- Do Macs Have Antivirus Software
- Do Macbooks Need Antivirus
- Do Apple Computers Need Antivirus Software
- Get Antivirus Software
- Antivirus For Macbook Pro
- Does Imac Need Antivirus Software
- Does Mac Have Antivirus Software
There are many users who are not used to Microsoft Windows. They are more into Apple Macs. The Macs are also good technology when it comes to using a computer. Both Windows and Mac share some similar features.
Jan 08, 2020 The study, performed by the company behind Malwarebytes antivirus software, compared Macs, Windows and Android devices. The study revealed of the. May 07, 2020 “But modern Macs generally have plenty of resources (processing power, memory, and disk speed) to allow antivirus software to protect you without any.
Well, we are not here to discuss their similarities or comparing one another. Now, we know that macOS is a more secure operating system than windows.
But you’d be a very wise person to look upon the security features that macOS has to offer because like the windows, Macs can get viruses. Here will be explaining the need for antivirus software and to protect your Macs from getting a virus.
Now, questions might pop up in your mind. Do Macs get a virus? Do Macs need and antivirus software? If we do, would it be the same as we use for Windows?
According to the Malwarebytes report of the top 25 threats detection in 2019. There were six Macs Threat and two were in the top 5. The number two malware in the top five was a Mac adware called NewTab.
Mac users might start to get panic, Right? Well, there is a reason for concern but Apple has some measures put in the operating system that should protect Mac from certain malware.
Still, Mac remains secure thanks to the built-in security feature, like the Gatekeeper which prevents or blocks the software without the user’s authorization or which hasn’t been approved by Apple.
What Are The Latest Mac Virus And Threats?
Shlayer Trojan is the new threat that hit 10 per cent in Macs monitored by Kaspersky in 2019. But according to the company, this threat has around since February of 2018.
The Crossrider is an adware that infects the Macs operating system through a fake installation of Adobe Flash player.
The software flash player which you install from a BitTorrent not only installs the software its self but other various apps like Chumsearch Safari Extension, Advanced Mac Cleaner, MyShopCoupon+, media downloader, and MyMacUpdater.
Threats like OSX/NewTab which appeared in 2018 of December. According to Malwarebyte, this type of threat is a part of the adware family, which does is that they attempt to redirect the search on the web for earning illegal money.
This threat not only does that but it adds a tab to Safari. The threat comes from fake maps, fake flights or even fake tracking pages. There is another mac threat called OSX/Crescent Core.
This Malware was accessible to download from multiple websites and also showed up on the Google search engine. It was dressed as a DMG file of the Flash Player. But it does it that it would install a file called LaunchAgent, Advanced Mac Cleaner, and Safari Extension.
Now before installing these file malware would check first whether or whether not there is an antivirus tool installed but The Crescent Core would easily sneak pass the Apple’s Gatekeeper as it was signed by a known developer.
So the best way to protect your Mac device from the above threat is by not installing a third-party software until and unless it is from its App Store or an identified developer.
You can its own built software by going in System Preferences>Security & Privacy> General. But for some reason, if you would install from an unknown or unidentified developer than Apple would warn you to check for his authenticity.
How Apple Protects Your Mac From Malware?
Apple goes great when it comes to protecting your Mac device from malware. The has made a built-in anti-malware protection feature into the macOS.
Like before you open a file, the macOS will check for the malware by looking against the malware list, and even there no reason at all for the concern Mac will not allow to access the application from a developer that hasn’t been approved.
Xprotect is Mac’s malware scanning tool. It works in the background and requires no user configuration whatsoever. Apple has a malicious application list that checks when open the downloaded application.
This is similar work that other third-party antivirus software does. So you don’t have to bother download another software to save you, Mac, from malware when it is already fed it into your operating system and on top, it does not hamper Macs speed.
If you try to open the downloaded files which contain some sort of malware. The Mac will give you a warning that “this file will is harmful” along with the type of malware it has. So immediately delete that application or file.
macOS also blocks that downloaded software that has been digitally signed, it is a process where Apple approves the developer. So you showed with a familiar message when try to open or install an unsigned software “[this app] cant’ be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.
I mentioned Gatekeeper above, it can be controlled through the Security & Privacy section of System Preferences. In the Security & Privacy click on the General Tab and choose the Allow Application Download From.
Do Macs Have Antivirus Software
This includes download from the App Store or App Store and identified developers. Once there was an option to disable the feature by choosing Anywhere, but it no longer exists.
Well, this hardly doesn’t mean that you can’t open those applications that Apple hasn’t approved. You will dig in the settings do to so. Optioning the App Store and identified developers is the best choice.
As all of the software is downloaded via the App store, so the involvement of The Gatekeeper becomes less when you have downloaded the apps manually. You can bypass the protection when its need.
Let us say, you install an application that you are sure is 100% safe. Well simply hold down Ctrl key, click it, and select Open. This will mark it as being trusted.
Also Read: What Is Taskeng.exe? (Virus Removal Guide)
Security Features In MacOS Catalina!
Apple launched Catalina In October of 2019, it came with many new security and privacy features. The thing you might have noticed is how Catalina forces apps to ask for permission before it has been accessed by the user.
Another change that has brought up is now macOS is stored in a separate disk volume. If you look in the Disk Utility you may see two volume, one is your usual home volume and second separate Home– Data volume.
This means that all your important system files are completely in a separate disk which makes it tougher to access it. This prevents those apps from getting into your system files that may harm or cause damage.
Another enhanced feature that arrived with Catalina in 2019 is;
![Do Macs Get Viruses Antivirus Software Do Macs Get Viruses Antivirus Software](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126360413/127162534.png)
- Gatekeeper will check all apps for security purpose
- All the installed apps will get permission before being accessed.
- Whether it is approved by Apple Watch
- Activation Lock feature on all Macs with the T2 chip. This means you will be able to brick your Mac remotely.
- Find My App feature, which works if your device has been lost or stolen and you can recover it back.
- You can block senders in Mail by clicking on Block Contact.
Security Features In macOS Mojave
Security enhanced features that arrived with macOS Mojave in 2018 are;
Now, I don’t like this feature but it is considered to be one of the best features it has to offer. Strong password suggestion, means that whenever you open your account on a website in a Safari, it will suggest you to key a strong password.
This password is then saved to the iCloud so that you don’t have to remember it. According to them, it’s a lot rather use the same password over and over again.
Another good feature is that if you are access to something and as security, they send you a code that you then have to insert it. When using Safari, it automatically inserts the for you which you received via SMS. Safari also limits fingerprinting.
When software tries to take over your Macs control, it will ask permission to do so. Like a camera and microphone. Mac with T2 Has various security features which include Touch ID.
When Apple’s Security Measures Aren’t Enough
The above features mentioned are all great, but unluckily there have been cases when the Gatekeeper has been bypassed by the malware which has got an approved signature of a developer, like CrescentCore which I mentioned earlier that was able to bypass the Gatekeeper.
It is not always that malware can bypass the Gatekeeper, in the of Linker a zero-day was able to exploit a Gatekeeper. Apple quickly reacts to these types of situation, but in some places, The Company has ignored the identified vulnerability.
It happened when a teenager reported a Group Facetime vulnerability, meaning someone can hear or listen to the call, and to your disappointment, Apple failed to act.
Security Updates
The way that Apple issues security is that they usually issue to the latest version of macOS and two other versions prior to it.
Like in July of 2019 when Apple issued an update for macOS Mojave alongside with the security updates for macOS Sierra and macOSHigh Sierra. Usually the device is has a built-in feature where it automatically installs the update.
However, in the case of macOS Sierra and macOS High Sierra, their security update in July 2019 was pulled back due to the problem people faced after installing it.
How does Apple respond To Security Threats?
![Do Macs Get Viruses Antivirus Software Do Macs Get Viruses Antivirus Software](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126360413/514314282.jpg)
No matter how much Apple has security measures in place, but from time to time Mac is threatened by malicious malware.
Despite Apple having its security research team, it mostly depends on the users than those independent researchers who are helping by reporting any flaws they find on Apple’s products.
To terminate this, Apple has an incentive program that rewards S200,000 for such discoveries, which depends upon the seriousness of the flaw.
We are imagining that Mac users will be very pleased to hear that Apple is a motivating incentive program in reporting vulnerabilities.
Incentivizing security researchers to let Apple know about the flaws make it the Apple product safer rather giving it to the hackers.
There was a flaw discovered on 28 November 2017. It was the High Sierra root bug. It was a flaw in macOS 10.13 that allows a person to access the settings on Mac without the need of a password.
Apple quickly issued a statement that it was a working process and it will be fixed and an update will be released within a couple of days.
How To Keep Your Mac Safe From Malware?
Apple does whatever it takes to save its products such as Mac, but in addition, the user itself has to work with it, installing new updates when it is been released, avoiding from link suspicious links in emails, not even installing Flash and further on.
There are many third-party antivirus software for Mac that you can also try.
1-#Keep MacOS Up To Date
Keeping your device updated is a key feature. The update brings a lot of new features that can be helpful whether in terms of security or terms of other stuff. Apple addresses flaws and vulnerabilities with Mac through an update.
So it is very important to keep your Mac device updated. Checking regularly for an OS update is a key part when it comes to security strategy.
You can also enable an automatic update in your Mac as soon as the new update of the operating system is issued.
Follow these steps;
Follow these steps;
How To Automatically Install macOS Catalina And macOS Mojave Software Updates?
- Open Your System Preferences.
- Then, Click on the Software Update
- Tick on the box beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date
- Or you can click on Advance and choose from automatically check for updates, download new updates when available, install macOS updates
- and install app updates from the App Store.
How To Automatically Install High Sierra Software Update?
- First three is the same as above;
- Open Your System Preferences.
- Then, Click on the Software Update
- Tick on the box beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date
- If you want to choose to download your new updates automatically you need to make sure the box is checked beside the install macOS updates
- How To Manually Install MacOS Software Updates
- If you don’t want to choose to install your update automatically, they should check for updates and install them manually.
- In High Sierra and earlier you can go to the Mac App Store and check for updates.
- In Mojave, you need to go to the Software Update pane in System Preferences.
- After installing an update you need to restart to the computer. A 460 MB update can take about 8 minutes but, a larger update can take 20
- minutes, and after restarting it and installing it will sum up to 25 minutes.
2-#Do Not Connect To Public Wi-Fi Networks
Be very cautious when connecting to a public Wi-fi network as there may be a person spying and could gain access to your password and other private information or could when hack your device, you could never know.
Someone can be tricky and step there own wifi hotspot pretending to be a coffee shop. Once you are connected they can easily steal all your information without you noticing.
3-#Do Not Install Flash
Malwarebytes and recommend that you do not install Flash Player. Flash player update can be fake which automatically install malware.
You have seen such a case when you try to play a video and it says to update flash to view the content. There is no need for that because as of 2020 Flash will be in of no use.
4-#Keep Java and Flash Up To Date On Your Mac
If you are using Java or flash, then make sure it’s up to update.
Apple usually blocks java and flash by default, so you need to be very careful from where you download updates from because the flash has a history when it comes to malware.
5-#Avoid Falling Foul Of Phishing Emails
There are a lot of phishing emails so you need to protect yourself from it. You could use third-party software to access it.
6-#Do Not Fall For Facebook Scams
Facebook is a very popular social media in today’s generation and Facebook is not behind when it comes to scam.
Sharing your post can sometimes be very dangerous as scammers can somehow access your personal information. So it is best not to post your personal information on Facebook.
Is Antivirus Software Necessary For A Mac?
Having Antivirus is not essential to be installed in your Mac. As we have mentioned above Apple is pretty good when it comes to security, on top of the updates to macOS that will protect your Mac device.
As I said it is earlier it is not necessary to install antivirus, but in some cases, Apple ignores the flaw. So that’s where antivirus comes in handy and will give you peace. We suggest you pick Intego antivirus for Mac.
How To Tell If Mac Is Infected?
- It is very simple to detect whether your Mac is infected or not. Here’s how you can know;
- Aggressive web page banners and browser pop-ups recommending software.
- Web page text turning into hyperlinks.
- Programs appearing that you haven’t authorized.
- Mac crashes.
- Mac runs hot.
- Mac speeds up for no reason.
Conclusion!!
So this were some information about Macs Viruses and how you can resolve them by using Mac’s security system or different antivirus.
Also what to avoid downloading that might cause viruses
Do You Need Antivirus Protection On Your Mac?
Often you will hear claims that Macs don’t get viruses, and that there is no reason for antivirus protection software on the Mac platform. However with the increase in Macs on the market, and the increase in using peer-to-peer services, Macs are at a greater risk than they ever have been in the past.
Only 50% of Mac users are running virus protection when compared to the 76% of Windows users. Also, 65% of the virus protection on the Mac platform is not real-time protection, which means that the software needs to be run manually to be effective, while on Windows systems the real-time usage is 61%; almost the opposite of the Mac.
With OPSWAT reporting in 2015 that 97% of users using antivirus protection or malware protection software have not run a scan in the last 7 days, it shows how important it is to get a malware protection that offers live protection.
It is true that there are fewer viruses and malware on the Mac platform, but the main reason there are fewer viruses on a Mac than a PC is because it is more profitable to create a virus for a Windows based system. A Windows virus will affect more users, businesses, and organizations, as well as allow the hacker to gain access to more information.
With Macs becoming more commonplace in and out of the workplace, hackers are starting to develop attacks specifically for the Mac platform. Whether to attack the Mac itself, or to lie dormant until a Windows based system can be infected.
What Is Malware And Why Should I Care?
Malware, or Malicious Software, is used to either gather information or gain access to your system or network. Malware is a term that was coined in the early 90s to incorporate all forms of computer attacks, as opposed to simply referring to them all as computer viruses, because different types of attacks worked in completely different ways and often times with vastly different motives.
Malware can come in many different forms, but some of the most common are:
- Viruses
- Worms
- Adware
- Trojan
- Rootkits
- Ransomware
Do Macbooks Need Antivirus
Each type of malware will infect your system in a different way and use different tactics to stay active on your system and undetected as long as possible.
A Virus is normally hidden within another program or file that will attempt to replicate itself in an attempt to destroy data and corrupt your system. However a virus does require some human interaction to work. The virus will only start to replicate when the file that contains it is moved or opened. Viruses are often built with the intent of destroying your machine, and not so much for monetary gain or data collection.
A Worm behaves similarly to a virus, however there is one key difference: a worm will not require any human interaction. It is a standalone program and is not imbedded into another program. This means that the worm can replicate itself within your system with no human interaction or help. The worm will replace itself in an attempt to destroy data and corrupt the system.
Adware is the type of malware with which the majority of users are most familiar. Adware is what will automatically display advertisements while you are online, and often these ads are unwanted and unwarranted. In the early years of the Internet, popup ads were everywhere, constantly slowing down websites while serving as a perfect way for hackers to infect your system if clicked.
Even when these adware are not used for intentionally malicious purposes, hackers will input different types of viruses, worms, rootkits, or trojans that will then gain access to your computer.
The way you are shown advertisements when online is a bit complicated. An algorithm will provide the most catered ad to you based off of your search history. This means if you spent the last few days looking up different types of barbeques, you are most likely about to start seeing barbeque ads across every website you visit. This is because as you are searching for information online, different tracking cookies are being saved that monitor your search history specifically to create more targeted ads.
Unfortunately, the way a majority of large websites work is that they will pull their ads from an ad database, so the website will have no way of knowing which ad you are being shown. This has created a perfect way for hackers to infect user’s machines by placing worms and viruses in the ads themselves. Any website that uses an advertisement database is putting all of their users at risk. If you ever receive the message requesting that you turn off your adblock for specific websites, I would not recommend it. This is why we suggest using an ad blocker when online to help keep you safe from potential attacks.
A Trojan horse attack, more commonly referred to just as a Trojan, is a type of attack that will attempt to appear as a useful or needed utility or software to get a user to download the file. A Trojan attack gets its name from the Ancient Greek story of Greek soldiers sneaking through the walls of Troy in a gifted wooden horse statue, and the Trojan malware will behave the same way. To help keep you protected from Trojan attacks you only want to download files from reputable websites or from individuals you know, and do not click on any links in spam emails. In addition, many antivirus softwares offer the ability to quickly verify single downloaded files, so you can quarantine and verify a file is safe before opening.
A RootKit is a tool used by different types of malware to help keep itself contained and to avoid detection by the operating system or from a virus protection software. The RootKit will modify the operating system so that malicious activities do not show in your system processes list and keep its files from being read. RootKits have started to become more common in the malware world as more and more malware is being written with the intent of siphoning data from the system it is installed upon to either steal trade secrets or make monetary gains.
Do Apple Computers Need Antivirus Software
A Ransomware attack is an extremely nefarious type of malware, which will essentially lock your computer and demand a ransom in order for the hacker to release your computer and data. One of the most powerful versions of malware that was utilizing a RootKit were the ransomware attacks that started to show up more commonly at the beginning of 2016. A ransomware attack normally will start with either a social engineering attack or through the use of another malware attack such as a Trojan.
Social engineering, when it comes to the computer world, is to get someone to do something that grants you access to his or her system or database. This can be as simple as a co-worker asking you to login so that they can print something, or from receiving an email from a Nigerian prince asking for your banking information so he can send you money. Since a social engineering attack relies on the user offering up their information, it is not considered a malware; but is still one of the most effective ways at gaining unwarranted access to a system.
Once the ransomware has been installed on your system, a Rootkit will help hide its identity from your computer and any security features. After being hidden in your system, the ransomware will start encrypting your data without your knowledge. In some cases the ransomware will be active on a user’s system for well over a month before it presents them with the infamous ransomware notification.
Not all ransomware will look the same, or accuse you of the same activities, but the thing they will all have in common is asking for compensation to release your computer back into your control. Unfortunately once your data has been encrypted, and you do not hold the passkey, there is no way to get your data back without paying the fine.
The recommendation from the FBI is to pay the ransom and to hope they return your computer’s control, however the reality is just because you pay the fine does not mean your computer will be decrypted. You are just hoping the hacker’s word is good.
With Prosoft Engineering being primarily a data recovery company we did have to deal with a few customers who were dealing with ransomware, and unfortunately had to turn them away as we could not break the encryption. The only way to keep yourself safe from these types of attacks is to be sure you have a valid backup strategy.
Is Malware Becoming More Common?
Unfortunately the image of a hacker is changing, less and less of these attacks are being developed and ran by individuals at home and more are being supplied as a malware service. This means you can purchase attacks that you can then run on random individuals with almost no programming knowledge.
This has lead to a huge increase in malware as a whole, roughly a 56% increase as reported by TrendMicro, but the largest increase in use was specifically with ransomware. The widespread use of ransomware was the result of malware being a service. Ransomware kits started to appear online for as little as $100 and would allow someone to extort thousands of dollars from unsuspecting users with nearly zero effort.
Ransomware kits were being used so frequently that Trend Micro reported an increase of 172% in ransomware attacks in 2016, also showing that 80 new ransomware ‘families’ were found, an increase of 752% from the previous year. This increase resulted in ~37% of United States organizations feeling the effects of a ransomware attack in 2016.
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How Can I Protect My Mac?
Antivirus For Macbook Pro
There are a few steps that you can take that will help keep your identity and data safe while online.
As stated above, one of the common attacks is a form of social engineering. Most of the time this will be done through a phishing email which will ask for your login information for your bank or other sensitive accounts. In order to stay protected you want to make sure you are only opening emails from reputable sources that you know, and only entering your private information in safe, secure locations. If you are unsure if the email is legitimate, we recommend not opening the email and reaching out to the individual or company you believe the message to be from to verify.
While only clicking on and opening from known sources will help keep you safe online, it is not a failsafe. To ensure that your identity and data stays secure online you will want to be using a live antivirus scanner that will monitor new files being installed on your system to check for potential vulnerabilities. In the upcoming release of the newest version of Drive Genius, we are introducing a live Malware Scan that will work in tandem with the Drive Pulse utility to monitor all new downloads and keep you safe while you’re online.
We recommend using antivirus for your Mac in conjunction with an automated backup system to keep your data as safe and secure as possible. Data Backup can now perform automated backups and send text and email notifications upon the completion or failure of the backups. With automated backups, you never need to worry about your backup being out of date.
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About the Author
Does Mac Have Antivirus Software
My name is Matthew and I am a Technical Support Representative for Prosoft Engineering as well as our sister company, The Data Rescue Center. I am a people person and it is my passion to help others successfully use, and maximize the potential of their hardware and software.