Re: Virus Checker / Firewall protection

[Eric Rucker <bhtooefr@gmail.com>]

On Jan 18, 11:07 pm, Tarkin <Tarkin...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 18, 10:02 pm, Eric Rucker <bhtoo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
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> > 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,

It's not the amount that it's looking for, it's the amount that's
installed on the system eating resources.

Eleventy billion pieces of spyware take quite a lot of CPU and RAM,
not leaving anything for the spyware scanner. :)