71 replies to this topic

[Amigatec]

OldBuzzard, on February 13, 2012 - 10:23 PM, said:

Sorry, but you are 100% wrong. The only reason the Macs SEEM to be more 'secure' is that nobody bothers to attack them because the used base is so small.

2006

http://www.zdnet.com...s-139241748.htm


2009

http://www.zdnet.com...in-seconds/2917

2011

http://www.dailytech...rticle21097.htm


http://www.deaftechn...wn2own-contest/

I am going to have to disagree here in all 4 of these cases the hacker had physical access to the Macs they were trying to hack. In the case of Charlie Miller the first time he hacked the Mac he was allowed to change settings in the conf files and then had a prearranged website with an exploit already setup. And I believe in the other 2 cases the problem was not OSX but with a program like JavaScript, which has had its fair share of problems over the years, in fact one of those exploits also worked on windows as well.

And as Nuntndun pointed one when you have direct assecc to the computer in question nothing is safe. BTW the code he posted will delete EVERYTHING on a Linux box, BUT you have to have Root access to do it.

The WORST security flaw with any computer is the operator.

Edited by Amigatec, February 19, 2012 - 05:58 PM.

[HDWildBill]

Amigatec, on February 19, 2012 - 05:57 PM, said:

The WORST security flaw with any computer is the operator.

Amen! Most people haven't a clue on how to protect them selves or why.

[mjodrey]

Since I got rid of Windows,and switched to Linux,I don't think I have had any virus problems at all.

Edited by mjodrey, February 22, 2012 - 11:52 AM.

[-DC-]

Been a fan of Avast for a few years now and never had any issues with it for the most part. I didn't know about MSE but will certainly look into it and test it out. Thanks for the info on that one. Two things I always do when setting up systems here for people are partitioning the HDD to separate data files from the os and creating an image after everything is installed.

We have a term we use in the IT geek world known as PEBKAC (problem exists between keyboard and chair).  This is evident every day at work.  If it didn't exist I probably wouldn't have a job....

[Texas Deere and Horse]

DC, I'm sure I have "PEBKAC" all the time on my machine..

Thanks for the input..

[KennyP]

I'm using MSE, seems to do a good job.

[HDWildBill]

-DC-, on February 21, 2012 - 09:30 PM, said:

We have a term we use in the IT geek world known as PEBKAC (problem exists between keyboard and chair).  This is evident every day at work.  If it didn't exist I probably wouldn't have a job....

When we use to fix a computer and the user would usually always say what was the problem? Our answer would be a loose nut. They would then as where the nut was and then we would say behind the keyboard.  It really got to the point they would look at us and say loose nut behind the keyboard and we would just grin.  Yes PEBKAC kept me employed quite nicely and to a much smaller extent still does with few clients I still take care of.

[NUTNDUN]

BairleaFarm, on February 19, 2012 - 04:38 PM, said:

Never used any never will.  Very rarely have I had issues.  Might have had 3 major crashes the last 15 years.  I dont even mess with spybot or any other spayware.  If the PC goes down I can have everything reinstalled in less than 2 hours.  I religiously back up so i dont loose anything.

It is funny you post that because that is exactly how I was until a couple weeks ago when my credit card was used for purchases I didn't make. It just so happened that I installed an anti virus just to see if I had a virus when it happened and it found three java script viruses. Whether or not they were related to my credit card information being stolen I can't say but it is quite a coincidence. Since then I will always run an anti virus.

[NUTNDUN]

You can always say it is an ID ten T error, then when I ask what it is have them right it down and they will normally write ID10T

[Canawler]

NUTNDUN, on February 23, 2012 - 11:18 AM, said:

It is funny you post that because that is exactly how I was until a couple weeks ago when my credit card was used for purchases I didn't make.

Must be going around.  I just had that happen about two months ago.  Three small transactions at hardware stores in South America (forget what country, I want to say Bolivia) to test the card numbers.  Luckily the credit card company called within an hour of the first transaction.

[Amigatec]

Now since I run a Mac, it's still a good idea to run anti-virus software. If you look at what Mac and Linux anti-virus software protects against is all the Windows viruis. I took me a while to understand that, it's not there to protect the Mac or Linix Box, it's there to keep you from infecting those using Windows.

I run clamAV on my Mac.

Edited by Amigatec, February 25, 2012 - 11:50 AM.

[Biyu]

Here lol had to log in lol!

Well let me first say I'm jumping into withought reading now having said that lol

I personally have something like 7 or 8 computers from 95 all the way to 7 granted some will never see the internet and some will never go back online I also get to help my family with there tech if there's an issue which means lol I have even more computers to maintain and that I need to keep about up to date with what everyone uses (oh its fun!)

Ok so let's start with me lol

I personally prefer kapersky for paid I had norton forced on one of my computers by my uncle and it got a trojan but as I have so many I prefer free stuff so my suite overlaps a little the me monster vista 7 and lol whatever else (oh I should say my computers are named lol monster is win xp I rebuilt her) has opera fox (have to start strong lol) avast Adaware regcleaner Spybot Malwarebytes and possibly another or 2 all of which I download from cnet all are free and legit lol

The mac mini like Ubuntu have nothing because they need nothing (I've not killed ubuntu and windows randomly dies on me)

My uncles xp and vista have about the same suite as I use he dosent have quite the obsessiveness (no browsers I think there may be a program or 2 missing but there's still a little overlap) he is not what I would call "geeky" lol but those are great for him and if there would be a huge issue I'd be called in to fix it (like lol turning the wireless on on the laptop lol) I allways on there being a huge issue say update everything then disconnect (hardwire or turn wifi off) from the net then scan with everything and if something dosent come up then lol look into it on another system

My mom had xp/vista and had kapersky uncle has had norton and iolo and such now mom has macs and lol dosent need to worry --and another plus? As long as my computer it turned on my printer that hp has said "no way that will never never become a wireless network printer" IT'S A NETWORK PRINTER! On ANY mac to boot! I think that as silly as it is is still one of my favourite bits lol