Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Resolved Question

Spyware-malware detection program for OSX 10.6

Apr 7, 2012 12:05AM PDT

My email was hacked...I have changed password, and run Retrospect antivirus program. What spyware/malware program should I run in addition? I am not familiar with such a program.

Discussion is locked

evaq has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

- Collapse -
On Mac OS X
Apr 7, 2012 12:47AM PDT

On Mac OS X, there's no need for a separate malware program. There really isn't on Windows if you avoid things like Internet Explorer, but that's another topic for another time.

For the most part, Apple has their own malware removal program baked into OS X, and it triggers automatically.

I also think you are confused. Retrospect is a backup program, and on the off chance they had expanded into including an AV product in the 10 or so years since I last used Retrospect, I checked and they still appear to be a backup only company.

- Collapse -
Retrospect vs Antivirus
Apr 7, 2012 2:45AM PDT

You're right - I meant iAntivirus...not Retrospect. So, you're saying that I do not need to check computer for malware or spyware? There are so many warnings out there to confuse a non-tekky, but I have always used a Mac, never a PC, so I haven't been overly concerned until now. Please allay my concerns if it is true I do not need to run a scan for malware/spyware on my Imac. Don't know how the hacker got into my email program.

- Collapse -
Not yet
Apr 7, 2012 6:09AM PDT

Not yet. It certainly is looking more and more like I will have to revise this advice in the near future, but for the most part there are very few malware threats for Mac OS X, and those are largely handled by Apple's built-in malware scanner.

So to use an analogy I've used in the past... Think of it like a pending rainstorm, and right now what you're seeing are the first few drops of rain. It still may be a while before the downpour begins, but you know it's going to happen. It would be wise to have your umbrella ready, but you don't need it... Yet.

- Collapse -
Answer
Could you explain what email it was that was hacked, please?
Apr 7, 2012 2:59AM PDT

The email on your Mac, as in the Apple MAIL application or the email that you have elsewhere like
Yahoo or Hotmail or GMail.

While we are at it, don't forget to run the Software updater to get the latest Java version from Apple.
That is VERY important.

P

- Collapse -
Email hacking
Apr 7, 2012 4:19AM PDT

It was my AT&T email (sub email account) out of my master AT&T email. It is the one accessible through Yahoo.com when I am away from my computer. I access it on my IMac using Entourage. The sub email account was suspended by AT&T when AT&T ascertained that it had been hacked. Solicitations (spam) were going out from my sub account (which again is the one I use all the time) to people in my contact list. The first clue I had was returned emails (Mailer Daemon or similar name) that were undeliverable. Then, friends started sending me notices that I had been hacked. One such email went out to a major contact file, I learned. My husband has a subaccount under the same master email account, and his was not hacked or compromised. Of course, AT&T has sent me a dire warning to take multiple actions to warn recipients of my hacked email messages to run virus scans, etc etc, among other things, like changing my email address. I have changed my password through AT&T.

I run the Software Updater whenever it appears as a prompt but for sure it is now up-to-date, including Java. So, again, I don't know how much I need to do at this point.

- Collapse -
For now you are reasonably safe,
Apr 7, 2012 11:04AM PDT

your email was hacked at the Yahoo site and not at your local Mac.

Happens a lot with Yahoo and Hotmail.

P