Viruses in Mac OS X

Periodically, there are questions about viruses and antiviruses for MacOS X. I think this question will be very interesting to many swichers (people who just moved from Windows to Mac). After many, many years of using Windows, constantly looking for the most effective anti-virus software for themselves, periodically removing the system due to incomprehensible glitches, the cause of which could be malware, people develop a stereotype that the computer + Internet = a bunch of viruses. The truth is there. But not in the case of MacOS X.

And it's not that there are relatively few poppies, but that it's UNIX. The Apple Mac OS X system is a certified UNIX system. The system implements a very strict policy of delimiting permissions, as well as isolation of user data from important system files. Similar certificates UNIX 03 from the consortium The Open Group, which owns the trademark "UNIX", have only three more operating systems: Solaris 10 from Sun Microsystems, AIX 5L from IBM and HP-UX 11i V3 from Hewlett-Packard.

There are virus concepts for Mac OS X. Most likely, real prototypes of viruses capable of infecting macintosh computers can be developed. However, at the moment known cases of "viruses" require the commission of a number of non-trivial actions from the user.

For example:

"This attachment is not an image, but contains executable code. Run? "->" The program tries to access the system files. Allow? "->" Enter your password to work with the application XXX. "

And here - BAM! Virus!

It was a script for the activation of one of the real-life prototypes of viruses for Apple Mac OS X. Many years of protection against viruses completely numbed the users of the macintosh, most so lost their vigilance that the scenario I quoted might well catch them.

Of course, at the present time you do not need an antivirus for Mac OS X. However, on the other hand, you will get a couple of benefits if you take care of installing the antivirus:

• 1. You can not accidentally pass windows viruses from one windows user to another.
• 2. When a great and terrible virus appears under the macintosh - you will be ready to meet with him.

Conclusions on the theme of viruses under macintosh:

The Apple Mac OS X system is a reliable and secure operating system with a strict Unix architecture. There are no dangerous viruses under Mac OS X. But no one can guarantee you that one fine (but not for macintosh) day there will suddenly appear a great and terrible virus under the macintosh. Because there is nothing perfect in this world. But now - sing and have fun, do not worry about viruses and other malicious programs.