Lightweight Antivirus Recommendations?

[thizisweird]

The problem is not so much "viruses" as it is an ID10T error. Users do it to themselves with all the crapware they download including Flash Player (in spite of all the warnings).

...and stop downloading nonsensical software designed to make your Mac "faster" or "better". None of it works.

This. This 100%

Even with the Windows boxes I've worked on, it seems the majority of malware/crap that people get on their computer is a side effect of what's between the seat and the keyboard. And regarding the "better" and "faster" claims that all those wares and suites offer for your mac... it's downright entertaining to see what they claim. But yeah, a complete waste of disk space, and typically they bog down your computer as it is.

 

[The Hammer]

Hammer wrote:
"That sentence doesn't make sense."

It makes PERFECT sense.
There has NEVER been a "Mac virus" discovered "in the wild".
Not one. Ever.
When you find one, let us know.
We'll be waiting...

That's not what I was getting at. It's the sentence itself. It's like saying I drive the best car in the world and then saying I don't have one. By the way I don't have an AV on my machine.

 

[thizisweird]

One thing I will say about an AV for OSX: Bitdefender has served my family well. It got rid of a few nasty infections on my parents' computer.

Edit: I ran Bitdefender on my mac today and it found a couple infections. I run some sketchy software, but ya know..... just saying. I accept all responsibility for infections on my computers lol. But yeah, if anyone runs sketchy software, I'd say MBAM and Bitdefender are a solid pair to run together.

 

[LinMac]

You should be aware of Advanced Persistent Threats. These are new extremely powerful cyberweapons that are a step way up from the old days. You can be exploited on a fully up to date machine in many cases if you're targeted via email/iMessage/etc.

The best solution available now is Cylance. It is cost effective, extremely lightweight, and targeted mostly at enterprise. We get to benefit from AI based malware protection by Blackberry.

The AI helps ensure it can target NSA-type leaked cyberweapons it has never seen before. Virtually nothing else in the consumer space can do that. It is usually reserved for military/corporate.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

That's not what I was getting at. It's the sentence itself. It's like saying I drive the best car in the world and then saying I don't have one. By the way I don't have an AV on my machine.

Not quite the right analogy. In the case of a car, either you have one or you don't. In the case of modern operating systems, AV software is supplemental to the malware protections built into the OS. The question is not whether one drives a car, but whether one uses after-market bumper guards.

If we're going to boast of how safe an "unprotected" Mac is, we have to give due credit to Apple and the Unix foundation upon which macOS (and iOS, watchOS, tvOS, etc.) stands, as well as the White Hats who are constantly probing for weaknesses.

By far the most pervasive category of Mac and Windows exploits today are browser-related; plug-ins and extensions designed to behave badly, sites/ads designed to violate the norms of civil society, scammers who trade on user expectations that they will have to install plug-ins, data harvesters... It comes down to one basic truth; the web is the economic engine driving modern computing. Commerce wants to be free of encumbrances, so web standards are loose enough to allow fraud, surveillance, etc. in their many forms.

 

[The Hammer]

Not quite the right analogy. In the case of a car, either you have one or you don't. In the case of modern operating systems, AV software is supplemental to the malware protections built into the OS. The question is not whether one drives a car, but whether one uses after-market bumper guards.

If we're going to boast of how safe an "unprotected" Mac is, we have to give due credit to Apple and the Unix foundation upon which macOS (and iOS, watchOS, tvOS, etc.) stands, as well as the White Hats who are constantly probing for weaknesses.

By far the most pervasive category of Mac and Windows exploits today are browser-related; plug-ins and extensions designed to behave badly, sites/ads designed to violate the norms of civil society, scammers who trade on user expectations that they will have to install plug-ins, data harvesters... It comes down to one basic truth; the web is the economic engine driving modern computing. Commerce wants to be free of encumbrances, so web standards are loose enough to allow fraud, surveillance, etc. in their many forms.

I can agree with that.

 

[Cayenne1]

Ransomware?

Is that a potential issue with macOS?

If not, why isn't there a bigger push to migrate commercial and government sites from their hack and exploit vulnerable PC environment to iMac?

 

[mpainesyd]

I use ClamXAV. It has a sentry function so you can monitor your downloads folder (maybe also email attachments)
The main reason for having a virus scanner is so that you don't inadvertently pass on infected files to Windows users.

This Apple User Tips web page has thorough, sound advice:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8841

 

[Fishrrman]

Cayenne wrote:
"Ransomware?
Is that a potential issue with macOS?"

I recall only one "ransomware" attack in the Mac OS, that being an infected copy of "Transmission 2.9.2" a while back. It was quickly discovered and corrected.

If there were others, I've yet to hear of them.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Cayenne wrote:
"Ransomware?
Is that a potential issue with macOS?"

I recall only one "ransomware" attack in the Mac OS, that being an infected copy of "Transmission 2.9.2" a while back. It was quickly discovered and corrected.

If there were others, I've yet to hear of them.

There's "ransomeware" and "ransomware." While it's not very common, if a person's Apple ID has been successfully phished that person's Find My iPhone-protected devices can be locked and the perpetrator can place a ransom message on the screen in place of "If found, call..." (Fortunately, the perps usually aren't able to change the password, so the proper owner can nearly always sign into Find My iPhone and turn off Lost Mode.)

Overall, I feel the benefits of Find My iPhone greatly outweigh this possible downside, but it brings us back to the principle that the best protection resides between a person's ears. If you're using password-protected stuff, then the passwords must be very carefully guarded.

 

[STS Australia]

If you get phished or give your password to something dodgy, of course your system can be destroyed - or worse. Give me half an hour and I could whip up a fake Malwarebytes installer, convince someone to install it with a slick looking website clone, and once they enter their password to install - all files deleted. Or whatever I want.

 

[revmacian]

The problem is not so much "viruses" as it is an ID10T error. Users do it to themselves with all the crapware they download including Flash Player (in spite of all the warnings). I clean up malware/adware/crapware users install on their own three times a week. For anyone to recommend installing Malwarebytes and then say to rely upon the freeware version (which requires the user to run it manually! - which we all know they won't do!) is the height of irresponsibility and hubris.

And that is why the most effective AV tool you will ever find is self-education. The brain is always the weakest link and, therefor, should always be the one thing that should be focused on the most. Knowledge is power.

 

[Fredok]

The problem is not so much "viruses" as it is an ID10T error. Users do it to themselves with all the crapware they download including Flash Player (in spite of all the warnings). I clean up malware/adware/crapware users install on their own three times a week. For anyone to recommend installing Malwarebytes and then say to rely upon the freeware version (which requires the user to run it manually! - which we all know they won't do!) is the height of irresponsibility and hubris.
Malwarebytes: Yes, absolutely; it will also prevent drive-by infections on the web but only if it's the subscribed-to version!
Subscribe to it: Yes; absolutely.
...and stop downloading nonsensical software designed to make your Mac "faster" or "better". None of it works.

Well, old post... but bravo!!...people think that all are perfect and don't have mistakes. Better to have an insurance.