Help Please: Best Security Suite For MacOSX?

[chrono1081]

Hey guys,

Sorry to be creating a thread about this, but it's an incredibly important problem I need help with!

I've done a lot of research and it seems like many MacRumors users don't run a security suite like a firewall or anti-virus for their Mac, but with Apple selling more Macs than ever there are so many malicious Apps on the internet like trojans, malware and keyloggers that are targeting MacOSX... ???

I want to install a security suite that includes a firewall and anti-virus for Macs.

There are so many options and I don't know how to choose which one... ???

Thank you so much!

EDIT:

I created a thread about a similar topic for MacOSX High Sierra, but I want to know the best security suite I can use for my new Mac running the most recent version of MacOSX.

You're just going to unnecessarily slow your system down. All known Mac malwares are already blocked by XProtect which is part of the OS and it runs before the OS even boots up. Most of the security suites you see actually scan for Windows malware (and you can verify this by plugging infected windows drives into your Mac and scanning it.)

 

[satcomer]

To me the Best Mac security program on the Mac is shareware application Little Snitch because it will open your eyes how how most companies track everywhere you go on the net!

 

[KaliYoni]

Anybody who believes they are a target for malware or doesn't want a single point of failure should use both Apple's built-in protection and another anti-malware application.

For example, macOS didn't provide protection against this threat:

Massive New AdLoad Campaign Goes Entirely Undetected By Apple's XProtect - SentinelLabs

Learn how to detect the latest variant of this widespread adware and browser hijacker, its infection pattern and indicators of compromise.

labs.sentinelone.com

 

[duanepatrick]

I am using Antivirus One and Antivirus One works well. It's downloadable for free on App Store too so you can try it.

 

[Pakaku]

Is LittleSnitch still a thing? I remember that was really powerful for controlling inbound and outbound traffic... actually sometimes a little "too powerfull!"

It is, and I would never run my Macs without it

 

[Big Bad D]

You're just going to unnecessarily slow your system down. All known Mac malwares are already blocked by XProtect which is part of the OS and it runs before the OS even boots up. Most of the security suites you see actually scan for Windows malware (and you can verify this by plugging infected windows drives into your Mac and scanning it.)

You’re not wrong, but some people want a security suite not just to protect their own Macs but also to avoid inadvertently passing on viruses or malware to PC user clients or collaborative colleagues.

 

[phrehdd]

You're just going to unnecessarily slow your system down. All known Mac malwares are already blocked by XProtect which is part of the OS and it runs before the OS even boots up. Most of the security suites you see actually scan for Windows malware (and you can verify this by plugging infected windows drives into your Mac and scanning it.)

There seems to be two misconceptions - 1) Macs don't get infected and 2)one specific item is the end all for protection. Your mention of Xprotect was interesting but thought you might like this little promo talk by Malwarebytes that mentions in passing xprotect. It's explanation is acceptable as to why xprotect is not an end all item. Btw, this is absolutely not an endorsement of this product.

How does macOS protect against malware? | Malwarebytes Labs

Mac users often are told that “Macs don’t get viruses.” This is not really true, of course. Macs can and do...

blog.malwarebytes.com

 

[mikehalloran]

I have never used any security software on ANY of my mac's, even though my company requires it, and even more since they expect us to work from home as much as possible. Simply put, it's my computer and no one has the authority to force any form of compliance at all with their nonsense. There are no Mac viruses.

Your naïveté is touching but you are absolutely wrong. I first learned this in 1986 when my Mac Plus was infected through a disk I got from an Apple employee when I was consulting to them. Back then, infected files would multiply out of control till you had no more space on your hard drive. It took another boot disk from Apple to clean my system.

Although it’s tempting to say, ‘Don’t quit your day job’, your IT department may have something to say about that if you forward something in email that infects your company’s networks or causes a shut down or ransomeware attack because you were stupid.

Is LittleSnitch still a thing? I remember that was really powerful for controlling inbound and outbound traffic... actually sometimes a little "too powerfull!"

Many apps will not work with it active since it blocks ports used by many app licenses. It would be nice if those apps didn’t phone home every time they boot up (are you listening, Adobe?). Otherwise, it’s a time consuming PIA for hobbyists more interested in playing with their systems and not actually doing anything with their Macs. It ceased being useful a long time ago, IMO. If you want to have fun with it, knock yourself out.
Little Snitch

I suppose I shouldn’t sugarcoat it and say what I really think.

 

[Cayenne1]

Just did a search of the forums on the word "Antivirus". There were 25 "pages" returned which I suspect is a search limit. This question has been asked so many times.

I've worked in both universes; Mac and Windows for many years. Folks coming from Windows know an Anti-virus is essential and assume the Mac must be similarly padlocked; not so.

I've had Macs since 1984. I think I had some Norton program way way back when there were a couple of Mac viruses. Since Apple moved to a Unix core OS I've never employed a dedicated virus program. Never had an issue.

However, you can get some junk messing with your browser. Purging its cache of cookies and other stuff always cleared it up. I do have Malware-bytes but I think its only found tracking type cookies easily cleared up by purging the cache.

I'm curious if Macs are an issue in any of the Ransomware cases. Those might be more of a case for Windows servers and desktops. I'm no longer on any Corporate network, so not so much an issue since I retired and happily FedEx'd my Windows laptop to the Home office.

 

[Fishrrman]

Mike Halloran wrote:
"Your naïveté is touching but you are absolutely wrong. I first learned this in 1986 when my Mac Plus was infected through a disk I got from an Apple employee when I was consulting to them. Back then, infected files would multiply out of control till you had no more space on your hard drive. It took another boot disk from Apple to clean my system."

A friend of mine (back in the Classic Mac OS days) got infected with the "nvir" virus -- which came to him on an "official software disk" from a company from which he bought the software!

Back in those days, I never had a problem with viruses (which were the main problem in the Classic OS days). I used John Norstad's free "Disinfectant" now and then, but it never found anything.

It seems like "viruses" aren't a problem with OS X.
But... stuff like adware, malware, trojans and ransomeware could be.

These days, all I use is the free version of MalwareBytes. It DID "find something" once, which I think was "adware" and removed it. But that's been all, so far.

 

[phrehdd]

Just did a search of the forums on the word "Antivirus". There were 25 "pages" returned which I suspect is a search limit. This question has been asked so many times.

I've worked in both universes; Mac and Windows for many years. Folks coming from Windows know an Anti-virus is essential and assume the Mac must be similarly padlocked; not so.

I've had Macs since 1984. I think I had some Norton program way way back when there were a couple of Mac viruses. Since Apple moved to a Unix core OS I've never employed a dedicated virus program. Never had an issue.

However, you can get some junk messing with your browser. Purging its cache of cookies and other stuff always cleared it up. I do have Malware-bytes but I think its only found tracking type cookies easily cleared up by purging the cache.

I'm curious if Macs are an issue in any of the Ransomware cases. Those might be more of a case for Windows servers and desktops. I'm no longer on any Corporate network, so not so much an issue since I retired and happily FedEx'd my Windows laptop to the Home office.

I too have spent time in Windows and Mac world (along with Linux, Unix and my fav - OS/2). Thought you might enjoy this - https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac-viruses-list-3668354/

 

[iHorseHead]

I use the security application called Common Sense. It has worked very well for me so far. No regrets. Recommend 10/11

 

[mikehalloran]

Mike Halloran wrote:
"Your naïveté is touching but you are absolutely wrong. I first learned this in 1986 when my Mac Plus was infected through a disk I got from an Apple employee when I was consulting to them. Back then, infected files would multiply out of control till you had no more space on your hard drive. It took another boot disk from Apple to clean my system."

A friend of mine (back in the Classic Mac OS days) got infected with the "nvir" virus -- which came to him on an "official software disk" from a company from which he bought the software!

Back in those days, I never had a problem with viruses (which were the main problem in the Classic OS days). I used John Norstad's free "Disinfectant" now and then, but it never found anything.

It seems like "viruses" aren't a problem with OS X.
But... stuff like adware, malware, trojans and ransomeware could be.

These days, all I use is the free version of MalwareBytes. It DID "find something" once, which I think was "adware" and removed it. But that's been all, so far.

I’m using Avira — the free version works and has found a few things now and then. I don’t like the browser “helpers” it wants to install—since they do not protect my system, I don’t let them install. My wife‘s students, OTOH, forward all sorts of crap and I find quarantined junk frequently. How much of it is a real concern to Mac users? Well, some of it is but Apple has been pretty good about keeping up as long as a person keeps the MacOS up to date. Mojave is still supported through November but then it drops out of active support.

The real concern is with enterprise networks such as the person I quoted above. The real targets are corporate networks and opening the wrong email can take everything down if the system is not properly protected. Mac or Win does not matter in this—the servers are the target. Failure to follow IT department security regs and install the correct apps can get a person both fired and sued. Being aggressively ignorant is no defense.

I retired from my corp day job last year so I have been freed from jumping through those security hoops and am locked out of the company email, thank goodness. Still protecting my system, however. My wife has to deal with her school district’s network and email still so we are not divorced from this.

 

[GoKyu]

For a long time, I didn’t use any protection on my Mac (started in 2007), but with all the new things out there, including ransomware, I decided to go with something lightweight - Sophos Home Premium. Most of the processing happens online, and it protects against malware and ransomware. Doesn’t slow my 6 year old iMac down noticeably either.

I have it set to scan my NAS once a week, and it defaults to a 10 user license, so I have it on other Windows and Mac PCs as well.

There’s a local client on the PC if you want to open it, but you also have access to a web-based online dashboard where you can see an overview of all protected computers. See scan results, start scans remotely, etc.

Very good product - I’m really happy with it.

 

[GoKyu]

Is LittleSnitch still a thing? I remember that was really powerful for controlling inbound and outbound traffic... actually sometimes a little "too powerfull!"

Little Snitch is still around, but there's an open source version available, called Lulu: https://objective-see.com/products/lulu.html

 

[HDFan]

Is LittleSnitch still a thing? I remember that was really powerful for controlling inbound and outbound traffic... actually sometimes a little "too powerfull!"

To me the Best Mac security program on the Mac is shareware application Little Snitch

Many apps will not work with it active since it blocks ports used by many app licenses. It would be nice if those apps didn’t phone home every time they boot up (are you listening, Adobe?).

I have never had any app problems with Little Snitch, including a lot of Adobe products.

I decided to go with something lightweight - Sophos Home Premium.

I use Sophos and Little Snitch. Little Snitch can be annoying when you first install it, but it eventually calms down.