Updated: December 16, 2018 / » » Do you really need anti-virus app for an Apple Mac OS X laptop? The answer is Yes and No, depending on your computing habits, if the device is not hooked onto the internet, your chances of being infected is minimal. Having said that, your odds of having your Mac OSX infected is close to zero even if it is hooked to the internet.
Related Article 2019 ➤ Without further ado, here are the top 3 reason why you need to install an antivirus on a mac. If you installed Microsoft Windows on your Mac.
This best free antivirus software for mac not only deletes malwares but also detects Trojans and deletes them too. In simple words, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac is the most appropriate Mac antivirus software to removes adware and malware, revives your Mac system. Dec 16, 2018 - 5 Free Mac Antivirus For OS X El Capitan And Yosemite – Avast. Without further ado, here are 3 of the best antivirus for your Mac OS X El.
If you visited a few not so safe websites. If you downloaded and installed many third party software. With the ability to dual boot both OS at the same time, your Mac OS x could be infected with a hybrid virus from Windows. Today’s virus are programmed to spread through USB thumb drive, thus the ability to jump from OS to OS using the USB flash drive as the vehicle is at large. Without further ado, here are 3 of the best antivirus for your Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11 / Yosemite 10.10, while we prefer Norton, it is unfortunate that they do not offer free version of their security software.
↓ 01 – Auto Protection We know. Your Mac is captivating. Give it the protection it deserves, with the most trusted security in the world.
Mac OS X is considered one of the most secure operating systems available. But today’s threats aren’t after your computer – they’re after your identity and your money. These days hackers “phish,” “spearphish” and “whale” to target you specifically. Combine these with other threats like router hijacking, and your identity is at great risk of being stolen. If you’re on a Mac running OSX, it will work.
You need 128 MB of RAM and 750MB of disk space. Beyond that, you can be running just about any stable version of OSX (even Yosemite), and we’ll keep you protected. Full on-access scanning – scans files for any infection at the time they are accessed. On-demand scanning – scheduled or ad-hoc scans of your system. Integrated mail protection – stops infections at one of the main access points. Virus Chest – a place for safe storage of infected or suspicious files, to prevent further virus spreading.
Full automatic updates – of both the program and the virus definitions. Full control of the scanning options – set avast! To work in the way you want.
Unlike competitor’s antivirus for Macbook, Avast Antivirus Mac Edition has the same ICSA Certified scan engine as all Avast antivirus products, offering protection against the latest and legacy virus, malware, Trojan horse, and spyware risks. ↓ 02 – Manual Scan This antivirus does not comes with auto scan, ideal for those with dual boot OS on their MacBook with Windows 10.
Bitdefender Virus Scanner finds Mac malware as well as Windows viruses with ease. Virus Scanner will detect any infected files that you downloaded or got in your inbox, so your Mac will be safe and you won’t pass anything bad to your friends’ computer.
Grant Bitdefender Virus Scanner access to the locations on your computer that you want to scan against malware. Choose ‘Deep System Scan’ or ‘Scan Critical Locations’ to scan. The award-winning Bitdefender engines will find that piece of malware. Make sure your Mac is free of infected files. Don’t put your friends and family at risk by unknowingly passing along malware. ↓ 03 – Auto Protection Sophos Home includes all the features of Free Mac AV with a sleek new user interface that allows you to protect all computers in your home (Mac and Windows) from a single interface.
And yes, it’s still free. Free commercial-grade security for the home. Malware Protection – Sophos Home keeps nasty viruses at bay, stops malware from slowing down your computer, and helps prevent unwelcome hackers from gaining access to sensitive personal information. Web Filtering – Sophos Home protects you from online threats and unsuitable content. With just a few clicks, block access to sites that may contain inappropriate content or malicious software. ↓ 04 – Auto Protection Protect what matters!
Beneath its deceptively simple design lies a powerful security engine that works in real time to detect and remove not only Mac-specific viruses and spyware, but PC and mobile threats, too. So AVG AntiVirus not only helps protect all that’s important on your Mac, it also prevents you from infecting friends on other devices. Triple protection – Protects not only you, but your friends, too. Our award-winning detection technology scans for Mac, PC, and Android™-based viruses and spyware. So you can feel better knowing your beloved Mac is protected — and that you’re not sharing viruses with any of your other devices or with your PC and Android friends. Always on – Anytime you use your Mac, we’ve got you covered.
Our Resident Shield runs quietly in the background. Every file you open, copy, or save is automatically scanned so quickly, you’ll never know we’re there. Drag & drop simplicity – Staying protected has never been so easy.
Scan specific files or folders with simple drag and drop functionality. Or run a thorough scan of your entire Mac with a single click. Automatic updates – Sit back & relax. We’ll update you automatically. To stay ahead of the growing number of Mac threats, we’re constantly innovating and evolving our detection methods.
Virus database updates get pushed to you automatically, so your Mac is always up-to-date against the latest threats—without you needing to lift a finger. ↓ 05 – Auto Protection Free Mac Security with Complete Virus Protection. Proactive Antivirus provides complete protection against viruses, worms and Trojan horses for Mac OS X based computers. There used to be a time when Mac computers were considered almost ‘virus-proof’. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. The quantity of Mac viruses is growing at an alarming rate and solid protection against these threats is essential if you wish to prevent identity theft, file corruption or interception of your credit card details. Comodo Antivirus provides the state-of-the-art virus protection to your Mac OS computer at no cost.
Featuring an on-demand scanner, ‘always on’ real-time protection and a constantly updated database of known viruses, Comodo Antivirus provides superior protection against zero-day malware. This is not a stripped down version of a paid product, it’s the real deal. Scan any drive or file.
Get in-depth reports on viral activity. Even scan compressed.zip files, where viruses often hide. All in one attractive user-friendly interface. Comodo Antivirus – Unique Features. Automatic updates for the most up-to-date virus protection.
Drag and drop any object onto the dock icon for instant virus analysis. Easy to use interface lets you install and forget: no annoying pop-ups or false alarms Evolution and History of Mac Virus. I originally got the Cyberdefender free scanner which cleans Trojans and spyware for free, but you got to pay for the upgrade for virus. So I used it for checking. Eventually I got a virus – a bad one called virtumondo, and bought the upgrade. Since then no problems. Cyberdefender caught a few trojans and one more virus attack, and it worked great.
The upgrade I got includes 24/7 computer help, which my wife needed once when I was away on a trip. So, I hope this helps, it is just my informal review of my Cyberdefender experience.
Fortunately, there are many fantastic anti-malware platforms designed to give your Mac a booster shot against the latest viruses, adware, and ransomware,. Many of them are made by the same companies that produce the solutions. The best free antivirus for Mac Avast Security for Mac Avast Security for Mac is one of the most popular security suites available, and it’s easy to see why. It’s effective and free for non-commercial use, providing on-demand tools for quickly performing full-system malware scans, as well as sifting through specific email threads, attachments, and various web activities like web pages, downloads, and JavaScripts. Furthermore, it offers drag-and-drop scanning for individual files and phishing protection, along with the ability to scan external drives and attached volumes for potential infections.
You can also initiate scans for connected devices like external hard drives. The application’s interface is straightforward and self-explanatory, and features a navigational pane on the left that consists of five primary buttons and a real-time graph that aggregates shield activity and allows users to quickly check the overall stats of their computer. The free version also offers to install two other programs during installation: Avast Internet Security ($30 per year) and Avast SecureLine VPN ($60 per year).
Neither are necessary for detecting and removing malware, however, so pay attention during installation if you don’t want them. Download it: The rest Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac Windows users have long turned to Malwarebytes’ free version, affectionately known as MBAM, as a backup for always-on malware software. The Mac Malwarebytes version started as an adware removal tool, but as of today, it’s also a full-fledged tool for protecting your machine against other forms of malware. Plus, it’s just as effective in MacOS as it is in Windows, a fact that’s aided by the Malwarebytes team’s constant research on current threats — the company identified the in 2017. Using the program couldn’t be easier.
![Free Free](https://assets.pcmag.com/media/images/459028-bitdefender-antivirus-for-mac.png?width=640&height=471)
Just launch it, hit scan, and the software will quickly let you know if you’re infected with any Mac-specific malware — oftentimes. Like the Windows iteration of the free version, though, this is not an always-on solution and is thus more suited for performing deep scans and ridding yourself of particularly pernicious MacOS. There are scheduling and proactive blocks, but these features expire after two weeks if you are using the free version. To get live protection you’d need to pay for the premium version, which starts at $40 for a year. Download it: Sophos Antivirus Mac Home Edition Straddling the line somewhere between necessity and excess, Sophos offers all the basic utilities you’ve come to expect from quality antivirus software, and a whole lot more.
It has custom, on-demand, and scheduled scans for specified files, folders, and drives, along with additional tools for deleting and quarantining any software Sophos deems a potential threat. The software even incorporates real-time protection features that will quarantine unknown files that are exhibiting suspicious behavior.
Although the program has a tendency to scan slower than most, it’s fairly lightweight and non-obtrusively performs vital background tasks while barely leeching or exhausting your system’s resources. Despite its robust feature set, Sophos manages to cram all this functionality into a compact interface.
Initiating a full-system scan can be done directly from the top of the main menu, and you can configure exemptions quickly from easily navigable menus. The malware definitions also are constantly being updated, ensuring the program is never without the latest knowledge of potential threats. It’s one of the most hands-off antivirus programs on the market, and as such, sits among the best. Download it: Bitdefender Virus Scanner Built upon Bitdefender’s award-winning antivirus engine, Bitdefender Virus Scanner features a host of scan options, allowing you to quickly perform deep scans of your entire system, or those targeting specific locations.
If you grant it access, the streamlined program even provides an option for scanning critical locations — such as your Mac’s launch agents and the entirety of your system library — thus allowing you to bypass lengthier scans when pressed for time. Moreover, it automatically updates with Bitdefender’s hourly malware definitions prior to scanning, while providing a quick means for blacklisting specific locations from system scans. Bitdefender Virus Scanner automatically tries to disinfect and quarantine suspicious files it comes across, and though the feature is not unique to Bitdefender’s offering, the software can also quickly search for malware within various archives and file types (PDF, PKG, ZIP, RAR, etc.). From the homescreen, you can choose four different scanning options, in addition to an update button and a “view quarantine” button. It’s all very easy to understand and use.
Download it: Avira Free Antivirus for Mac Avira strikes a nice balance between ease of use and quick access to advanced utilities, ultimately rendering basic system scans just as simple to execute as those that are scheduled and file-specific. The software is equipped with standard spyware and adware protection, along with the ability to intercept harmful websites and block tracking. If the software finds an infected file or folder, it can repair/delete the problem so you don’t have to worry about it again. Unlike most of the software in our roundup, Avira is coupled with a moderately lengthy installation and an update process that goes hand in hand with the software’s heavy use of system resources. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker when you consider the nonexistent price tag and its thorough antivirus engine, but it’s an unfortunate downside. Avira’s full-feature interface uses a left-hand navigational bar for viewing the status of your system, scheduling tasks, and viewing past quarantine history, among other options.
Virus definitions are updated in a timely fashion, too, regardless of how long the initial updates might take to finish. It’s resource heavy, but capable enough if you’re looking for automation, scan history, and other advanced features.