Fortunately, security risks aren’t as common on Macs like on PCs. But that said, those risks still exist — and they’re growing as the Mac becomes more popular. So keep on reading so you can know how to be prepared for the worst.
Trojans and wha–? It’s not just viruses, there’s also other nasty pieces of code like trojans, spyware, key loggers, and remote admin apps. All of these can heavily compromise your security and bring serious trouble if, say, you run all your banking in the computer. That’s where apps like MacScan come in, and will do their best to keep these pesky intruders out.
The curious thing about MacScan is how it managed to catalogue countless cookies from my browser as security risks — and I’m not talking about the shady ones, but also some cookies from big name sites like Google. Well, if the app says so…
And, does this app scan for viruses? Nicholas Raba from SecureMac said, “Spyware scans and virus scans work on different levels. MacScan itself won’t ever scan for viruses but we have looked into solutions for this in the future as viruses start to pop up for Mac OS X.”
There, we can rest, now. Viruses still have a long way to go before they seriously compromise the Macs. But until then…
Have an anti-virus. Even though there’s not much of a threat here, it doesn’t hurt to have the free clamXav installed and ready for any potential threat. And in the case of a major problem…
Backup. This is the essential step for all computers. It is good to backup at least every two to four weeks, depending on the amount of data in the computer.
You can manage all your backups manually, or get an app to do it for you. The recommended ones are the free Silverkeeper and Backity Mac, or you could spend a few bucks on SuperDuper!. This way you’ll have your computer as before, in case trouble arises.
Lastly, I’m not trying to bring panic into the Mac community. They’re relatively safe, especially when you update frequently and use common sense — like not typing your admin password when an unknown app asks you to. What I’m saying is, it’s better to be prepared than sorry.
For more security tips, look at the previously written security guide right here.
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[tags]Apple,Mac,Security,Malware[/tags]
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