Do I Need Antivirus Software On A Mac
Do Macs need antivirus software? That very much depends on who you listen to. Last week, I asked my Mac-owning Twitter followers if they used security software on their Macs. The answer was an overwhelming ‘no’. Originally, Apple made their own hardware, so they did not need an antivirus program. After the PowerPC, Apple switched to using Intel hardware, ie the same hardware as PCs use. From this point onwards, Apple systems are vulnerable to some types o.
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
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.
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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.
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.
How Can I Protect My Mac?
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.
About the Author
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.
Best answer: Though Windows malware doesn't affect Mac devices, it's easy to unknowingly send these threats to PC-using colleagues, family members, and friends. During our testing, we used live malware and saw that the protections that come with Mac devices don't always stop them. Several threats are disguised to look like legitimate Mac programs and often sneak in through email messages and network connections. Luckily, a good antivirus program can stop them while keeping your Mac safe.
- Staff pick: Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac ($60 at Bitdefender)
- Tech support recommended: Malwarebytes ($40 at Malwarebytes)
- Free Mac antivirus: Avast Essential Security for Mac (Free at Avast)
If you start to notice weird advertisements popping up in strange places on popular websites like YouTube, you might be infected. These ads tend to feature adult content or claim that a virus has been detected on your device and will often appear in places that you don't normally see ads.
You may also discover that your personal email or social networking sites are sending out messages that you didn't write. If this happens, you should immediately change your password to stop any more messages being sent from your account.
If your Mac just isn't responding the way it should, you might have malware planted into your system somewhere. If it takes much longer for your Mac to wake up than it used to, there may be something lurking in the shadows.
You won't always know if you have a virus. Technology has improved for the bad guys just as much as it has improved for the good guys. There are viruses out there that are smart enough to know how to hide deep in your system and work constantly to keep you from noticing it, all while performing malicious attacks. And once you're infected, it super easy for other devices connected to your network to become infected, too.
While you may think you don't need antivirus protection on your Mac, it's more important than ever now that Apple has grown so popular. Even if you use a limited, free version of a program, you'll be doing yourself a favor.
How can I protect my Mac right now?
The Mac operating system includes a number of security tools that help keep adware and malware off your computer, including default restrictions on opening apps from unidentified developers. If you stick to only downloading apps from the Mac App Store and are good about staying away from seedy websites, you can keep your computer secure from most virus issues.
Transcription software for mac reviews. In fact, Apple's security tools are why you'll hear many old-school Mac users say that you don't need anti-virus protection. The Mac is locked down well right out of the box.
However, there is more to protecting yourself than just avoiding bad apps and websites. You never know when you are going to pick something up that could create havoc on your Mac or on somebody else's PC. That's why, for added protection, you should think about getting antivirus software.
Staff pick
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Protection against Mac and Windows malware
Do I Need Antivirus Software On My Mac
Bitdefender runs in the background, deleting and eliminating Mac and Windows malware as it shows up. This protects both your Mac and friends' PCs from becoming infected. Bitdefender stops most threats before they download and includes phishing filters and a VPN.
Tech support recommended
Malwarebytes
Tech support's go-to
Malwarebytes is recommended by tech support at Apple, which downloads this program to user's devices when contacted about performance issues. This software searches out malware and other exploiting viruses and blocks websites that are known to distribute malicious content.
Free Mac antivirus
Avast Essential Security for Mac
Free basic protection
Avast's Essential monitors your email messages for any phishing schemes, malicious links or downloads that could lead to a malware attack or identity theft. It also watches your network connection and stops hackers and snoops as they try to sneak in.
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Do I Need Antivirus Software On Macbook
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