so for windows, freeware antivirus/spyware is sorted with avast, avg, spybot, ad-aware, etc. but how about for apple?

 

There are a few AV packages for the mac, Sophos and Virex spring to mind. There is also ClamX AV which is free.

I can't think of any specific anti-spyware stuff as there aren't really any trojans for OS X (yet), apart from MS Word Macro Viruses, and I think most AV stuff will deal with that.

The main, current, reason for running AV on a Mac is to prevent you from spreading infected files you receive onto other PC users (or possibly yourself if you use a PC based virtual machine and/or Boot Camp).

I don't run AV and haven't done for many, many years. The last AV package I ran on a Mac was Disinfectant, and the last proper virus I can remember was the CD-Autostart worm, and we're talking at least 10 years ago here!

Yes, I know I could pass a virus on to a PC user, however, I'd like to think that most, if not all PC users will have some form of AV/Anti Spyware solution. I know that my parents, who are far, far from tech savvy have norton installed, and installed it on their own merit and not because I'd told them to do so, which says something

 

Used macs sine '91.
Never run any AV software ever, never had a problem.
(Although someone on here rightly pointed out "I'd never had a problem I'd known about....: )

 

thanks for the info. i will sleep better tonite.