Re: Virus Checker / Firewall protection

[Tarkin <Tarkin000@gmail.com>]

On Jan 18, 10:02 pm, Eric Rucker <bhtoo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 18, 1:19 pm, Tarkin <Tarkin...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Jan 17, 10:56 am, winston19842005 <bjjlya...@NOSPAMbellsouth.net>
> > wrote:
>
> > > On 1/17/09 10:12 AM, in article gzmcl.78007$2w.7...@newsfe28.ams2, "Glen"
>
> > > <glen.bradb...@virgin.net> wrote:
> > > > I am looking to buy my first iMac but wondered what to do regarding Firewall
> > > > / Virus protection - currently use McAfee on my PC.  Guy in the Apple store
> > > > said I don't need anything - but is this really true, or does my new Mac
> > > > come with some protection built in?
> > > > Any advice appreciated
>
> > > 1. Ask in a newsgroup with "mac" in the name.
>
> > > ok, got that out of the way.
>
> > > 2. The mac comes with a built-in software firewall. And if you use a router,
> > > you should have its firewall protection turned on. You won't need the
> > > software firewall if you have your hardware firewall set properly.
>
> > > 3. Virus protection - you can buy virus protection for your Mac. To say you
> > > don't need protection may be silly. However, I don't run it on mine. But I
> > > am silly. However, it remains true that most viruses are aimed at the most
> > > popular OS, Microsoft Windows. Virus writers are more interested in
> > > targeting the biggest audiences.
>
> > > ClamAV is free. I've tried it before on Linux, but I really did not like it.
> > > I think AVG has a free version for the Mac, I almost downloaded it IIRC.
>
> > > BTW: You didn't mention spyware... I've done a couple of scans on my Mac
> > > using a spyware scanner (can't remember where) and never found anything.
> > > What does that mean? Not sure, perhaps the scanner sucked.
>
> > > Honestly, last few times I tried Adaware on my PC at work, it found nothing
> > > but cookies and some other non-interesting things. And spybot, once they
> > > upgraded some time back, the program will run for hours on the machine at
> > > work, meaning it is impractical to use.
>
> > my $deity, what machines would take > 45 min to run S&D?
>
> > TTFN,
> >   Tarkin
>
> Machines that are full of spyware, machines with slow (5400 RPM or
> less - think laptops,) or machines with low RAM.

My money's on the low RAM. I've never been able to afford hi-speed
drives. My old PIII / 1.5 GHz desktop had 1/2GB RAM, took ~30 minutes.
My newer Toshiba Satellite A205 laptop has lots 'o RAM, but the
significant
amount of HD space (120 GB) and the huge amount of spyware that it
has to look for (the list only gets bigger), drives it up to 45 min.
But hours, plural? 750MHz PIII's w/ 64MB of RAM? Or hyperbole?

To try to stay on topic, according to:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0872842.html
"1981: Apple Viruses 1, 2, and 3 are some of the first viruses
“in the wild,” or in the public domain. Found on the Apple II
operating system, the viruses spread through Texas A&M via
pirated computer games."

TTFN,