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Virus protection
I’m working with a client who wants two FCS systems to be part of a large corporate LAN. The IT department would like these machines to be virus protected.
My suggestions have been:
Isolate the edit systems from the LAN.
Don’t install anti-virus software as it will not play nicely with FCP, Compressor, etc.
Limit internet usage on dedicated edit stations to software downloads etc.These suggestions are problematic for them, for a variety of reasons.
Their question to me is, “How do you virus-protect an edit system that is on the internet or a LAN with PCs?”
My answers have been inadequate so far. What do you think?
Best,
Tom Meegan
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11 Replies
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Do Macs get viruses? I mean…are there any written for them? I haven’t heard of a Mac Virus for at least 2 years. But…that means that there was one.
But, to get a virus means you need to open attachments on e-mail. That was how they were affected. Don’t use the machine for e-mail, or if you do, don’t open ANY attachments…period. Then you’ll be fine.
IMHO.
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
Engineers can be so clueless when it comes to macs.
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The short answer is that you don’t.
A. It’s a Mac – not saying that it’s impossible to exploit the platform, but the bottom line is that it hasn’t happened and there’s no reason to think it will soon. The worst they could do is pass something along to one of the PCs, which are presumably protected.
B. These are workstations. They need to use their full power to edit, not scan for trojans.
Let them tweak the firewall settings however they like and then tell them to leave you alone.
At my last job we had a Video Toaster (VT4) for live switching. We never really pushed what it could do (beyond constantly hoping it didn’t crash – it could do that like gangbusters) because we couldn’t get media onto it without huge headaches. It ran on Xp or Win2000 (can’t remember), but we couldn’t put anti-virus software on it. Unlike the rest of the room (macs) we just couldn’t put it on the network without that protection. Your FCS stations are Macs… they are big kids and they’ll be fine on their own out there in this big scary world. Now convincing Win IT folks of that may or may not be impossible.
Sorry of for the long post… I’ve had bad experiences with IT people controlling Macs.
Zak
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It’s usually because most IT people don’t UNDERSTAND Macs.
Maybe this would be a good idea for the next Mac vs. PC TV spot?“Hi, I’m a Mac.”
“And I’m a PC and…OOPS! I think I’m going to be sick!”
“Awww. Looks like PC has caught another virus.”
[Mac smiles]
Tom -
There already is an ad. Forward your IT geniuses here:
https://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple/getamac_ads1/viruses_480x376.mov
It contains all the relevant information they need to know about viruses and Macs.
If they can’t get it to work, download Quicktime 7 for them and they will forever be in awe of you.
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If you must use anti-virus software, use Clam AV. It’s free, it’s kept up to date, and it’s the same AV software that protects most of the servers that actually run the internet. I use it every month, or so (part of a monthly routine maintenance & backing up).
https://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/24449
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hi Tom
been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
the short answer is you can’t … i mean you can’t convince them.
my solution was to let them go ahead. then I went round and uninstalled it.result was an IT department confident in the knowledge that they had everything under control and were safe and secure …. and 30+ edit stations all living a happy and productive secret life of virus software freedom.
cheers
Andy -
Hi
Bogiesan answered this in an authoratative way:
https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_read_post.cgi?forumid=8&postid=795454&archive=T -
Darn, they beat me to the punch again. 🙂
tom -
He’s got a real and valid point!
But as defense to use Mac users, IT guys can isolate the Macs since there is no real reason to have edit stations talking to PCs anyway. My company did this for us. Its very possible and viable. It keeps me running at full capacity and keeps my IT guy at peace with the threat of virus attack on the Mac. As for the subject of email, IT guys can setup webmail accounts within their own email servers so that Macs can access company email with the threat of virus attacks. Besides, have you looked into Microsoft Outlook on the Mac…. it doesn’t exsist anymore and IT guys hate trying to make another program work with their email system that are already seriously over complicated.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
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