[X Newbies] Apple and all of these viruses?

[Clive Read]

I am a Newbie to Mac OS X though have been using AppleMac since 1985.

I found this reply EXCELLENT.

Thanks to you all

Clive in Spain


On Sunday, August 24, 2003, at 03:30 PM, Florin Alexander Neumann wrote:
>
>
> In terms of neophytes, I don't think we must assume automatically that 
> a newbie to the OS X is necessarily a newbie to computers. But 
> generally, their concerns on this issue are fourfold.
>
> (1) Is my Mac vulnerable to the current spate of viruses everyone is 
> talking about?
> A: No. They are Windows-only viruses (they're really worms, in 
> techspeak) and cannot infect Macs either under OS X or under OS 9, 
> even if you're using Outlook or Entourage. However, they could 
> conceivably infect Virtual PC, if you're using it. But the infection 
> would be limited to the Virtual PC environment and would not affect 
> the rest of your Mac.
>
> (2) Does that mean the Mac is invulnerable and I don't need a virus 
> utility?
> A: No. Mac viruses are rare, and there have been no OS X viruses 
> reported as yet. But it's likely that it's only a matter of time 
> before an OS X virus shows up. Macs are also vulnerable to 
> cross-platform viruses, such as the macro viruses which affect MS Word 
> and MS Excel; finally, although your Mac would not be affected, you 
> could inadvertently pass on a PC virus to a friend who uses Windows. 
> So it's a good idea to acquire an anti-virus utility and keep it up to 
> date, especially if you exchange Excel and Word files with Windows 
> users on a regular basis.
>
> (3) I've received a message with an attachment and I think it contains 
> a virus. What should I do?
> A: Delete it. A basic safety rule is to delete any unsolicited e-mail 
> containing attachments.
>
> (4) A friend insists he received an infected e-mail message from me, 
> but I'm positive I never sent him anything like that. Or, I received a 
> notice saying a message I sent couldn't be delivered, and it looks 
> like the message contained the virus, but I never sent it. Is my Mac 
> infected?
> A: No. Some of these viruses spoof the return address. When the virus 
> infected your friend's PC, it found your address in the address book. 
> When it sent copies of itself to the addresses listed in the address 
> book, on some of them it substituted your address for your friend's 
> address in the return field.
>
> f
>
>
> ----------
> Check out the Mac OS X email list FAQ
> http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/X.html
>
> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <X-Newbies-off at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to 
> <X-Newbies-digest at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
> Need help from a real person? Try.  
> <X-Newbies-request at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
>
> ----------
> $14.99 Unlimited Nationwide Mac Dialup and Mac Web Hosting from your 
> Mac ISP Serious Mac Internet Solutions From NineWire!   
> http://macinternetaccess.com
>
> DVIator   | Run Dual ADC displays on your G4 or just one on an older 
> Mac! Dr. Bott  | <http://www.drbott.com/prod/DVIator.html>
>
>   Support   | Support this list by clicking here before you buy!
>  this List  |  http://www.themacintoshguy.com/support.html
>
> OS X News, Dr.Mac, Forums, Tutorials, Tips, Hints, FAQ?s - 
> http://www.osxfaq.com
>