Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/08/25

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Re: Mac viruses
From: lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)
Date: Sat Aug 25 08:57:32 2007
References: <200708251433.l7PEX3FZ086722@server1.waverley.reid.org>

On Aug 25, 2007, at 10:33 AM, ric wrote:

> How about name one (virus) that has infected a Mac in the last 5 years

As former heard of the CUNY Academic Computer Committee, I can assure  
you that no computer system connected to the internet is absolutely  
safe. Mac viruses do exist, however they are much rarer than PC  
viruses. On operating systems prior to OS X, Macs sometimes got  
infected with:

AutoStart,
Code9811,
SevenDust,
plus several that were specific to MS Office programs and Outlook  
Express.

These viruses posed an inconvenience but rarely damaged any data. For  
the most part they screwed up the display. The could be eliminated by  
runniing anti-virus programs. But for the fact that we were situated  
in the middle of IBM territory and formerly got huge academic  
discounts on IBM equipment (free), we would have been an all Mac shop.

OS X seems pretty resistant to virus attack despite being based on  
Unix. Our unprotected PCs running Windows XT got their first virus  
infections within a few minutes of being connected to the internet.  
It's worse than unsafe sex.

Now that I am retired, I use only Mac laptops and the Intel iMac, all  
running OS 10.4.10, and all connected to the internet. I have not had  
ANY virus problem in years. (But I'm still looking for some unsafe sex.)

Larry Z



Replies: Reply from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] Re: Mac viruses)