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By definition a "virus" does not have this "attack vector". A virus spreads with no conscious user intervention. This is a "trojan" -- something the user inflic
by podperson 15y ago
By definition a "virus" does not have this "attack vector". A virus spreads with no conscious user intervention. This is a "trojan" -- something the user inflicts on themselves, and neither the Mac nor Windows have any real protection against trojans.
Mac OS X 10.6 has virus detection built into the OS. Only a couple of viruses are detected because, oddly enough, that's all that have been found. Again, "viruses" not "trojans".
Most "anti-virus" software is worse than malware on its own -- it slows down the computer it's used on. Microsoft Windows, out of the box, will shut down your computer without asking you, quitting out of applications on the way. This, again, is exactly the kind of thing malware does.
- skymt 15y agoWell if you want to get pedantic, a "virus" spreads by infecting legitimate executables, a technique that hasn't been viable since the days of "Don't Copy That Floppy". In everyday use, the word "virus" is synonymous with "malware" and almost always refers to a trojan or drive-by.
- podperson 15y agoThe difference between a virus and a worm has become blurred, since both spread without user intervention. But there's no such blurring with trojans.
- isleyaardvark 15y ago> and neither the Mac nor Windows have any real protection against trojans. It is impossible for any operating system to prevent trojans. As long as the person at the keyboard has admin access, no matter how convoluted the process, they can install whatever malicious program they want. The only defense is education and awareness.