Apple's been chomping away at the market share, but still, fewer people own Mac devices. It's been a handful of years since Apple revealed (Opens in a new tab) that PC has it beat popularity-wise (by about four times, or 300 million active users). That's why we've taken a look at the best antivirus for Mac so that you're protected from online threats. Antivirus software is still a worthwhile purchase for any Mac user. Apple's closed-loop system (Opens in a new tab) simply makes holes smaller and harder to infiltrate.īut that doesn't mean Mac's security is hole-free. That's because Apple does everything in-house, while Windows operates on hardware from a handful of manufacturers.

Windows does tend to have more security vulnerabilities which is why there are so many great antivirus programs for Windows 10. The idea that Macs are generally more secure than a Windows PC isn't totally off-base. Malware authors have frequently found and exploited weaknesses, such as using obscure file formats or large file sizes that the sandbox can’t process, leaving Mac users at risk of infection.You've probably heard that Macs don't need antivirus software. While sandboxing adds another layer of security for Macs, not even the App Store nor sandboxed apps are 100% safe, as highlighted by the attack on the Chinese version of the App Store by the XCodeGhost Virus. XProtect defends Macs against various types of malware, by scanning downloaded files for signs of infection, but it needs to be regularly updated to recognize new or emerging threats - and it won’t help you if you unwittingly land on an infected or unsafe website.Ī digital certificate is always seen as proof of a file’s security and a surefire sign that the file contains no malicious code, but cybercriminals can still plant malicious code at the file completion stage, exploit security gaps to sign their malicious files with valid digital certificates, and more. The macOS, or Mac OS X system, has existed for 40 years in various forms - it’s robust, and because of its regular updates, malware developers find it hard to keep up with the changes and write viruses that will successfully infect the Mac operating system.Īpple's basic malware detection is built directly into its Mac OS X operating system.

Best free malware protection for mac