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Free Anti Virus
- Thread starter anpaman
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No need for anti virus apps with a Mac.
Get a good adblocker like Adguard Pro, scan with Malwarebytes once a month, and you should be fine, provided you exercise some good computing habits, by not downloading and installing pirated software or software not identified by Apple GateKeeper etc. It would also be a good idea to use a reputable VPN, in my opinion.
It won't hurt anything to have one. You probably don't need it for yourself. At the very least windows malware won't be passed along to people you know who use windows via email . Try Avast.
If you're going to get a free anitvirus I wouldn't trust it too much... And if you're using a Mac with common sense you shouldn't need one anyway.
OS X Gatekeeper, it comes with the OS:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomas...er-attacks-target-tech-industry/#3f214ad645fc
https://bgr.com/2017/09/18/avast-ccleaner-backdoor-hack-fix/
Or it could hurt a lot to have one.
I recently switched from Windows myself and can appreciate a reasoned factual argument. I especially like the info on Gatekeeper. Thank you.
reminds me why iworm botnet was running infecting thousends of macs. and it was years ago when macos wasnt even targeted os.
Page 14 for the future of macos and security
https://www.av-test.org/fileadmin/pdf/security_report/AV-TEST_Security_Report_2017-2018.pdf
There are other pages in there concerning Mac OS that should be looked at.
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I went to sleep last night thinking about this. Again thank you for the Gatekeeper info link. Piniform the maker of CCCleaner is not Avast. The parent anti-malware company (Avast )itself was never compromised. CCCleaner is more of a OS maintenance program than it is anti malware and was only recently acquired by Avast. And it was Avast that helped out Piniform. So I stand by the premise that it doesn't hurt to have an Anti malware program on the computer. Free doesn't = bad. It just means a reduced feature set. As I for one don't need a password manager for instance. I also want to make sure that Im not sitting smugly behind a Maginot Line.
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Here's a bit more to think about:
Kaspersky
https://www.pcworld.com/article/323...he-kaspersky-antivirus-hack-really-means.html
BitDefender
https://thehackernews.com/2015/07/bitdefender-hacked.html
Several
https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/42688/hacking/antivirus-critical-vulnerability.html
And many more. It's part of my job to look for system vulnerabilities. I typically start with AntiVirus installed as it gives me root access to the machine. There are exploits for most AV software in the wild.
To be fair there were exploits for Mac OS X High Sierra. The good news is that the developer ( Apple ) worked quickly to patch those up. There are also Intel Chip set hacks. Again Apple has been quick to help out.
No system is 100% safe.
Just try not to do something silly, like allow your son's best friend plug in a USB stick or get on the free WiFi at hotels or other gathering places.
Unnecessary resources spent.
The problem with anti virus software for a Mac is there is no know Virus for MacOS, so what exactly is it looking for?
The problem with anti virus software for a Mac is there is no know Virus for MacOS, so what exactly is it looking for?
I wouldn't get hung up on the word virus. Malware would be a better fits it encompasses a variety things such as but not limited to trojans and ransomeware, and there is stuff lurking out there for the Mac OS.
Apple needs to better vet theApps in the Apple store. By now everyone is probably familiar with what's going on wit Adware Doctor.
It was for my private use.
I found sophos anit virus was good enough.
https://home.sophos.com/download-mac-anti-virus
I think this is a fair article http://www.itpro.co.uk/security/29665/does-antivirus-software-do-more-harm-than-good
It points out that a/v can increase the attack vectors into your system, but ultimately it’s the lesser of two evils. I think this applies to Windows machines, but not to macOS because of the additional protection already implemented and the lower risk in the first place. And then given the other issues a/v can cause with the rest of your system on balance it’s not worth running on Macs.
It points out that a/v can increase the attack vectors into your system, but ultimately it’s the lesser of two evils. I think this applies to Windows machines, but not to macOS because of the additional protection already implemented and the lower risk in the first place. And then given the other issues a/v can cause with the rest of your system on balance it’s not worth running on Macs.
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. The only true malware in the wild that can affect your Mac is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by being careful about what apps you install (no pirated software). 3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing. In addition, some antivirus apps have themselves been used to introduce malware to Macs. In general, macOS malware is so relatively rare, that only a very small percentage of Mac users have ever encountered any.
unfortunately only few apps are in mac appstore, most of the time im downloading them from net. mac appstore is dead.
Little Snitch is a firewall, not free, but in situations like those apps that are downloaded from the Mac App Store that steal data from users and is been collected in China, this app does the job.
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Malwarebytes detected this app a few months ago, even users reported this activity from this app in the reviews. It took Apple months to take action. I keep away from those Apps that offer to clear your browser from malware.
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Malwarebytes detected this app a few months ago, even users reported this activity from this app in the reviews. It took Apple months to take action. I keep away from those Apps that offer to clear your browser from malware.