You wouldn't expect a report that is put out by an antivirus company to say that you don't need their products, would you? On the other hand, I also have to question how the guys claiming they've never had a virus would really know it, if they've never scanned for one.
I'm wary of the fact that Malwarebytes has a free tier at all, but I'd consider downloading it to run periodic scans. I run LittleSnitch to be aware of unusual internet-based activity from my computer, which would theoretically clue me in to virus activity (and also allow me to prevent it from communicating with the internet at all).
Malwarebytes is a leader in corporate endpoint detection. Silver Sparrow, XCSSET malware, etc all target the M1. In fact, these malware developers are ahead of anti-malware companies in optimizing performance for the M1 chip!
However, there are differences in effectiveness and performance impact for different apps. Companies like Norton are almost predatory in their marketing (be careful if you give them your credit card- and expect an attempt at automatic renewal- at an inflated renewal price). There incessant reminders on renewal are slightly akin to adware.
Finally- Apple itself is rather silent on whether they believe their builtin security features are sufficient for the average Mac user. This is disappointing and creates understandable confusion for the average user. Why buy it if the hardware/software vendor doesn't recommend it.
Littlesnitch appears to be a software/client focused approach to uncovering your devices internet communications. I prefer a router/firewall based approach that will keep tabs on all devices- especially IOTs.
