Do I Need Antivirus Software On My Apple Mac

Mac

It’s fair to say there’s less risk of malware attacks on a Mac than a PC, but does that mean you can skip antivirus altogether?

May 16, 2019 “Apple’s devices are far better defended against malware and viruses than other platforms, but does this mean they don’t need anti-virus software?” Jonny.

For years, we’ve been told that Macs can’t get viruses. But no computer is immune from cyber attacks, so each year we test Mac antivirus software to their limits with hundreds of virus attacks including worms and ransomware to see how they fare. Read on to see your protection options.

Browse all our antivirus software reviews, or skip straight to the best antivirus packages from our tough tests.

Built-in Mac security

There aren’t many viruses for Mac computers, which makes them hard to come by. Our lab tests Windows antivirus software with several thousand Windows-specific viruses each year, but tests only a few dozen on Mac computers. That isn’t to say that it’s impossible to catch a Mac virus, but the number of different strains is much smaller.

MacOS is secure by design. It requires a number of steps to allow a virus to run on your machine and needs you, the user, to intervene for any program – be it a virus or otherwise – to gain access to critical system files. In short, it’s actually quite tricky to get infected by Malware on an Mac.

Why you should still consider anitivirus for Mac

Even if you don’t let a piece of malware run, we have found that macOS’ built-in security scanning doesn’t reliably detect dormant viruses just sitting on the hard drive. If you never had any intention of running the viruses yourself, you could inadvertently share them with somebody you know who might not be so fortunate.

And there’s more to antivirus than simply protection from viruses. Almost all the security suites we test come with additional protection against phishing attacks, where websites pretend to be legit in order to steal your data. We have found that the very best Mac security suites will also bolster your phishing protection quite significantly, and perform better than the protection built into the Mac versions of Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Opera web browsers. For this reason, if you’re nervous about threats on the web, it would make sense to at least consider a Mac security suite.

Antivirus options for Apple Macs

While there’s no cheap way to get yourself a Mac, those who don’t fancy a yearly subscription to a security suite can rest easy in the knowledge that this year we tested three free options, one of which was good enough to be a Best Buy.

If you’re a Which? member, you can see the very best antivirus options on our best antivirus for Mac advice guide. And for everybody else, we’ve highlighted five options from the biggest brands.

Paid antivirus for Mac

Norton Security Deluxe

One of the biggest names in antivirus has a relatively inexpensive Mac option. What’s more, if you have Windows computers in your household you can mix and match the different device types under the same subscription. Subscribing gets you various other benefits, although some, such as the 50GB of cloud storage, is only available for Windows computers. See whether it’s worth paying for in our Norton Security Deluxe for Mac review.

Kaspersky Internet Security

Kaspersky’s security suite includes basic protection as well as tools specifically designed to protect your files from ransomware and a bolstered web browser for banking. Like Norton, you can mix and match a Kaspersky multi-device Internet Security subscription between Windows and Macs. See if it’s worth the cost in our full Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac review.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

It comes with phishing protection and a VPN for keeping your web browsing safe from prying eyes, but can this AV production take on its big-brand rivals? It’s performed well in our tests in previous years, so read our full Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review to find out.

Free antivirus for Mac

AVG Antivirus for Mac (free)

Do I Need Antivirus Software On My Apple Mac Free

If you don’t want extra features and also don’t fancy shelling out for yet another digital subscription, AVG Free might be the option for you. There are no frills, but it should deliver when it comes to basic protection, adding that last layer of defence for when all else fails. See how it fared in our antivirus lab test by reading the full AVG Antivirus for Mac review.

Avast Free Antivirus for Mac (free)

Avast and AVG are owned by the same company, so they should perform similarly in our tests. Included in the installation is Avast’s free password manager, which might come in handy if you’ve yet to set one up for yourself. Read our full Avast Free Antivirus for Mac review to see whether it’s a good free choice.

How we test antivirus

Our antivirus test lab is riddled with threats. It has set up dozens of computers in 40 countries around the world to act as ‘honeypots’ for millions of viruses. These honeypots capture viruses that are fresh into the wild and may have only existed for days. This makes the task for the security software very challenging, because many of them rely upon huge databases of so-called virus ‘definitions’ to tell whether or not a file is harmful. https://nightlucky.netlify.app/mac-apps-that-support-subtitles.html.

Grabbing new threats means they will also have to rely on their own intuition – rather than simply checking a database – using more advanced techniques to decide if there’s a threat. We also use a mix of scenarios on both Windows and macOS, including viruses stored on USB sticks, and even malicious real-world phishing webpages designed to steal your data. Only the most secure software can fend off all these types of attacks effectively.

Malware can be more of a concern if you’re using an old phone. Read our guide on mobile phone security for more.

Apple has frequently said that Macs don’t get infected by viruses. This is true, but not because macOS is inherently better than Windows. While the operating system does have some protections that can make viruses less powerful, that doesn’t mean macOS is airtight. And while Macs are rarely targeted by viruses, it pays to be careful. Reputable malware scanning software or antivirus software is a good addition to any secure system.

From Deeper’s Preferences window, you may turn on and off the interface drawer effect for speeding up the workflow and configure it to automatically delete the action log after each session for hiding any customizations you’ve made from prying eyes.At the same time. Mac os x benchmark software free. Deeper manages to help you access and modify a vast collection of options and features that Apple has concealed deep within the operating system via an intuitive and well-designed user interface. Deeper provides individual panels that will help you tweak the Finder, your Dock, QuickTime, iTunes, Safari, Mail, Spotlight and the Login window.

Do Macs Needs Antivirus Software?

Macs aren’t immune to viruses, but they also aren’t typically targeted by attackers. The platform simply doesn’t have a large enough user base to make it worth the time for attackers to custom-build specific attack packages for the operation system’s unique features. The Unix-based macOS operating system is fundamentally different from Windows in a number of ways, meaning that any attacker hoping to infect Macs would need to create custom code tailored specifically to the operating system. Furthermore, macOS runs in a sand-boxed environment, making it more difficult for errant programs to take control of your system.

Since Macs still represent only a sliver of market share, an enterprising hacker would get more bang for their buck by focusing on the most popular operating systems. Like spam and phishing attacks, virus distribution relies on the law of large numbers. Without a specific target, attackers will get the greatest benefit by distributing compatible malicious code to as many computers as possible. This increases the likelihood that they’ll encounter a vulnerable system, improving the odds that their attack will succeed.

Do I Need Antivirus Protection On My Mac

While any computer can benefit from the protection of well-made and updated antivirus software, it’s not an essential operating requirement for Macs. This has lead to a couple of insufferably smug ads from Apple on the topic, which is sort of ironic. If the Mac was more popular, the machines would likely need more robust antivirus protection.

Do Mac Viruses Exist?

Mac viruses definitely exist. Back in 2014 a hacker used the iWorm malware to create a nearly 20,000-member botnet. The Flashback vulnerability in Java of 2012 affected more than 500,000 Macs, so many that Apple was forced to issue a security update to OS X Lion and patch the vulnerability. More recently, the KeRanger encryption malware was distributed inside a popular BitTorrent client for macOS. And according to antivirus vendor Malwarebytes, Mac malware has increased by 230% over 2016. Macs certainly can get viruses, and Mac-specific viruses do exist. They’re just less common than the Windows equivalent.

Are Macs Vulnerable to Other Attacks?

The thing with viruses is that they’re probably the least popular form of computer attack vector these days. Far more common are things like phishing attacks to crack email accounts and siphon password resets. And while Macs don’t require antivirus software, they’re still vulnerable to these attack vectors. This includes email-based phishing attacks or browser-based cross-site scripting or man-in-the-middle attacks. And potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) like Mac Defender are voluntarily installed by the user but include malicious features and can’t be easily removed. Even if they’re unlikely to get viruses, Mac users must still practice safe browsing habits.

What Antivirus Software Should I Get?

For security-conscious users, there are several reliable options for macOS antivirus software. It’s not mandatory, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Bitdefender: this antivirus software stands at the top of AV Test’s antivirus rankings, blocking 100% of threats in those tests. It also has little impact on your system, so you won’t see slowdowns while scanning or during real-time protection. It’s also not cheap, clocking in at $40 for a license.

ClamAV: Windows or Linux users might be familiar with this open-source, multi-platform suite for detecting viruses and malware. It’s long-lived, well-respected software, and it has a great Mac version. This is definitely the choice of system managers, programmers and power users.

Sophos Home: This free consumer version of the Sophos enterprise security software works in Windows and macOS. In addition to detecting viruses and malware, it also protects against web-based attacks in real time. It’s a stepped-down version of enterprise software, so it might not run perfectly on a home environment.

Do Mac Computers Need Antivirus

Malewarebytes: Another much-loved malware detection tool for Windows, Malwarebytes also offers a Mac version. It’s fast, with a focus on real-time protection rather than scheduled scans. It sports a great reputation for removing PUPs, but it won’t scan macOS for Windows viruses. This makes it less of an antivirus program and more of an anti-annoyance program, and it’s great for home or individual users.

Avast: Avast’s free software detects viruses and malware. It also proactively protects against web-based threats like unsafe websites and email attachments. Unfortunately, it’s also known for imposing a heavy load on system resources to offer these real-time features. You’ll probably want to avoid this one, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s so widespread.

Dfgol