You don't have a virus. What you're seeing is a pop-up advertisement that is falsely claiming that your system is infected. Read the following very carefully:
Macs are not immune to malware and no system is 100% secure, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on macOS, and there never have been any since it was released over 17 years ago. Be clear about this: Macs CAN get viruses, but they DON’T, because no true macOS virus exists in the wild. Understand that a virus is just one particular type of malware (malicious software) that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. There has never been a macOS virus in the wild, but there are other types of malware.
Other forms of macOS malware (Trojans, worms, rootkits, etc.) in the wild can ALL be avoided by practicing safe computing, without requiring any antivirus or anti-malware apps to be installed.
Practicing safe computing means using common sense and staying informed.
Keep macOS and your apps updated at all times. Many of these updates include patches to vulnerabilities that can prevent attacks. If you have outdated software, your system may be more vulnerable.
Be careful about what you install on your Mac.
- Don’t install pirated software, from bit torrent sites or any other source.
- Don’t install anything without investigating to make sure that the app and the site you download it from have good reputations. Asking in this forum is a great way to learn what is safe and what isn’t.
- Do install apps from the Mac App Store.
- Do install apps directly from developer sites that have a good reputation.
- Pay attention when installing apps, to make sure you install only the app that you want, and not any unwanted add-on apps that may be bundled with it. If you need help, ask for it.
- Don’t let anyone else have access to your computer, and especially don’t let anyone else install something without your permission.
Use common sense when surfing the Internet. If you’re unsure about anything, ask in this forum or ask someone you know who is informed and experienced.
- Be extremely careful anytime you are asked for any password or any personal information, including your name, phone number or email address. Make sure you only enter that kind of information in an app or website that you are certain that you can trust.
- Install and use a reputable and effective ad blocker on your web browser
- Avoid shady websites, especially any that try to get you to download anything to install, such as a codec to enable your system to play a video.
- Only update your apps from within the app itself or from the Mac App Store.
- If you are surfing the web and see a message pop-up or receive an email saying that you need to install or update anything, be very suspicious and do not allow it. For example, if a site tells you that your Adobe Flash is outdated, do not update it from that site. Instead, go directly to the Adobe site to install the update.
- The same holds true for pop-up messages that tell you that your Mac is infected with viruses or malware. These are lies. No website can scan your Mac to find malware. These are all attempts to get you to buy something or install something that you shouldn’t. Don’t do it.
Adware is software designed to generate and display online advertisements on your computer. While not true malware, adware is usually unwanted and a nuisance, but it can easily be avoided by practicing safe computing (see above).
Antivirus and anti-malware apps are not required to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing. Some antivirus apps have themselves been used to introduce malware to Macs, so they can increase vulnerability. Many who have relied on antivirus apps and did not practice safe computing have had their systems compromised by threats that their antivirus app did not detect. No antivirus or anti-malware app has a 100% detection rate, but since Mac OS X (macOS) was introduced, practicing safe computing has effectively defended against 100% of macOS malware in the wild.
If you haven’t been practicing safe computing and you want to check your system for any malware you may have allowed to be introduced, use
MalwareBytes to scan your system. It’s free and doesn’t need to be continuously running. Just scan once and practice safe computing from this point forward.
In general, macOS malware is so relatively rare, that only a very small percentage of Mac users have ever encountered any.
