How To Prevent Malware on Lion & Snow Leopard Macs

The myth that Macs are immune to viruses was put to rest once and for all by Flashback, a malware program that infected hundreds of thousands of Macs. As a result of that attack, Apple was forced to respond with a removal tool. Don't wait for the next big Mac breach--there are five simple things you can do now to keep your Mac safe from infection. Here they are.

Keep your software updated

Make sure your system is checking for software updates daily, not weekly. Updating your system software every day will ensure that the latest security holes are patched and sometimes even clean malware automatically, like with Apple's automatic tool for Flashback. To change update frequency, go to the Software Update pane, check off the box Check for updates, and choose Daily. I recommend installing just about every update unless there's a compelling reason not to in the description.