If you never connect your Mac to the Internet, the answer is no. But if you do use the Internet, the answer is yes. And since most everyone is online these days, that means that the majority of Mac users need to consider installing Macintosh compatible antivirus software. You should strongly consider protecting your Mac with a top-rated antivirus program such as Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac ($39.99 for one year). In the old days, things were simple for Mac owners.
- I've got virus barrier plus which is my main antivirus app, and I've got bit defender, which I haven't used in years. Antivirus by max secure or whatever it is called is good. Personally, you need adware protection like malware bits, works well with VO and it really helps when you get into tight situations where you get warnings from the OS.
- Unlike Windows or Mac-based antivirus software, however, Android antivirus apps do not automatically remove harmful software for you – you have to do this manually once they have been identified.
Do you need antivirus software on your PC?
If you're not sure of the answer to that question, then the short answer is yes. The longer answer is that security software is only one piece of what should be a simple, straightforward, and systematic approach to your PC's health. I'll outline my recommendations in this post. Accu-chek meter error codes. If you're visiting the family over the holidays, you might want to take my list along with you.
But first, let me rant a bit. It's no secret that I dislike the security software industry. In one of my very first posts here, nearly four years ago, I called it a 'protection racket' and said, 'I can already see the beginnings of an 'arms war' among security software companies, with ads and whisper campaigns based on fear.' Back in 2005, I wrote a post arguing, 'The security software industry wants you to be afraid.'
I have deeply mixed feelings about antivirus software, especially when it's part of a big security suite that tries to protect you from every imaginable form of online threat. The companies that sell you that software have an interest in keeping you afraid, and so they publish countless studies proving how dangerous the online world is.
They also have a vested interest in proving that you haven't wasted your subscription dollars on their product, so they need to occasionally (or continually) pop up messages and alerts and reminders to show you exactly which threats they've blocked. Even when those 'threats' are trivial or nonexistent.
Just how dangerous is it out there? Here's what you need to know:
- No computing environment is immune. Every platform can be exploited by an attacker. This month's Mac OS X v10.6.5 and Security Update 2010-007 included well over 100 fixes to critical security vulnerabilities, many of which could lead to arbitrary code execution. These are exactly the same types of vulnerabilities that Windows malware writers take advantage of. Fortunately for Mac (and Linux) users, their worldwide market share is small enough that malware writers simply haven't bothered with them. If you use OS X on a Mac, I don't think you need to install security software, but that recommendation could change someday if Apple's platform continues to grow in popularity and attracts enough attention from bad guys.
- Good behavior alone is not enough to protect you from attacks. Visiting porn sites and downloading pirated software puts you at a much higher risk of infection, but even legitimate web sites can be compromised, and seemingly innocent results in a search engine can lead to hostile sites.
- Antivirus software is one layer among several. Depending on the type of threat, it can be very helpful, even if you consider yourself an expert PC user. But it is not a magic bullet, and it is no replacement for a well-rounded approach to security.
- No antivirus software is perfect. It is literally impossible for any security product to identify every possible threat, especially when malware writers are constantly updating their products to avoid detection. Most of the leading antivirus programs can identify and block the overwhelming majority of threats you're likely to encounter online. The fact that they can't reach 100% protection is why security software is only one part of a layered security strategy.
- Many types of malware are installed voluntarily. Among the most common threats are Trojans, which spread via social engineering. The job of a malware writer is to convince you to run his innocent-sounding program, which secretly does something other than its stated purpose. It might claim to be a new video playback plugin (like the one I saw last week) but actually turns out to be a program that hides on your PC and steals passwords or sends spam. Social engineering explains how an entire class of malicious fake antivirus programs made it onto the top 10 malware list for the first half of this year.
- Malware writers make their living exploiting unpatched systems. One of the top 10 threats found and removed from Windows PCs in the first half of this year was Win32/Conficker. The vulnerability that Conficker exploits was blocked by a Microsoft patch released in October 2008. In fact, that's true of most of the top PC malware variants found in the wild. Four of the entries on the top 10 list for 2010 are based on vulnerabilities that were identified and patched in 2007 or 2008, and none of the others could have been installed without explicit user interaction on a fully updated copy of Windows.
- It's not just Windows that needs patching. Some of the most effective malware vectors these days are coming through vulnerabilities in products like Adobe Flash and Reader, in the Java runtime, and in Microsoft Office. In most cases, the vulnerabilities were patched quickly by the software maker, but if you didn't apply that update, you remain vulnerable. Ironically, most of these exploited programs are cross-platform; in theory, malware authors can add code to their PDF or Java exploits that target Macs or Linux PCs. So far, they haven't done that.
- Attacks via zero-day exploits are rare. Zero-day exploits get a lot of publicity, but they rarely have a widespread impact. The worst variants of these attacks are the ones aimed at specific companies, like the targeted wave of attacks against Adobe, Google, and other high-profile companies in early 2010. And even those only succeeded because they exploited unpatched systems using an outdated browser.
So how do you protect your PC online?
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If you want your Windows PC to be secure, here are the essential steps.
- Use a modern operating system. Sorry, folks—Windows XP simply isn't secure enough for ordinary people to use today. It was designed more than 10 years ago, and it lacks many of the core architectural changes that make later Windows versions more resistant to attacks. Address Space Layout Randomization and Data Execution Prevention are core features that block some classes of exploits completely. File and registry virtualization (a key part of the much-maligned and misunderstood User Account Control feature) prevents hostile programs from writing to system folders. Removable drive exploits, which have represented a very common vector for spreading malware recently, do not affect Windows 7.
- Keep your OS up to date and backed up. Turn on Windows Update and make sure it's running properly. That single step will protect you from virtually all widespread malware attacks these days. If you're worried about a buggy update hosing your system (highly unlikely, but theoretically possible) make sure you have a full image backup on hand. Every version of Windows 7 allows you to perform a full image backup to an external hard drive; if you schedule that operation for the day before Patch Tuesday every month (or better yet, for every Monday), you'll be able to recover from any kind of problem. Oh, and leave the Windows Firewall turned on unless you've replaced it with a third-party alternative.
- Keep applications updated also. Adobe has greatly improved its updaters in the past year. If you're prompted to update to a new version of Flash or Reader, do it. Microsoft Office updates are delivered automatically through Microsoft Update; make sure that those are being installed as well. Remove unwanted programs that could represent a security threat. Many new PCs come with Java installed automatically. If you don't use it, remove it.
- Be suspicious of any new software. As I noted on the previous page, malware authors count on tricking you into installing software that claims to do one thing but actually takes over your system, stealing passwords or adding your system to a worldwide botnet. If you're not sure a program is safe, don't install it.
- Set up standard (non-administrator) accounts for unsophisticated users. That category includes kids, parents, employees, and all of your non-geek friends and family members. With a standard account a user needs to talk to you (and convince you to enter the administrator's password) before installing any new software. That conversation is an ideal opportunity to teach your family members and employees about the warning signs of potentially dangerous programs. (This is another good reason to upgrade from Windows XP, by the way, where running with a standard account is difficult because of badly written programs that require administrator rights; both Vista and Windows 7 do a better job of allowing those programs to run without compromising the integrity of the system.)
- Use a modern browser. If you're still using Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6, stop it. I think IE8 is a good alternative, especially when coupled with Protected Mode (a security feature in Windows Vista and Windows 7). If you prefer to avoid IE altogether, that's fine with me. As I argued earlier this year, '[T]here are several good reasons to prefer alternative browsers such as Firefox or Google Chrome to any version of Internet Explorer. For starters, both Mozilla and Google have generally been faster at releasing updates to security issues than Microsoft.'
- Install an antivirus program and keep it up to date. There are plenty of effective programs in this category that can run with a minimum of chatter and will block the overwhelming majority of threats. I recommend the free Microsoft Security Essentials, which is available for download or as an optional update on systems where Windows does not detect an antivirus program. If you prefer an alternative program, paid or otherwise, be my guest. Just don't let its subscription lapse.
And one final word: Don't be paranoid. Common sense and the good practices I outlined above will offer excellent protection for any consumer PC and leave you free to work and play in comfort.
Related Topics:
Enterprise Software Microsoft Windows 10 PCs ReviewsKaspersky Internet Security for Mac
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac's top-shelf malware detection and barely there system impact make it the best antivirus solution.
Best Free Mac Antivirus
Avast Free Mac Security
Avast Free Mac Security's malware-squashing proficiency, negligible performance impact and included password manager make it the best free option.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers top-shelf malware detection and protects files from ransomware.
After evaluating eight free and paid antivirus products, we've chosen Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac ($40 per year) as the best antivirus for Mac. It had a nearly invisible impact on system performance, and it caught all malware.
Avast Free Mac Security is our favorite free option, as it provided nearly perfect malware protection and an easy-to-use interface with an imperceptible performance hit.
Free app for mac. To check for updates, go to the app store on your mobile device and search for 'Alexa app.' If an update is available, tap the Update button. If you don't see the. Amazon now has a whole range of Echo products to choose from: The Echo Dot, Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Show and Echo Spot. The first big difference between them is the price. Dec 10, 2014 Use the Amazon Alexa App to set up your Alexa-enabled devices, listen to music, create shopping lists, get news updates, and much more. The more you use Alexa, the more she adapts to your voice, vocabulary, and personal preferences. The mobile app might be fine for a quick tweak here or there, but the web interface is vastly superior in terms of visual space and usability. Editing settings with a real keyboard, reading through the Echo’s information cards, and opening up those cards in a full web browser on a regular monitor is a big improvement over the constraints of a mobile device.
You do need an antivirus program on your Mac. Recent years have seen more Mac malware and adware than ever before, from Trojans to targeted attacks, supply-chain attacks like the XcodeGhost attack and even encrypting ransomware.
MORE: Best Antivirus Software and Apps
Latest Security Alerts and Threats
Do I Need A Virus Protection App For My Mac Computer
— Thousands of people don't bother to change passwords they know have been compromised, a Google study found. ADVICE: Use strong, unique passwords for every online account, and use a password manager to keep them straight.
— Whoops — Apple's update of iPhones and iPads to iOS 12.4 re-opened a flaw that led to a successful 'jailbreak.'ADVICE: There's a slight possibility this could be used to hack iPhones from websites or App Store apps, so carefully choose which apps you install and to which sites you browse, and update to iOS 12.5 when it's ready.
— Scammers are gaming search-engine results so that voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant call phony customer-support numbers when owners request it. ADVICE: Look up customer-support numbers on official company websites and have voice assistants call those instead.
How We Tested
To find the best antivirus for Mac desktops and laptops, we evaluate ease of use, interface and performance impact, we installed each AV program on the same Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina Display running macOS 10.12 Sierra. It was powered by a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7 processor and had 8GB of RAM and 70GB of data stored on a 512GB SSD.
We conducted our own tests in July and August 2017 based on how much each antivirus product affected our laptop's performance. To do this, we used our custom OpenOffice benchmark, which matches 20,000 names and addresses in a spreadsheet. We measured how long it took to run a quick scan and a full scan while the laptop crunched numbers in the background.
We assessed how easy each program was to use and the number of useful extra features it offered (including free add-on software). To gauge how effective each package was at stopping malware, we used the results of evaluations conducted in May 2017 by AV-TEST, a well-regarded independent product-testing lab in Germany, and results from other tests conducted in July 2017 by AV-Comparatives, a similarly well-respected firm in Austria.
Best Mac Antivirus
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Minimal system impact
Reasons to Avoid
Kaspersky Internet Security is the best antivirus for Macs because it offers both the lowest system impact and some of the best malware-detection rates recorded. It even provides extra security features, including parental controls and options to lock down your webcam and stop websites from tracking your browsing activity. If you're willing to pay to protect your Mac from malware, Kaspersky Internet Security is the best option available.
Best Free Mac Antivirus
Avast Free Mac Security
Reasons to Buy
Excellent malware protection
Password manager included
Reasons to Avoid
Avast Free Mac Security caught 99.9 percent of all malware, packs in a password manager, barely leaves a smudge on system impact and doesn't charge a dime. If only it caught 100 percent of malware, as Kaspersky did.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Ransomware protection
Parental controls
Reasons to Avoid
$38.99
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is one of only a few solutions we tested that offers perfect malware detection. Further, its modern, streamlined interface places on-demand scans front and center. Bitdefender has dropped from first place, though, because its system-impact scores don't match the flawless marks posted by Kaspersky.
Norton 360 Deluxe
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Noticeable system impact
Norton 360 Deluxe may offer excellent protection, but it charges more (after the first year) than its competitors do, without offering as many perks. Norton AntiVirus Plus offers similar protection for a single Mac, but with fewer perks. Still, both have always-on-call customer support.
AVG Antivirus for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Free
Reasons to Avoid
Comparatively high background impact
AVG Antivirus for Mac
If you're looking for the best antivirus for Mac without having to pay, AVG AntiVirus for Mac is not too shabby, with its 99.9 percent detection rate and easy-to-use design. Unfortunately, other free competitors provide extras (Sophos with parental controls, Avast's password manager) that AVG does not.
Best for Families
Sophos Home
Reasons to Buy
Remote manageability
Low system impact
Reasons to Avoid
With Sophos Home for Mac's simple interface and low system-performance impact, you'll barely realize the program is shielding you until you need it. Anyone with young children at home will find Sophos' parental controls useful, as they allow for remote scans and checks, and let you block sites by category. Sophos even keeps a log of when users try to reach banned pages. This program's major drawback, though, is its lackluster malware-detection rate.
Avira Free Antivirus for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Solid malware protection
Reasons to Avoid
Once our favorite, Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is no longer the best antivirus for Mac. That's because it is a hair shy of perfection in its malware detection, and fell behind in system-performance testing, earning some of the higher performance impacts recorded.
McAfee Antivirus Plus
Reasons to Buy
Familiar user interface
Reasons to Avoid
Unproven detection rates
McAfee® AntiVirus Plus
While McAfee's unlimited licenses mean you can support a whole family of Macs (and PCs and Android devices, too), this program's lack of special features (for a paid version) make it hard to recommend. Further, we don't have malware-detection testing scores for McAfee, so its protection powers are unproven.