Apple IPAD Anti Virus and Firewall

[Mike.C]

I have just got myself an IPAD and as it is the first Apple device and I will sometimes be using it on the internet, I went looking for an anti virus and firewall programs, but I am having problems finding and that make it clear it is for the IPAD, and even read I that I do not need any (surely that cannot be right?)

What have other owners used?

Cheers

Mike

 

[JonnyD]

I don't think you need any I haven't got any on mine .

Cheers

Jon

 

[bodge]

I don't think AV and firewalls are available for Apple systems. The theory is that it is secure because it is a closed system.

 

[Mike.C]

That's great, thanks guys.

Cheers

Mike

 

[henton49er]

Article from Forbes from late June this year includes the following:-

"Mac computers can be buggy, Apple has finally admitted. Two days ago the firm quietly pulled the claim that the iOS PCs are immune to viruses from its website. The purveyor of shinier-more-expensive desktops has replaced its former claim with the more cautious statement that Macs are “built to be safe”.

The change was made to Apple’s website on Sunday, according to Sophos. Apple’s site now lists features which make Macs “safer” – including download alerts, security updates and data encryption"

I doubt that the situation has improved; in fact Apple iOS 6 is supposed to be relatively easy to hack into, compared to previous versions. The comfy system that was once thought to be closed to the outside world, no longer is so. I still think that an Apple is less likely to get a problem than a PC, but there is much more software available for PCs to counteract any threats.

 

[RogerS]

I have just got myself an IPAD and as it is the first Apple device and I will sometimes be using it on the internet, I went looking for an anti virus and firewall programs, but I am having problems finding and that make it clear it is for the IPAD, and even read I that I do not need any (surely that cannot be right?)

What have other owners used?

Cheers

Mike

You don't really need one.

 

[RogerS]

......
I doubt that the situation has improved; in fact Apple iOS 6 is supposed to be relatively easy to hack into, compared to previous versions.

Wrong. http://www.informationweek.com/security ... /240008996

 

[Mike.C]

Why can't anything just have a simple answer. What do you guys use to protect your Apple laptops?

Cheers

Mike

 

[RogerS]

Many don't bother, Mike. I happen to run Sophos but only because it was free. The only four things it picked up in the last two years were attachments on emails that contained PC...repeat PC viruses...,and it;'s more hassle than it's worth to go and delete the emails/open the quarantine manager etc. There was one trojan on the Mac a year or so back which was on some dodgy websites as far as I recall.

You stand more chance of getting phished IMO. Or being dumb enough to give your admin password when you shouldn't.

 

[stuvy]

Iv got a mac g4 had it for years NEVER had an issue iv also had iphones since they came out and worked in an office that ran on mac products and we never had a single issue ever with them.

If your on google images for example and click a corrupt site apple close it and you have the decision to send them an error report or not unlike a PC which shows the blue screen of death!!

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks Roger, Stuvy, it sounds like I am better off not worrying about it.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Eric The Viking]

Laptops and iPads aren't comparable.

We have both OSX and iOS in the house. For OSX it's simple: make a user account without root equivalence. Reduce its privileges to the bare minimum you need, and use that to browse the internet. If the account doesn't have root, it's much harder for it to be hacked. UNIX is inherently far safer than certain other OSes.

iPads: we don't run anything special on ours. In fact I doubt you actually can, because there are big parts of the OS that aren't exposed for developers. Being a closed system is one of the big arguments for NOT getting one. I have a love-hate relationship with ours, but it does do some things truly beautifully (display my QTVR panoramas, for example). I still haven't made my mind up about one!

In short, don't panic about the iPad. You'll most probably be fine. If not, several million other people will be equally annoyed!

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks Eric, as I said I am not going to worry about it.

Cheers

Mike

 

[stuvy]

one of the things to settle your mind further is andriod apps are not tested by microsoft so any one can launch one with harmful data on it

whereas apple apps are fully vetted to ensure this doesnt happen

ever wondered why blackberry went down last year for a week?

 

[Eric The Viking]

What does Microsoft have to do with Android?

Answer: nothing, I think. Given they've just launched their own tablet running a variant of Windows 8, I suspect they've no interest in Android whatsoever, except as a competitor.

Proprietary software is not safer than open source code, for one overriding reason: if/when a security issue is detected, there are two different behaviours, reflecting quite different priorities:

• In the open source world, it's in everyone's interest to get the problem fixed ASAP, and check that there aren't similar vulnerabilities still in the code.
  
• In proprietary code, the first question is, "Who knows about this?", quickly followed by, "How much will it cost to fix this, and who's done the cost/benefit analysis?"

Blackberry and Apple are both proprietary systems. The regression testing required to properly verify code issues is a huge task. It's not surprising if corners get cut.

That doesn't mean we don't use Apple products -- far from it. There's no such thing as complete security, only "secure enough". At the moment, Apple is secure enough for us.

E.

 

[henton49er]

......
I doubt that the situation has improved; in fact Apple iOS 6 is supposed to be relatively easy to hack into, compared to previous versions.

Wrong. http://www.informationweek.com/security ... /240008996

Don't be too complacent:-

From Kaspersky Labs annual summary of malware activity for 2012:-
"Although the Mac OS X Trojan Flashback/Flashfake appeared in late 2011, it wasn’t until April 2012 that it became really popular. And when we say really popular, we mean really popular. Based on our statistics, we estimate that Flashback infected over 700,000 Macs, easily the biggest known MacOS X infection to date. How was this possible? Two main factors: a Java vulnerability CVE-2012-0507 and the general sense of apathy among the Mac faithful when it comes to security issues. [my emphasis]

"Flashback continues to be relevant because it demolished the myth of invulnerability surrounding the Mac and because it confirmed that massive outbreaks can indeed affect non-Windows platforms. Back in 2011, we predicted that we would see more Mac malware attacks. We just never expected it would be this dramatic." [again, my emphasis]

From Kaspersky Labs annual projection for malware threats expected in 2013:-
"Despite well-entrenched perceptions, Macs are not immune to malware. Of course, when compared with the torrent of malware targeting Windows, the volume of Mac-based malware is small. However, it has been growing steadily over the last two years; and it would be naïve of anyone using a Mac to imagine that they could not become the victim of cybercrime. It’s not only generalised attacks – such as the 700,000-strong Flashfake botnet – that pose a threat; we have also seen targeted attacks on specific groups, or individuals, known to use Macs. The threat to Macs is real and is likely keep growing."

All of us need to remain vigilant against threats to our personal systems, both PC and Apple users and also including Andoid devices which have seen threats increase dramatically over the past year.

 

[RogerS]

True, Mike, but the original entry point for the attack relied on social engineering ...ie the wetware between the ears...and no system can guard against that.

A very good technical exposition into Flashfake is here http://www.securelist.com/en/analysis/2 ... ake_Part_1

 

[Eric The Viking]

OS X and iOS are very different animals. Both cars and trains are transport, and both have accidents. There's a whole class of accidents, however, that can't happen to trains because of the way they work. It's not a very good analogy, but it does apply when comparing iOS to open operating systems.

In addition, Kaspersky et al have a strong interest in the nuisance of viruses spreading to other platforms, so it's to be expected that they make a fuss about small numbers of infected machines.

I'm not saying we should be complacent, either. But there's a difference between caution and worry, and the latter isn't necessary.

E.