Apple Says Users Should Get Anti-Virus Software
How the worm turns. Apple is now saying (kinda buried away in a technical note) that:
“Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple anti-virus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult.”
To be fair here, Apple is saying that the malware gets in not from security flaws but from users downloading software that contains malicious wares. Apple is recommending the following anti-virus packages:
- Intego VirusBarrier X5, available from the Apple Online Store
- Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11 for Macintosh, available from the Apple Online Store
- McAfee VirusScan for Mac
There is also a free AV program called ClamXav
I’ve never heard of using mutlitple AV solutions before as I thought they usually conflicted with one another, but maybe that’s just me. Regardless, this will undermine, to an extent, the Apple is invulnerable to malware mantra that has achieved myth like status. I’m guessing we’ll never see that I’m A Mac, I’m A PC commercial featuring a sneezing PC again as well.
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About the Author: Warner Crocker is a professional theatre director, producer and playwright and also a Tablet PC enthusiast. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Tablet PCs. 
singraham | Dec 2, 2008 | Reply
Couldn't do it on a windows machine, at least not on XP…maybe you can on a Mac???
Mark (K0LO) | Dec 2, 2008 | Reply
When I read Apple's recommendation, I read it as "We recommend that multiple antivirus utilities be used by the Mac community". I did not interpret this to mean that a single user would install multiple AV programs on their Mac.
Ben | Dec 2, 2008 | Reply
But…but… … I thought macs didn't get viruses, unlike evil evil windows…?!?
also:
"not from security flaws but from users downloading software that contains malicious wares"
i would imagine that's how the vast majority of viruses and spyware get on computers, windows, mac, or otherwise.
Mark | Dec 3, 2008 | Reply
Interesting that as of at least a couple of hours ago this link now returns a 404–though a search for “antivirus” on the apple support site still shows the article…
Mark