Today we are having a look at some of the best security software available for Mac. Before we do though, we undoubtedly need to deal with the elephant in the room.

• Antivirus For Macs

Within this particular elephant-occupied room is a whole host of computer users who repeat the Catechism in union; ‘Macs don’t get viruses’ they intone, ‘Praise be to OS X’. You may have repeated this one to yourself the moment you read the title of the article. It is a ‘truth’ so often repeated that it has really become almost a kind of dogma. And like most dogmas, it rarely gets questioned with any kind of rigour.

While the focus of today’s article is on the kinds of Mac antivirus and anti-malware protection available, we would be remiss if we didn’t spend a little time breaking down why such reviews are useful or even necessary. So, Can You Get Viruses on Mac? Depends on how you are using the term ‘Virus’. The reality is that there are, as of now, almost no viruses designed for Mac (some viruses have been designed by specialists simply to prove that viruses for Mac are at least possible). However, this qualification depends largely on how one defines a virus.

For serious techies, the definition of a virus is something that installs itself on your computer. However, for most of us, the term ‘virus’ is interchangeable with the term ‘malware’. Malware is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of different malicious software such as Trojans, worms, spyware, rootlets and other types of troublesome beasties. Now, while the threat of classically defined viruses for mac is currently very limited(we’ll explain why we place here an emphasis on ‘currently’ a little later) there are several credible malware threats currently circulating for Mac. A recent example was the large scale Flashback Trojan infection that affected some 600,000 Mac users and was designed to steal passwords and other personal information.

The Flashback Trojan worked by posing as common plugins such as those for Adobe’s Flash. While the title ‘Antivirus software’ implies that these kinds of security systems deal only with viruses, the reality is that they are also designed to warn of, and protect against, malware such as Trojans. What is the best Antivirus for Mac? So, all of this leads us back to the question of what antivirus softwares are out there for Mac and how does one sort the good from the bad? Below we have reviewed some of the main contenders to help you stay informed about the best security available for Apple machines.

First, the Best Free Antivirus Apps for Mac. We are going to begin by looking at two free options available for Mac. While this may seem like starting with bargain bin quality, the two reviewed here actually possess some of the highest malware detection and prevention scores on the market.

First up Avira is a well-known antivirus software provider that has been around since the 80s. While previously focused primarily on Windows, they now offer a free OS X version. The software is approachable for the layman, sporting a pretty straightforward interface that is intuitive to use. In lad test carried out my both Security Spread and AV-test, Avira came out first among many other main competitors text in terms of malware detection and prevention. It employs some of the latest and most effective techniques, such as Heuristic scanning. It also compares favourably to all other competitors tested in terms of its affect on computer performance in all categories except its full scan mode.

However, one area that Avira did perform poorly in Security Spreads lab test, is in its ability to detect malware already installed. In the test, Avira detected only 38 or a possible 107 malware infections.

This is something to bear in mind if you suspect your Mac may already be infected. Avast One of the most well-known free antivirus software available, now also cater to OS X users. In AV-TEST study, Avast came in second only to Avira in its ability to detect on-demand (detected during an active scan) and on-access(detected as a file is opened or downloaded) malware. The margin is very slight, but when you combine it with the fact that it also shows a higher impact on computer performance than the Avira version and does not possess a scheduled scan feature, it is hard to see why one would choose it over its main free version competitor. Now, the Paid-For Versions Given Avira and Avast’s high malware protection scores in comparison with paid-for competitors, you might be wondering why you should bother considering the latter category at all. However, it is important to bear in mind that these free versions are no-frills dedicated malware detectors, so bonus security features such as security wallets, password managers and parental controls are wholly absent.

Therefore, we are going to take a quick look at some of the main contenders in the paid-for category to see how they stack up in terms of performance and extras. Bitdefender Bit defender boasts a solid antivirus and malware protection at its core. However, it distinguishes itself with strong results in one additional protection, namely Web Protection. This refers to an antivirus software’s ability to protect against shady websites attempting to use phishing attacks and other scams to steal personal info. Browsers have a certain level of built features already to help detect this, but if this is an area of risk that keeps you awake at night, Bitdefender is probably that right choice for you. Lastly, AVG for Mac: Something in the middle If you want a free antivirus software that also boasts extra features, is a good middle of the road option. While its malware detection scores don’t quite match the free software mentioned already, they are still respectable.

Antivirus For Macs

It also offers several additional features, the stand-out being its Web Tuneup feature. This element provides three main functions. First, it compiles detailed reports on each website’s safety. Second, it offers a Do Not Track feature that prevents ad networks and Web analytics tools from tracking your browser activity, and the third and final feature is a Browser Cleaner that removes cookies and cached files with the click of a button. All in all, not a bad package for a free software. Do you have experience with some of these Mac antivirus software options? Maybe you know another software that has worked well for you?

If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to add it in the comments below.

Show More Macs may be a far less tempting target for malware and viruses, but they’re not immune from attack. Even if you don’t care about or being used as a, it’s still possible to fall victim to, password theft,. Accordingly, good antivirus software will protect your Mac on all of these fronts. It’ll catch malware that’s still spreading or in circulation; block ransomware; protect older systems with out-of-date software from security vulnerabilities; prevent your Mac from acting as a carrier for malware aimed at other operating systems; and keep infected files off of any virtual machines you’re running. Antivirus for Mac cheat sheet Our quick-hit recommendations:. Best paid antivirus for Mac:. Best free antivirus for Mac: Many antivirus suites provide a decent level of protection, but a few rise above all others by providing the very best in performance.

Our top contenders dominate by posting perfect (or virtually near perfect) scores from security research labs, passing our own malware detection tests with flying colors, offering well-designed interfaces, and even throwing in extra features like a firewall or password manager. This article was updated 6-26-18 to include an new review for McAfee Total Protection. Looking for Windows antivirus recommendations?

You can read about the on our sister site, PCWorld. Latest antivirus for Mac news. More than $1.1 million was lost to cybercrime every minute in 2018. That’s the key takeaway of the latest In total, more than $600 billion will be lost to cybercrime and nearly 980 million people will be attacked in 2018. North Korea’s alleged state-sponsored hackers, the Lazarus Group, has launched its first known malware attack against Mac computers,. Kaspersky says a third-party “trojanized cryptocurrency trading application.

Compromised several banks and infiltrated a number of global cryptocurrency exchanges” to steal digital currencies like Bitcoin. Enterprise security firm Cylance is launching its first consumer-grade package:. The new software claims to use advanced, predictive AI to kill threats, all with a consumer-friendly interface and minimal penalties to device performance. Best overall antivirus software. On Sophos Sophos Home Premium has the most extensive and up-to-date approach to fighting malware at an unbeatable price. Has it all: Effective malware protection, ransomware monitoring, protection against potentially-unwanted-apps, and additional features that often require separately licensed software. Its cloud-based configuration and generous licensing (up to 10 Macs and PCs) also make it easy to shield friends and family from threats, no matter where they live.

(Full details available.) Best free antivirus software. Though Sophos does offer a good free version of its software, edges it out as the best free antivirus software for macOS. In security lab tests, Avast detected 99.9 percent of macOS malware, and 100 percent of Windows malware. However, if you want more advanced protection (like ransomware detection), you'll need to upgrade to paid software. What to look for in antivirus software By our reckoning, antivirus software should be able to neutralize a threat before it can begin wreaking havoc. That means preventing the download, installation, or execution of malicious software.

Since you can encounter threats by visiting compromised or malicious websites, receiving virus-laden attachments, or accessing USB drives with malware, good AV software should scan on a continuous basis unless you configure it otherwise. And ideally, files identified as malicious should be quarantined into a special storage area managed by the AV software, with the option to automatically delete files known to be malware or repair normal documents that also carry devious payloads. Great AV suites also will monitor the filesystem for certain kinds of changes. Ransomware—which is malware that will rapidly encrypt user files like documents and mailboxes and then delete the originals—has become a huge moneymaker on other platforms.

As a prime opportunity for attackers, it’s the greatest danger Mac users likely face as a category. Macworld Detecting this pattern and halting it before any files are unavailable should be possible without an anti-malware system knowing the specific innards of a ransomware virus.

Sophos, our top pick, includes this feature in the Home Premium version of its 2018 update. Other vendors, like Avast and Trend Micro Antivirus, offer an alternative feature that allows you to whitelist programs allowed to manipulate files in specific directories. So if this particular type of attack becomes rapidly popular, you’ll be protected. Good antivirus software should also use minimal computational resources. That’s especially the case these days—AV monitoring hasn’t become much more complicated than when it first became available, and faster, multi-core CPUs can easily handle the demands of running AV software in the background without disturbing your active work.

Beyond these primary features, an easy-to-navigate interface and extra features are worth factoring into your decision. Some AV software are full-fledged suites that offer additional options like backup service for essential files, a password manager, parental controls, anti-tracking and privacy modes or options, a more advanced firewall, and the blocking of Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). How we test Each software package is evaluated creating a clean installation of High Sierra, cloning it for each AV product, and then booting separately into each one to install a different package. This was to ensure that previous app installations didn’t interfere with new ones—sometimes AV software treats other AV software as an infection. In addition to visiting malicious websites, downloading known malicious software, and even running said malware, we also referenced the most recent reports from two labs that regularly cover macOS malware: (July 2017) and (May 2017). These laboratories test AV software against sets of known malware as well as products that are grouped as potentially unwanted applications (like adware).

The latter doesn’t damage or expose your computer or its files but may consume power and CPU cycles. Because the testing effectively looks at a combination of virus databases and behavior, they remain good gauges even after many months. When an antivirus software package lacks a rating from a known security research lab, we do more extensive testing with real malware. Finally, while we gave props for a lot of different features and behaviors, we marked products down if they lacked any or all of the following:. A nearly perfect score on macOS malware detection. Ransomware monitoring.

Native browser plug-in or system-level Web proxy. A high score on Windows malware detection Privacy concerns Using an anti-virus product, especially any that includes tools to also improve your online privacy, may lull you into believing you’re safe from personal and private information leaking out. That’s not quite the case. While there’s no reason to panic, you should consider a few reasonable issues. First, an antivirus product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools hosted there. This practice is normal and sensible: Some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge. Antivirus software makers also can access their massive databases to examine files with characteristics that trigger their algorithms—certain elements that match known malware.

As a result, security researchers discover new viruses, worms, Trojans horses, and the like. Macworld However, helping the greater good means you’ll have to be comfortable with trusting a third-party with your file contents. Where appropriate, we noted privacy policy issues in individual reviews.

Second, this software may also rely partly or entirely on cloud-based checks of URLs, malware, and the like. Accordingly, an AV package might upload every URL you visit, metadata about files, signatures of files, information about your computer’s hardware, a list of running or installed applications, and more. Companies vary on their disclosure of such policies, and may not let you opt out of this kind of sharing. We note issues in each review as available. Third, anti-virus software makers also get a sense of what behavior is happening on your computer that’s being monitored or blocked, and may use that information for their own purposes. In some cases, you can opt out of this information gathering.

All of our antivirus for Mac reviews If you have specific requirements or just wish to see other options, below is a list of all the antivirus software we’ve reviewed. We’ll keep evaluating new and refreshed software on a regular basis, so be sure to come back to see what else we’ve put through the ringer.