The Mac Advantage
One of the advantages of using a Mac over Windows has been the lack of virus, spyware and malware attacks targeting Macs. Apple users have had a free ride, but some experts are warning it’s time to become more proactive against possible computer infections.
Mac Security Comparison
Although it is difficult to know the exact number of Windows and Mac Virus’ threats, Windows vulnerabilities were estimated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of sixty thousand back in 2003. In 2006 antivirus software specialists Kaspersky Lab reported that there were eight known threats to Mac OS X. In fact, the relatively microscopic number of Mac vulnerabilities compared to Windows infections has become one of the forces driving the resurgence of the Mac.
New Mac Virus Threats are Inevitable
Some computer experts and pundits argue that as the Macintosh computing platform becomes more popular, the number of computer viruses on the Mac will multiply. The logic goes something like this: More people use Windows, so of course there are more Windows threats. As more people use Macs, OS X will become a bigger target for virus coders. Undoubtedly there is some truth behind the idea that a bigger target will garner more hits, but it’s not the entire story. Many antivirus experts agree that because OS X is based on BSD UNIX, the most historically secure computing platform, the Mac is inherently more secure and less likely to fall prey to new virus threats.
Why Mac Security is a Necessity
The smart Mac user should look at virus and security issues in much the same way a homeowner or driver looks at protecting their assets. If you lock your doors it only follows logically that you’ll be less likely to have a criminal heist your car or ram-sack your home. It’s common sense to provide a secure layer against Mac infections. Although we live in a very safe computing neighborhood, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t check the doors.
Mac Antivirus Options
So what’s available? Thankfully there are plenty of antivirus options to choose from, depending on budget and needs. Here’s a list of the major players providing antivirus software solutions for the Mac:
- ClamXav
- Intego Virus Barrier
- Virex
- Norton Anti-Virus
- Sophos Anti-Virus
- MacShield
Choosing Your Antivirus Needs
The level of antivirus sophistication has really matured in the last couple of years. With Apple’s move to Intel processors and Mac users running Windows in BootCamp or virtual machines such as VMware Fusion, Parallels and VirtualBox, checking for Windows infections should be as visible on your radar as checking for potential Mac virus issues.
ClamXav is the best choice for a tight budget. ClamXav is an open source antivirus package with a pedigree. ClamXav is based on the anti-virus toolkit for UNIX called ClamAV, the de facto standard protecting virtually all mission critical UNIX based servers. ClamXav doesn’t have all the bells and whistles some of the more feature-rich Mac antivirus programs do but you can’t beat the price, it’s free.
Intego makes the popular Virus Barrier and the company has been extremely aggressive targeting new virus threats and updating their software. Norton, Virex and Mac Shield have solid reputations and Sophos debuted back in 2003.
Picking the right antivirus package will require weighing your needs against price and features. At the very least, give the no-cost ClamXav a try. If the wild, wild west of virus infections becomes more of a Mac issue in the future, consider a more full-featured solution. Either way, start locking your door already, would ya’.
