something even more attractive to those with bad intentions.

This ain't the first virus on a Mac OS, and it certainly won't be the last. Your "Windows Experience" is on it's way.

Loading a new I pad??
 

Hi

I have a brand new I pad, and want to load some manuals that are on disc and on my laptop.

I have tried to transfer them to the I pad by sending them as E mail attachments. On arrival it is easy to open and view them, but no options to store them.

The guy in the Apple store said all I should do was down load the I Books app and it would give me the chance to store the manuals there. It does not!!

These manuals are in pdf format, and no, I do not want them stored in 'The Cloud' any more than I want them in my garden shed.

While I have Apple experts attention a second question, a clever guy sold me a Bamboo Stylus with lots of talk of how good it is. It came with a 'quick start guide' which tells me how to personalize it,that it works with an I pad, its spec and a address of their web site but no clue as to how to use it. The web site tell me in glowing terms how good it is, but still no clue how to use it. The box suggests downloading the 'Bamboo Paper' app, can't find it. The guy in the apple store says it does not do anything.

Why does anyone have a stylus?

390

I can highly recommend GoodReader for reading PDF and other docs on the iPad. It also reads big files very nicely.

ipad
 

I like Perfect Reader.
To save your PDFs just tap the screen and in the top right will be options for saving to various apps/places.

external Cd drive
 

Hi

You can get an external cd/dvd drive to connect to the ipad to load stuff.

regards

Mark

If you install the Apple iBooks app (free), the Mail app will include the option to transfer the PDF to iBooks when you open them. Once in iBooks, they stay on the bookshelf.

I always used iAnnotate for reading my .pdf ops manuals.......more than happy to show you next time I see you MB ?! Or give me a call !

F/o

Not quite. What hasn't been pointed out is that this is NOT a virus, it's a trojan horse. To be infected you have to go to a suitably infected website, be asked to 'update' or download the Flash plug-in, accept that request, ignoring the fact that you haven't gone to the Adobe website, and download and install the plug-in, ENTERING YOUR SYSTEM PASSWORD to do so.:ugh:

You are quite right, there always have been Mac 'viruses' and there will be more, but the Mac is still by miles the safest way to connect to the internet, and probably always will be.

The next major MacOS system update (OSX 10.8) will make life even harder for the hackers... Gatekeeper

Nige, I thought the later iterations of FlashBack didn't actually need the password?

That's a new one on me, I've never installed it...!

The point remains, don't install software or updates on a request from a website... Mac or PC!

Got it !!!
 

Thanks to everyone who made good suggestions.

The end result was a modified version of the solution from MacBoero and indeed 'the guy in the Apple store'.

The modification was after opening the PDF to push 'Open in Safari',
once opened in safari there is an option to send to I books.

I failed in all attempts to go direct.

390

That's odd. The iPad must behave differently to the iPhone then, because I have just checked the iPhone mail app again and once you open a PDF attachment, you can hen send it to iBooks. Safari is not involved.

I've just checked on my iPad and if you touch and hold the preview of the PDF in the email and a pop up menu appears with:
Quicklook
Open in "iBooks"
Open in...

Dear Girtrude
 

Just to clarify your post re Stealth routers - I take that to mean that your router does not actively block ports but instead does not reply to uniniated incomming requests - If so I'm doing the same.

I think that the Mac community (and linux in time) will have to follow the same precautions that Windows users have done in the last 10 years or so.

To anyone reading this: there are sites that check the stealth status of your router (that's not the same as your computer by the way) - try putting "checking the stealth status of your home router" into any of your favorate search engines (without the quotes).

The resuls may require a bit of work to clarify but you will be a happy user in the long run.

I have learned the hard way.

CAT III

CATIII-NDB,

You can also set up the Mac to operate in stealth mode. Have a nosy around your system preferences.