Macs can't get viruses?

Question

Really? Why not?

I didn't hear it from Apple, I heard it from people here who won't help me with my computer because they all say Macs can't get viruses.

Answer 1

They can get viruses, its just less common due to that the windows PCs are more vulnerable.

Answer 2

Any operating system can get a virus, even Macs. Microsoft gets most of the attention because it is the dominant operating system so it is the target of more attacks. One would expect though with all the profits from the dominance that the OS would actually be more secure but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Macs, Linux (RH, Suse, etc...), UNIX (Solaris, AIX, etc...) all are subject to viruses. Fortunately most have a better security model as they were generally developed for multiuser environments with security in mind. MS Windows historically was single user and the user had control over the OS. This led to an approach of the all powerful user and lock down controls rather than a low level user with escalation of rights (although Vista apparently uses this approach...unfortunately many legacy application assume high level rights (not really Microsoft's fault except when their own applications do the same thing)).

Example of a Macintosh virus:

Answer 3

It is all a case of return for your effort, or malice. Why create a virus that infects Macs when for the same effort you can infect PCs as there are about 7 times as many PCs?

Macs can be infected it is just rare because of their relative rarity. If they should become more popular you will see the amount of malware increase. And do not be fooled by Apple and the Steve Jobs reality distortion machine, there is malware out there for Macs.

Answer 4

The sales woman did no longer know what she became into speaking approximately. No Macs are actually not "virus evidence" A firewall isn't anti-virus utility. some protection utility incorporates the two yet they do no longer look to be an identical. As for a Mac truthfully catching, that's lots much less probably. the present flavors of Mac have been based off Linux which in turn became into based off of Unix. All of which had a multi-person atmosphere in concepts write from the 1st layout. domicile windows, on the different hand gradually added multiuser function. In designing a device in this manner the device clearly had nicely defined parameters for various classifications of consumers and categories of courses. in case you recognize you will need diverse consumers and you do no longer prefer them tweaking with the OS then you definately are making it so as that they might't mess with the middle aspects of the OS. In Linux if this technique does no longer have appropriate study write or execute flags then it may no longer do particular initiatives. and prefer I mentioned this became into theory-approximately on the beginning up. domicile windows got here up a diverse ladder from dos. Which became into designed for a single person. in case you only have one person on your computing device that may no longer related to a community you quite do no longer could be anxious approximately who can or can no longer get entry to what. as a result MS courses did no longer behave nicely while Microsoft initially started migrating to a multi-person atmosphere. devoid of nicely defined permissions that paintings nicely with the OS and allow the person to accomplish straightforward computing desires, that's amazingly uncomplicated to jot down courses which will thieve the teach. as a result we've each and all of the computing device viruses that have taken over for this variety of long term.

Answer 5

They can, it's just that so few people run Macs that most hackers figure it's not worth the effort of writing viruses for them. As more people run Mac OS, there will be more viruses.

Answer 6

it's not so much that they can't, they just don't because they are so rare compared with PC's that most hackers won't bother writing programs intended to mess with a Mac.

Answer 7

Apple would like you to beleive that lie.