Apple Recommends Running an Antivirus?
The BBC broke the news that Apple has quietly posted an article on their support forum that recommends running an antivirus on Mac OS. After years of hounding Windows about their security vulnerabilities this is certainly a shift in direction for Apple. Currently, there are no known Mac viruses in the wild. There are several known Mac trojans, however, any reasonably cautious user would not be susceptible to this. Given this, I can’t help but wonder what the motivation is behind the announcement. It is possible that Apple knows something that we don’t, but I would think the warning would be more public if the danger was imminent. More than likely, I think this is a support issue that allows Apple to cover their butt. With few Mac threats in the wild, most OSX AV’s are programed to scan for Windows viruses and prevent the spread of these. In a mixed Windows/Mac network, this is a good plan. It’s also a good idea in situations where you are running Windows virtualized on a Mac and want maximum protection for your virtual machine. If Apple fails to recommend the use of an antivirus, I’m sure it opens them up for potential support problems.
I really have no recommendation for one way or the other on this issue. From my personal experience, running an antivirus on OSX seems to cause more problems than it solves. I’ve run into stability issues caused by Mac antivirus programs, not to mention the system slowdowns that AV’s cause. In the end, I grapple with the fact that I am loosing perfromance to protect myself from spreading Windows viruses and guard against a slim chance of an OSX threat. Yes, I know that as the Apple platform grows in popularity, the chances of Mac viruses grow… and yes, I know no system is invunrable. However, I don’t see this warning as reason to change however you are running your system now. Don’t get me wrong, it is worth taking note of and keeping an eye on the situation.
Update: Apple has removed the posting from the knowledge base. Apple commented:
“The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box,” he said. “However, since no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, running antivirus software may offer additional protection.”
