I Have a Virus

Viruses. An interesting subject for us Mac users. Until I started my job in a school with a mixed Mac/PC environment, I didn't know much about viruses except they were something that PC users got. Well, that is still the case, at least for now. While some small scale viruses are out there for the Mac, over 99% of the active viruses are made for the PC. They cause systems to slow to a crawl, pass along personal information, and destroy data. Not a fun time for a PC user if you get one.

So, how do you go about protecting yourself against viruses? Even though I use a Mac, I still use some sort of anti-virus protection. For a Mac user there are not a lot of options. There is the free, ClamXAV software, but in my experience, that has not been effective. iAntiVirus for Mac is also a free program but they do offer a solution for $29.95 that includes 24x7 support.

A better solution is the Norton Internet Security for Mac. This is a multi-function software package. It not only protects you against viruses, but it also includes a firewall to protect from online intruders, identity protection, and has an option for those Mac users who dual boot into Windows. The software is an easy install but setup of each component can take some time.

To run this software on the Mac, you need to have a machine that runs Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher on a PowerPC or Intel chip, a CD/DVD drive, at least 256 MB RAM and 150 MB of hard drive space available. An Internet connection is also required for live update which will download updates to the software as well as the latest virus definitions. The cost for this software is $79.99 to purchase and $39.99/year to renew the service. You may be able to find the initial purchase cheaper if you shop around online. At the time of this post, Amazon was offering this software for $36.45.

For Windows users, Norton also makes Internet Security although if you want to include identity protection in the package, you need to upgrade to Norton 360. The cost for Norton 360 for Windows is also $79.99 but I found it online for $49.99. This package includes a license for up to 3 household PC's. Like the Mac version, this requires a yearly renewal.

Also for Windows users, AVG Anti-Virus is available. This company offers a free basic anti-virus program. For $54.99 you can upgrade to AVG Internet Security. This gives you many of the same features that the Norton 360 gives you.

McAfee is another company that offers a complete solution for Windows. It does offer a Mac solution, but only in its enterprise software. Its Windows solution offers the same thing that Norton does and it only costs $49.99 for the first year. I have used this program before and, while it works fine, its interface is not as easy to use and Norton. It also seemed to slow the computer down.

To these products you will need to have a Windows computer running Windows XP (2000 for AVG), preferrably 512 MB RAM, and 500 MB of disk space (300 for AVG). A CD/DVD drive is also required.

Cnet.com said that Norton 360 was the best complete package for the price for Windows users. I found that AVG was a bit easier to setup but the Norton software did receive better reviews. While there are other solutions than what is mentioned here, this represents some of the best products on the market.