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The answer is simple: EVERYONE.
But what about Mac’s? They don’t get viruses. And Linux? It doesn’t get Viruses.
Mac’s and Linux based PC’s may not be very susceptible to viruses, malware and adware but the files they share are. They can be, to put it bluntly, carriers of a virus. I should also state that they can get a virus, but the chances are very remote due to the stability of the Unix architecture that they were born from. (Mac’s OS X (Darwin) is part BSD which was born from AT&T’s Unix and Linux is not Unix but rather Unix-like.) There is also the unlikely possibility anyone is going to spend their time trying to target them. There are more Windows based PC’s out there than Mac and Linux combined, and those who write the viruses will keep to the larger and more easily attacked target.
How can a Mac or Linux PC be a carrier? Most people that have Mac’s or Linux PC’s commonly share files with Windows PC’s; be it through e-mail, peer to peer file sharing from Limewire or BitTorrent, and many other forms. If the Mac or Linux computers are not running an up to date Anti-Virus these infected files can be unknowingly passed on.
avast!, Kaspersky and McAfee are a few of the companies that have an Anti-Virus solution for all platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux. AVG has solutions for Windows and Linux, they are currently in development on an Anti-Virus for Mac. Symantec’s Norton has solutions for Windows and Mac, but nothing for Linux.
To round it up: AVG and avast! have FREE solutions for home users (non-commercial). I do not mean to be negative, but McAfee and Norton have seen better days when it comes to home users and customer service. We use avast! on all of our computers and regularly refer them to our customers. If you want even more protection on your Windows PC you can run Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) alongside avast! 5.0. Not many Anti-Virus programs will work together and most of the time it will wreak havoc on your computer. avast! actually worked directly with Microsoft to gain their Windows 7 certified stamp and to make this possible. If you have an older computer (Pentium 4 2GHz or slower) you may not want to have MSE running in active mode alongside avast!, but rather use it as a second scanner. It does take more processing power and resources when you run both of them actively.
Eric L. Johnson is the owner of Credo Computer Repair and Services. A Reno Computer Repair Company. You can find more out about Eric and Credo here: Reno Computer Repair
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