No viruses exist for the Mac. Unless it's a virus that targets the Mac.

One of the things that lots of people who own Macs (yes, there are people with Macs) like to say is that there are no viruses for the Mac.

And they actually believe that.

What brings this up? There is another virus for the Mac out there.

Intego (who makes Mac antivirus software) says that there's a Facebook/MySpace/Twitter virus designed to attach OS X (tip: AppleInsider):

This threat is a Mac OS X version of the Koobface worm, which is served as part of a multi-platform attack via a malicious Java applet. The malware itself is made up of a number of elements, though in order to simplify, we will use the term “Trojan horse” to describe it. (Technically, it propagates as a worm, is installed via a Trojan Horse, and installs a rootkit, backdoor, command and control, and other elements.)

What does this mean?

Well, like I've been saying for some time, the way to stop getting viruses isn't to get a Mac. There are lots of other reasons to get a Mac. I got a Mac. But, I also got Windows.

If you don't want to get a virus, you need to practice smart computing. Run a good antivirus software package, and don't do stupid stuff. Like clicking on videos trying to look at boobies. There are plenty of boobies around that you can find without looking for a video.

Oh, and if someone says you should get a Mac because there aren't any viruses for the Mac, slap them. Hard. And often. Because they don't know what they're talking about and probably voted for Barack Obama.

Get a Mac for a better reason: it rocks. Or don't get a Mac. Run Windows.

Or do both. I do.

When the cure is worse than the disease

McAfee went nuts. All kinds of PCs locked up -- actually, went into an endless loop of reboots -- when an update went haywire. The thing is, my MacBook wasn't impacted. Oh, yeah. Right.

Truth be told, I do run anti-virus protection on my MacBook: Intego.

"Why," you ask?

No, really; go ahead and ask.

Okay, then, since you asked. Because, despite what many people think, Macs are susceptible to viruses. There's a current threat to Macs called HellRTS.D (an update to the 2004 HellRTS), though isn't actually in the wild, as PC World reports:

The malicious software can now open a "backdoor" to your Mac by setting up its own server on a private port, complete with a password. The software duplicates and changes its name, identifying itself as other genuine Mac software (like "iPhoto"), making it even harder to spot. The new HellRTS variant can contact remote servers, and then, Intego says, "provide direct access to [the] infected Mac."

... The HellRTS.D variant isn't out in the wild; you can only be infected if you install the rogue software.

Since I don't do the illegal download thing, I'm not likely to be infected. But, one day, a Mac virus will be actually "in the wild," and a lot of people will be infected. I won't be one of those.

I also run Microsoft Security Essentials on my Mac. No, Microsoft doesn't make anti-virus software for OS X. But, I have dual-boot capability on my Mac. So, if I choose to boot my Mac to Windows XP, I'm running Microsoft Security Essentials.

I'm trying it out, and, so far, I'm liking it. It does okay. And, it's free.

For a paid security suite, though, I prefer the Norton security suite, although I also like the Kaspersky suite.

I loathe McAfee. In 2006, I had an installation that came on a computer, and I tried to remove it. It didn't want to be removed. And McAfee was no help. I still haven't forgiven them.

Now, the McAfee program that caused all the problems this week wasn't the one you use as a consumer. It was the business version. Which is harder to repair.

Think about it: you get to work and turn your computer on.

It stars booting, then reboots. And reboots. And reboots. Over and over and over.

How do you stop that?

Well, let's look at how it started. In a corporate environment, the network folks probably sent an update over the network. That messed-up McAfee update.

And, when the computers rebooted, they got into an endless loop of reboots.

And, the network people can't send the fix down the network. Because the computer never fully connects to the network, because when it tries to boot, it encounters the error and reboots. And, since it never connects to the network, the company can't send the fix to the computer on the network.

Which means a technician will have to come by to each affected computer.

They have to fix each one, individually, by hand.

McAfee is costing a lot of companies a lot of bucks.

And that's just another example of why I won't waste my money on McAfee.

The Mac virus

One of the things that I found pleasing about my MacBook (1-1/2 years old now) was the reduced chance of getting a virus.

I have suffered viruses in the past, on my DOS machines. One was on a pirated -- eek! -- copy of MS-DOS 4.

Yes, a long time ago, I tried out MS-DOS 4 with a pirated copy. I ended up buying a legitimate version, but wanted to try it out first. And it bothered me that it had a virus. ("Stoned" was the virus, by the way.) However, I obtained a clean copy ... pirated, though ... and reinstalled it. And I was satisfied enough to buy a copy. I later regretted the decision, and removed MS-DOS 4 and went back to DOS 3.3.

I bring that up, because it taught me a lesson: pirated copies of software aren't simply wrong (I knew that, but was immature enough to justify it in my mind), they were also dangerous.

Since then, I've helped many others remove viruses from their computers. And many, though not all, had been using pirated copies of stuff. Sometimes, it was a program/application (Microsoft Office, for example). Often it was illegal music or videos. And, sometimes, it was disguised with screen savers and other such.

The bottom line on all this, is that illegal software, music, movies, etc. is a bad, bad idea.

And not just for Windows computers.

Many Mac users like to act all uppity about their computers. And, in all honesty, I really, really like my Mac. But a good computer doesn't make a good computer user. Often, with Macs, it simply shows that some Mac users are assholes.

And dumbasses, too.

There's a virus in the wild for Macs. And, according to Intego, it's on Websites that offer pirated copies of iWork '09, an Apple office suite.

Once again, proving that pirated software is dangerous.

And, that thinking that Macs are safe from viruses is a false sense of security.

For some time, I've been running anti-virus software on my Mac. The current security suite I'm running is Intego Security Barrier.

If you're a computer user, regardless of your operating system, you really should be using a good security suite.

And if you're using illegal downloads, you deserve every bit of misery you suffer.

Virus protection

Most computer users are running computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system. That, all by itself, makes a computer susceptible to a virus or other dangerous or malicious software ("malware").

I'm not trashing Microsoft; I'm stating a fact. Microsoft Windows is so prevalent that it's a target for those that create viruses or other malicious software.

It's common for many computer users to get a virus. The most common reason is a lack of proper protection. That involves not having good, up-to-date security software. It also involves careful computer habits.