Once again there are news about virii and Mac. The latest trojan is called MacDefender. MacDefender is scareware. If you visit an infected site, a .zip file is automatically downloaded and installed.

To avoid automatic installation one setting in Safari preferences is required:

Preferences -> General -> ”Open safe files after downloding” -> off

The option “Open safe files after downloding” must be turned off. So it is in the responsibility of the user to open the file and to install the software.

Is this option turned on, every downloaded file will be opened and installed automatically. This fact is misused by MacDefender.

Sophos found a new beta version of a trojan for Mac.

If you believe the Antivirus companies, you immediately have to install AV software on your Mac.

If you really count what’s going on: In the year 2010 there were 8 new virus and trojans for the Mac.

Looking at Windows: only in the last hour there were 250 new virus and trojans found.

Therefor, Mac users don’t forget the security, but keep cool.

Users of Microsoft Windows are used to install a virus scanner on every PC.

Of course, you can install a AV scanner on your Mac, but having a close look at the virus statistics from Kaspersky Labs for Apple, you can really live without any AV scanner.

With10.6 (Snow Leopard), Apple began, to scan all downloads for trojans. Some people say, that Apple is not maintaining this list.

But honestly, checking the Kaspersky Labs list, daily updates are really not required.

Using Mac, you definitedly heard the timeless question:

What’s more secure, Mac or PC?

There is an analogy from the security researcher Charlie Miller that gives the answer in one sentence:

Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town.

So with Mac you get less security but you are less exposed. With Windows you get more security but you are more exposed.

Conclusion: Having a secure operating system and being safe are two different things. Exposure counts. Even if Windows is technically more resistant to attack, people using it are still less safe than if they were with OS X.