That includes the early days of Mac when the operating system wasn’t Unix-based with all of its built-in security features.Yes. The answer to the question “Do Macs need antivirus or anti-malware software?” is “No, but…” As a Mac user since late 1984, I have never had a virus, and I’ve rarely seen malware that caused an issue for more than just a few minutes. If your Mac slows to a crawl while your antivirus app is conducting a scan. Answered by Vann S from Atwater.If you’re going to install an antivirus app, then, you need to find one that’s not only trustworthy but fast, too. At that time the price was free, I believe.MacOS needs antivirus just like any other device.Related article: How to Use Mac’s Disk Utility to Securely Wipe a DriveTop comment. Viruses compromising Mac security have been on the rise due to the increasing popularity of Apple products, and other new Apple vulnerabilities have been discovered. Criminals are always where the internet users are, and Macs are no exception.Since it is part of the operating system, it’s also very fast and doesn’t cause the usual slowdowns associated with dedicated antivirus/malware apps.As Apple is made aware of vulnerabilities and malware, both from “white hat hackers” and security firms, it invisibly patches XProtect to keep your Mac protected.XProtect matches files and applications that have been downloaded to your Mac against a list of known “bad guys”. It’s installed by default, runs without user intervention, and is even updated automatically. XProtect runs constantly in the background on OS X and macOS machines. First, I’ll talk about Apple’s safety nets, then other precautions that can help keep your Mac safe with minimal fuss.The first safety net keeps you protected from most malware. They’re the functions that are constantly monitoring what’s going on behind the scenes on your Mac to keep you safe. Easy to use.I bought.So, as a longtime Mac owner and user, a former Mac consultant, and a writer specializing in the world of Apple devices, I’ve usually used my Macs with absolutely no anti-virus or anti-malware software.Am I just lucky? Not really, because even without a specific antivirus or anti-malware package installed, I take a lot of precautions and Apple has built in a number of “safety nets”.
Do You Need Antivirus For An Apple Install An AntivirusThis is the default setting and allows Mac App Store apps and those from developers that have used digital signing on their apps to be immediately downloaded and installed. If you like living on the edge of danger, you can set it up to allow downloads from “Anywhere” — this is not recommended, as there’s a higher probability of downloading an app with a malicious payload (see image below):Instead, leave the setting at “Mac App Store and identified developers”. This is done by launching System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, and then selecting one of the available choices. Have you ever downloaded an app from somewhere and seen a message that said something like ” ‘App name’ can’t be opened because it was not downloaded from the Mac App Store” or ” ‘App name’ can’t be opened because it is from an unknown developer”? That’s Gatekeeper at work.Gatekeeper is another part of macOS that builds upon the XProtect malware protection to insure that apps that have not gone through the rigorous vetting to get into the Mac App Store or that have not been digitally signed by a developer can do anything bad to your Mac.One thing about Gatekeeper is that it can be set up to provide various levels of “gatekeeping”. When you read on the Rocket Yard that a new version of macOS (or an update to an earlier version of macOS X) appears, run it.Don’t Install Apps From Shady Developers or ‘Freeware’ SitesIt never ceases to amaze me that people who are willing to spend thousands of dollars on the latest Mac hardware can be so frugal when it comes to software. When those annoyingly slow Microsoft Office updates appear, run them. If your apps provide a way to automatically download and install updates, enable that process. Sadly, many people still forgo updating their operating system or apps to the latest and greatest versions. Piano player for fleetwood macIf that’s the case, then it’s perfectly acceptable to buy security apps from the big names in the business and install them.Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is well-liked and reputable, as is Sophos Home for Mac. Read websites such as the Rocket Yard to find recommended free apps and utilities from reputable firms.Still Not Feeling Comfortable? Install Antivirus or Anti-Malware SoftwareYou may still not feel comfortable with not having antivirus or anti-malware apps installed on your Mac. Not sure about a developer’s pedigree? Do Internet searches and find out if they’re a valid company. For apps you’re not sure will do the trick for you, see if they have a trial version available before you buy. While some software pirates just want to keep valid development firms from making profits that can be rolled back into research and development, others like to load those apps with a little extra malware.Related article: An Annual Reminder: Watch Out For ‘Phishing’ ScamsPay for your software to support the developers who work hard to make the best possible products. If a “free” version of an app seems too good to be true, it probably is. But I know it was less than a day. It was so long ago I can’t remember exactly how long it took to research and get rid of it. In that time I have had only one or two instances of a virus or malware infection. The big names like Symantec/Norton, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro all have products as well, so be sure to look around before deciding on a package — if you really feel that you need one.I’ve used Mac’s to run my business with for 30 years now. Recently I had to clean a friend’s iMac that was severely infected do to letting a company tell him over the phone they had detected a virus and that they could get rid of it for X amount of dollars. Then because the software would make the computer almost unusable, I would turn the software off and be fine for another four years or so. A few times the software did find something, and trashed it.
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