Do I need to buy any protection software?

[AltecX]

What I am show if any printer made after 1996 will have Wiki (Internal Web Interface) if it's gets an IP! Heck I even had back in'98 show that fact when I locked the security team out of the printer because they didn't know this fact!

A Wiki is NOT a web interface... why would anyone take you seriously when you cant tell the difference between a Webserver, website and a wiki(which is a type of website).

Grant it English is CLEARLY not your first language, but you REALLY need to get better at it before trying to talk about technical things in a level that makes you sound competent.

 

[satcomer]

A Wiki is NOT a web interface... why would anyone take you seriously when you cant tell the difference between a Webserver, website and a wiki(which is a type of website).

Grant it English is CLEARLY not your first language, but you REALLY need to get better at it before trying to talk about technical things in a level that makes you sound competent.

Thank you for the English lesson! Your such a tech my Network Administration years seem not to impress you!

 

[cupcakes2000]

This avenue is one of the worst culprits.
Why is it free......what's the catch?

These sites advertising 'free' tools sucker people in to downloading.

It’s free becuase it’s open source. You can inspect the code. And you can gladly donate. It’s not free in the Google sense so you’re paying another way. The dude is a massively respected mac security expert.

Why don’t you learn something new and have a look into it yourself instead of judging based on a false misconception?

Love a bit of fud on here and you - trying so hard to catch it - are spreading it.

 

[Hoo Doo Dude]

Thank you for the English lesson! Your such a tech my Network Administration years seem not to impress you!

I’m not impressed either.

 

[MarkC426]

Why don’t you learn something new and have a look into it yourself instead of judging based on a false misconception?

Well my initial google search comes up with this:

Most of the tools by objective-see seem to be provided without source code. As this precludes verification of the stated functionality and the ability to build these products yourself, security conscious people should not install these tools.

 

[chrfr]

What I am show if any printer made after 1996 will have Wiki (Internal Web Interface) if it's gets an IP! Heck I even had back in'98 show that fact when I locked the security team out of the printer because they didn't know this fact!

A web interface is not a wiki. A wiki is a specific thing.

 

[mcilwraith]

i use AVG antivirus, free. its small, fast and free. does a pretty good job and runs real fast on M1 Pro

 

[mr_roboto]

Please substantiate that with some links and facts please

I'm not the OP but it is definitely true that antivirus software can be something akin to a virus in and of itself.

On Windows there used to be a long sad history of 3rd party AV software introducing critical security vulnerabilities by insisting on patching into the OS at a very low level, and doing so incompetently, creating privilege escalations and various other issues not present in the base Windows install.

On both Windows and Mac, most commercial AV tools focus on glitz over substance. They want to convince you they're doing a lot, but actually don't do much. The corporate focused ones often try to assure IT directors that by scanning everything (and all network and disk activity) they are making the computer more secure, but this almost always has the side effect of making the machine super slow and prone to generating lots of heat just doing ordinary day-to-day office productivity tasks. The slowest Mac I have ever used is the one work provided me; it's laden down with a ton of this junk.

The best line of defense against malware is you (plus the automatic tools built into macOS or Windows). This doesn't mean everyone has to become a security expert, it means learning and applying the basics of how not to get infected.

 

[mr_roboto]

Thank you for the English lesson! Your such a tech my Network Administration years seem not to impress you!

Virtually every time you try to give advice here, it is horribly wrong. You also frequently misunderstand the question so badly that your advice isn't just bad, it's irrelevant. What are people supposed to be impressed by?

 

[Mr. Awesome]

Virtually every time you try to give advice here, it is horribly wrong. You also frequently misunderstand the question so badly that your advice isn't just bad, it's irrelevant. What are people supposed to be impressed by?

His Network Administration years, obviously!

 

[mr_roboto]

Well my initial google search comes up with this:

Most of the tools by objective-see seem to be provided without source code. As this precludes verification of the stated functionality and the ability to build these products yourself, security conscious people should not install these tools.

That is indeed one of the opinions offered on this Stack Exchange question/answer page.

How reliable and trustworthy are the Objective-See Security tools (KnockKnock (UI), Dynamic Hijack Scanner and BlockBlock)?

DHS found an issue Is this a false positive? Anybody else with the same message? I installed BlockBlock. What do you think about it? Do you trust those Security tools? BlockBlock (beta) BlockBlock

apple.stackexchange.com

Note that the poster knew nothing about Objective-See and was trying to offer healthy skepticism. He posted a followup with a positive evaluation of some of the things he tried. There are other posters on the same page who are more familiar and are very positive.

It's also an old post which appears to be out of date, as the majority of tools provided by objective-see today seem to have a source code link.

That said, I do not agree with the poster's claim that source code is an absolute requirement for security conscious people. The idea that source code makes things better is common, but it's fallacious. There are plenty of open source projects which have had terrible vulnerabilities lying around in plain sight for ages, sometimes more than a decade. Furthermore, very few users have the technical ability to audit source code, and those who do often don't have the time.

 

[Apple_Robert]

As was previously stated, MacOS comes with built-in protection at multiple levels. In my opinion, there really is no need to use Malwarebytes or the like, as it is basically doing the same thing MacOS already does.

 

[Colstan]

As others have stated, macOS already has built-in protections that are adequate for the average user. Even if you want to install macOS updates on your own time, make sure that you at least have "Check for updates" and "Install system data files and security updates" enabled inside Software Update's "Advanced" menu. The first will alert you of any updates that Apple has released, the second option will automatically install the latest versions of XProtect and MRT, which are roughly the closest equivalent to the Mac having included anti-virus. XProtect blocks known malware when installing or running programs for the first time, MRT is Apple's automatic malware removal tool which operates without requiring user interaction.

Other than that, you can use "FileVault" to encrypt your system drive, enable "Find My" through iCloud to locate/lock your Mac if it is stolen, use a password manager such as the one already built into Safari, enable the Firewall inside system preferences, use a DNS Profile such as Quad9 over HTTPS to block some suspect sites at the DNS level and to enhance privacy, use a quality ad blocker such as AdGuard for Safari, and simply go through System Preferences, such as "Security and Privacy" to make sure you have the proper options enabled. Also, make sure to regularly check for updates to any third-party applications that you may use, since they can have security patches, as well. Ostensibly, programs downloaded through the Mac App Store should be more secure, since Apple has oversight over those files, but still be careful about what you download.

One tool that I can suggest is from Dr. Howard Oakley who runs the Eclectic Light website and has written numerous articles, released useful utilities for Mac users, and has been doing so for many years. In order to make sure that you have important security settings enabled, as well as the latest versions of Mac files and patches installed, I would suggest installing his free SilentKnight utility, which will give you an easy rundown of what protections are currently active and what you may want to enable to further protect your system. For instance, some advanced users will disable SIP (System Integrity Protection), and this can remind them to enable it. Also, unless you specifically need these settings lowered, make sure that Security Policy is set to "Full Security".

So, keep macOS and your other software regularly updated, use caution when downloading and installing unknown programs, avoid dodgy websites, and make sure your Mac's built-in protections are enabled. That should be sufficient to keep your Mac safe and secure.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Well my initial google search comes up with this:

Most of the tools by objective-see seem to be provided without source code. As this precludes verification of the stated functionality and the ability to build these products yourself, security conscious people should not install these tools.

objective-see - Overview

objective-see has 29 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

github.com

It's extremely easy to find. Stop spreading rubbish around the place just to try to prove your point.

Security is important, this is free open source software provided by a respected security expert.

You are right in a lot of instances regarding free software amounting to paying in another way, but it's not a catch all for everything - this is a prime example.

 

[tshrimp]

I have the new MacBook Pro 16" M1 running Monterey12..3.1. Do I need to buy any protection software?
I have had MalwareBytes for several years but I'm not convinced it is doing anything on my new MBP as it scans in under one second.
There seems to be so much disagreement over whether we need anything these days, so I don't want to add any potentially damaging software if it is really unnecessary.

Any qualified help would be appreciateed.

Thanks
John

Without a doubt, YES!

Yes, you will have disagreements, but OSX can be affected by malware. When it comes to protecting your system it is better to have protection and not need it, then to need it an not have it.

 

[Warped9]

Stay away from sketchy websites and don’t open or reply to suspicious emails. Thats a huge start right there and true for Mac or Windows.

 

[mearsj]

WOW!
I certainly opened a can of worms there guys!
Thank you all for your input but I am still as confused as ever.
I think the majority view is that I really don't need any extra protection, so I won't instal any.

Thanks again
John

 

[Warped9]

I haven’t used third party anti-virus or security software in twenty years with (thankfully) no problems. Like I and others have said, don’t open or reply to sketchy emails and stay away from sketchy websites.

I‘ve gotten emails purportedly from Apple or even my bank that I know are fraudulent. They’re right up there with robot phone calls from Canada Revenue or “credit card security department” all hoping you’ll panic and respond. I’ve gotten suspicious emails and phone calls from Amazon claiming my package is held up or something when I haven’t ordered anything.

If it smells wrong delete it. If I get a random message claiming there is a virus detected I immediately exit or close the window, shut the browser off and turn off the computer then turn it back on again, whether it’s my iMac or my iPad (which fortunately happens rarely). On a Windows machine if you get such a message you might get locked out of your keyboard then you’re likely screwed. For sure don’t reply to the message about restoring your computer. Shut it down and take your computer somewhere reputable to get it cleaned out, unless you know how to do it yourself.

Some common sense can save you money and aggravation.

Personally I think Windows is Swiss cheese when it comes to security, but thats me. And Macs can certainly be hacked or infected by someone dedicated to do so. But Macs are far more secure in my view and helped greatly by safe and smart practices.

 

[Chevysales]

None of this is true.

if you can understand any of it in the first place

 

[DJLC]

WOW!
I certainly opened a can of worms there guys!
Thank you all for your input but I am still as confused as ever.
I think the majority view is that I really don't need any extra protection, so I won't instal any.

Thanks again
John

This sums it up very well and is exactly what I'd do haha. This is an age-old argument in Mac land and is always a sure way to spark a vigorous conversation.

 

[Chevysales]

I have the new MacBook Pro 16" M1 running Monterey12..3.1. Do I need to buy any protection software?
I have had MalwareBytes for several years but I'm not convinced it is doing anything on my new MBP as it scans in under one second.
There seems to be so much disagreement over whether we need anything these days, so I don't want to add any potentially damaging software if it is really unnecessary.

Any qualified help would be appreciateed.

Thanks
John

Practice smart computing along with the OS built in system prevention and IMO you are ok... I have been since 2013 using 4 different MBP's.
Good Firewalls for Cable or however you get your wireless/wired access.
I don't click email or browser links without checking out first along.
Never from Spam or ads.
I don't go to web sites that contain sketchy stuff (porn, etc).
I don't know how anything gets on our computers unless we allow it so I don't allow it.

Smart basic computing will IMO do as much as anything else.

Its worked for my family to date.

Like any free info its just one persons opinion that you don't need anything else...
but more importantly is if you don't feel comfortable like that than by all means get one of the higher rated tools.

 

[Random_Matt]

Kind of paranoid now, scrolled through imore looking at their AdBlock recommendations.

 

[tshrimp]

Stay away from sketchy websites and don’t open or reply to suspicious emails. Thats a huge start right there and true for Mac or Windows.

Good advice, however, how may times have we meant to type something like ww.bestbuy.com, but didn't realize we made a typo of ww.betbuy.com. There is malware that affects Macs so, IMO, better to have protection and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Edit: removed the "w" at the front as unlinking wasn't working and didn't want anyone to click on an uncertain website. One thing I also just thought of, is even posts on forums like this can contain a bait.

Example: if you click on this www.google.com I can get you to go to a different web site that isn't google. Don't worry it just goes to Bing, but you wouldn't know it by looking.

 

[clevins]

Good advice, however, how may times have we meant to type something like ww.bestbuy.com, but didn't realize we made a typo of ww.betbuy.com. There is malware that affects Macs so, IMO, better to have protection and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Edit: removed the "w" at the front as unlinking wasn't working and didn't want anyone to click on an uncertain website. One thing I also just thought of, is even posts on forums like this can contain a bait.

Example: if you click on this www.google.com I can get you to go to a different web site that isn't google. Don't worry it just goes to Bing, but you wouldn't know it by looking.

That's why I use NextDNS in addition to a content blocker in Safari. Between the two most of that stuff gets blocked.

It's all about comfort level. Does a 5th lock on your door really make you more secure? Some people will say "Maybe not but I feel better with 5 locks than with 4!". Others will consider that paranoia.

 

[MarkC426]

It's extremely easy to find. Stop spreading rubbish around the place just to try to prove your point.

Security is important, this is free open source software provided by a respected security expert.

You are right in a lot of instances regarding free software amounting to paying in another way, but it's not a catch all for everything - this is a prime example.

How am I spreading rubbish..........?
This is one of the top results I got when I googled them......?
Personally I have never heard of them, but you say they are respected......fair enough.

I have been using Intego products since PowerPC days, and find it perfect.