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I don’t work for, nor have any stake in any anti-virus software company.

Most Windows users actually do install, and run anti-malware software packages. There are many good, FREE and easily used packages out there (Ad-aware, Spybot, MSFT Internet Essentials, Malware Bytes to name a few)in the Windows market.

Mac OS, because it’s based off the Darwin kernal; has enjoyed a very secure OS - due to it’s inherently more secure Unix background, but also due to it’s relative “obscurity” in the market. If you are a malware hacker, it’s easy and smart to go after the large targets. However, the large targets (Windows) are savvy to virus, trojans and other malware attacks. Therefore, being aware of them, they take steps to prevent being infected.

Then we have people like you ... who are woefully ignorant of malware. Now, I really don’t care if you get infected and lose everything you have on your drive. Ignorance coupled with stupidity should be painful. However, your ignroance will likely infect some other innocent user.

Apple is now a big company, and the Macs are getting dominance (up from 3% marketshare and approaching 15%). And the folks who write software that expands the capabilties of the OS do not have a vested interest to make these add-ons security-safe. I offer Adobe Flash (historically the #1 vulnerability that has allowed viri into the Apple OS) and Java (the largest recent Flashback trojan) as examples. Chances are very good you have both Java and Flash installed on your Mac. Unless you have updated your Mac OS AND updated your Adobe and Java installs - you are vulnerable. And that is just what is known of today. Tomorrow there will be more.

So, if you feel like getting the “sad Mac” at boot, and losing everything on your disk - that is your decision - and a stupid decision it is.

There are FREE Mac malware programs. Sophos makes FREE anti-malware software, Malware bytes, PCTools iAntivirus and others will all do what you want - free of charge.

The days of security through obscurity are gone. If you want to lose everything on your Mac that you hold dear - that’s fine. Then, you can explain to your family members who also use a Mac why you infected them, because you were too stupid/lazy to protect your system. Malware can forward itself to everyone in your email address book, send your personal information (such as any credit card info from any online purchase) to some criminal’s email drop box, then to help cover their tracks - destructively format your hard drive. By the time you figure out that your account has been compromised, it’s been cleaned out.