The anti-malware question

— -- Macs are known for being resistant to PC viruses, a selling point in Apple ads. So reports from the Intego security software firm about an anti-malware feature in Snow Leopard raised eyebrows. "Adding anti-malware to Snow Leopard is a Catch-22 for Apple, wrote PC World's David Coursey: "In solving a problem, Apple must first admit a problem actually exists."

Apple says Snow Leopard merely enhances the "File Quarantine" technology, introduced in Mac OS X Tiger, for detecting malware . It works with files downloaded in Safari, iChat and Mail; if malware is detected, Snow Leopard suggests you move the file to Trash. Through the Mac's Software Update technology, Apple has the ability to add the "signatures" of new malware as it learns about them, potentially avoidng spreading malicious code.

By Edward C. Baig