Is vuze safe?

I just bought a new MBP and wondering if its safe to install vuse? I had it on my old PC and suspect I was getting virus, spy ware, ect. It did download "Bing". Thanks for any advise as I'm new to the Apple world. Fred.

[AHunter3]

You're on a Mac now. Damn near everything is harmless to you. It's a situation that could change, and to be sure yeah technically there are a couple of exploits out there (not viruses and not spyware, but exploits nonetheless); but when I say "a couple" I really do mean "you can count them on the fingers of one hand with several fingers left over". Worrying overly much about malware when you're on a Mac is like worrying about being attacked by vicious coyotes on the streets of Manhattan: yes, we do have some, but 5th Avenue hasn't turned into Wyoming or anything; you could spend your entire life here and never see a coyote and never meet another New Yorker who had encountered one other than in a zoo. On the Mac platform you can go decades without ever encountering a single byte's worth of malware, and without ever meeting a Mac user who has ever had a virus. Just get used to it!

[dandj]

I've used Macs for 25 years and never, ever, had a virus or malware incident.

Do a google search for Mac or OSX Virus software and you'll find a lot of discussion but very little real substance. You can run the free ClamXav (http://www.clamxav.com/) if you're concerned.

Keep your firewall on and you should be OK.

[benwiggy]

The discussion about malware on Macs goes as follows:

A: "There are no viruses on Mac because it's got excellent security."

B: "No, it's security isn't as good as you think. Here's some stories about hackers who pwned a Mac."

A: "So if there are known exploits unpatched, where are all the viruses? Why aren't people using these to create malware for the Mac?"

B: "It's because the Mac's market share is so small, it's not worth their while."

A: But Macs market share is growing all the time. They now sell 1 in 5 computers in the US. And there were viruses for OS 9 and earlier, when Macs market share was much less."

B: "You can't afford to be complacent or smug about Mac security. Macs are going to be hit by a tidal wave of malware. One day."

A: "When? People have been saying that for years."

B: You should still run AV software. Just to be safe.

A: Maybe. But you certainly shouldn't be paying protection to Symantec for monthly virus library updates.

That having been said, one major incident of malware was a copy of "iLife" put onto file sharing networks. People downloaded it, ran the installer, supplied their password to authorise the installation, and then ... oh dear.
If you're going to download copied software using Vuze, then you can't really be sure what's in the package. And that's hardly the Mac's fault!