Published June 17th, 2012 at 8:38 PM EST , modified July 15th, 2015 at 7:30 PM EST

• Do You Need Antivirus Software For Mac
• Do I Need Antivirus For Mac
• Do I Need Antivirus For Mac Os

There is no simple yes or no answer to this question. The answer will depend on many factors, the biggest of which is your own opinion on security. However, I do have some recommendations. Before we get to those, we need to examine some basic facts about anti-virus (AV) software.

Mar 14, 2017  We recommend using antivirus for your Mac in conjunction with an automated backup system to keep your data as safe and secure as possible. Data Backup can now perform automated backups and send text and email notifications upon the completion or failure of the backups. Do You Need an Antivirus for Your Mac? Definitely, Yes. Posted on December 4th, 2008 by Peter James. Apple has gotten a lot of press recently regarding their position concerning the need for antivirus software to protect Macs. And once you're infected, it super easy for other devices connected to your network to become infected, too. While you may think you don't need antivirus protection on your Mac, it's more important than ever now that Apple has grown so popular. Even if you use a limited, free version of a program, you'll be doing yourself a favor. Do you need an antivirus on Mac? For years, Mac users were told they were safe. The misconception that only Windows computers need antivirus protection is just that – a misconception. In a world where every connected device is a potential target, Mac users need to rethink their security. In a world where cyberthreats are escalating, some people still wonder whether they need antivirus protection for Mac devices or not After so many years of watching Apple bragging with its built-in malware detection and protection,seasoned users will ignore the topic and new users will not really know what to believe. Which Antivirus is Good for Mac in 2019. Admirers of Mac would tell that macOS devices do not need antivirus, and it is right to some extent. In terms of safety, the operating system developed by Apple surpasses Windows.

Intego's Mac Internet Security X9 is our pick of the bunch, making it the best antivirus for Mac 2019. There's a lot to recommend: it's the fastest antimalware app we've reviews, the clean-up rate.

Perhaps the biggest fact that often gets swept under the rug is that no AV software (including XProtect, the anti-malware feature of Mac OS X) catches 100% of all malware. It is known that AV software in the Windows world typically recognizes at best 90% of all malware. Although some Mac anti-virus software does better than that, none is perfect, and some is actually pretty awful. Some are known to detect almost no Mac malware.

Another important thing to understand is that no current AV software is capable of intercepting brand-new malware. When new malware appears, that malware must become widespread enough to be noticed by the companies publishing AV software. Then they must find a copy of the malware, examine it and add it to the list of malware definitions used by their software. And, of course, none of that does you any good until you actually download the update, which doesn’t happen immediately. This means that, even if a particular AV program worked with 100% efficiency, it still would be completely useless for a period of time after the introduction of new malware. For example, in the case of the MacDefender outbreak, frequent name changes and minor tweaks to the “packaging” kept the MacDefender trojan variants one step ahead of all anti-virus software, for a day at a time here and there.

Trojans also make extensive use of what is called “social engineering”. Much like phishing scams and other online fraud, they are often carefully designed to use fear, greed, lust and other emotions to fool you into doing what they want. The MacDefender trojans are a perfect example: a malicious JavaScript injected into a legitimate site redirects you to a page that tries to fool you into thinking viruses have been detected on your machine, and from there fools you into downloading and installing “anti-virus software”. In reality, that software is a trojan that will do its best to make you think you’ve got real viruses (even faking some symptoms), all while pestering you to buy the software to remove them. If you “buy” the software, you have given the criminals your credit card number.

Because of all this, the “set it and forget it” style of using AV software can often make one more susceptible to infection by the right malware. If you become complacent, assuming that your AV software will protect you against all threats, it is unlikely that you will be as cautious as you should be, and something will eventually slip past your AV software. This is not just a theoretical concern, it has been documented to actually happen. I have personally seen reports from people with AV software who nonetheless got infected with something.

In addition, the vast majority of AV software will cause some kind of negative effect, ranging from mild to extreme. These effects can include, but are not limited to:

• Crashes
• Slowing the computer
• Damage to the system, apps or even user data
• Reduction in security of your computer (yes, you read that right)

However, there are some cases where AV software can be a good idea, or even a requirement. For example:

• If you need to use older software containing known vulnerabilities, such as older versions of Java or Flash, or old versions of Mac OS X (such as Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard).
• If you are using a Mac in an environment where AV software is required inflexibly
• If you frequently trade files with Windows users and don’t want to be accused of passing on a Windows virus
• If there is a major change in the malware affecting Mac users (in which case I will note it here)

If you decide to install anti-virus software, do some research before installing it. There is a lot of very bad anti-virus software out there. Many AV packages are renowned for their ability to bring a healthy Mac to its knees. Others are practically scams, detecting very little Mac malware (or even none). Beware of anti-virus “review” sites, which may be fake or paid “advertorials.”

It should be fairly obvious, but I stand behind my own product, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac, as an example of good anti-virus software. It’s lightweight, easy to use and has no impact on the system’s performance. Further, if the program doesn’t fix your problem, Malwarebytes support is dedicated to helping you do that.

Just keep in mind that no anti-virus software can ever take the place of cautious online behavior, which will be discussed in detail in the next section.

No, you should not at this time.

Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection

Wireless Network Watcher is a small utility that scans your wireless network and displays the list of all computers and devices that are currently connected to your network.For every computer or device that is connected to your network, the following information is displayed: IP address, MAC address, the company that manufactured the network card, and optionally the computer name.You can also export the connected devices list into html/xml/csv/text file, or copy the list to the clipboard and then paste into Excel or other spreadsheet application. Wireless network watcher.

An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.

Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.

See these Apple articles:

If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using Dr.Web Light from the App Store. It's free, and since it's from the App Store, it won't destabilize the system. If you prefer one of the better known commercial products, then Thomas recommends using Sophos.(Thank you to Thomas Reed for these recommendations.) If you already use Sophos, then be aware of this if you are using Mavericks: OS X Mavericks- Sophos Anti-Virus on-access scanner versions 8.0 - 9.1 may cause unexpected restarts

From user Joe Bailey comes this equally useful advice:

Do You Need Antivirus Software For Mac

The facts are:

1. There is no anti-malware software that can detect 100% of the malware out there.

2. There is no anti-malware that can detect anything targeting the Mac because there

is no Mac malware in the wild, and therefore, no 'signatures' to detect.

3. The very best way to prevent the most attacks is for you as the user to be aware that

the most successful malware attacks rely on very sophisticated social engineering

techniques preying on human avarice, ****, and fear.

4. Internet popups saying the FBI, NSA, Microsoft, your ISP has detected malware on

your computer is intended to entice you to install their malware thinking it is a

protection against malware.

5. Some of the anti-malware products on the market are worse than the malware

from which they purport to protect you.

6. Be cautious where you go on the internet.

7. Only download anything from sites you know are safe.

Do I Need Antivirus For Mac

8. Avoid links you receive in email, always be suspicious even if you get something

you think is from a friend, but you were not expecting.

9. If there is any question in your mind, then assume it is malware.

Do I Need Antivirus For Mac Os

Apr 11, 2014 7:02 PM