Best Mac Antivirus 2. Free and Paid Security Software for Mac. Computer security is a major concern for consumers of late, following the Wanna. Cry ransomware attack that hit huge organisations including the NHS earlier this year, and Petya, a second big ransomware attack. The good news is that if you take steps to keep your machine patched and up to date and install a good security software product you have nothing to worry about. If you've got a Mac and are wondering whether you need an antivirus, and which Mac antivirus you should choose, you've come to the right place.

Here, we reveal the 8 best AV programs for mac. OS and Mac OS X in 2. How we test. For any security software to be effective and worth the install it has to be able to prevent malware from infecting your computer. Mac antivirus is no different. We look for anti- malware properties that prevent known and unknown threats from having their way with your Mac. We use AV- Test. org's own testing data to ascertain the effectiveness of each antivirus in this respect. But security is only half the story.

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In order for an antivirus to work effectively it also needs to be unobtrusive. AV- Test also looks at the impact of these pieces of software on your system: in layman's terms, how much the antivirus slows down your Mac, if at all. For each of the security solutions we outline here, we have tested their ability to keep your Mac safe, and balanced that against the impact on your Mac's performance. You'll see that even though the best free antivirus programs are good at protection, they tend to hurt your Mac's speed much more than paid- for software. So you need to balance cost against performance impact when selecting a product. Do Macs need an antivirus?

Plenty of Mac aficionados will tell you that Apple computers are inherently secure and don't require protection. Active Directory Ldap Query Filter Out Fluoride more. We'd argue that they are wrong - or a bit overconfident, at least. Macs are generally more secure than their Windows brethren for two reasons.

On the technical side, mac. OS is a Unix- based operating system. As a Unix- based operating system mac. OS is sandboxed. It's like having a series of fire doors: even if malware gains access to your Mac, it is unable to spread to the heart of the machine. Macs are not unhackable, but they are more difficult to exploit than Windows PCs. The second reason is that, right now, there are far fewer Macs than there are Windows PCs. Fewer targets, and these are harder to hack.

Is it any wonder that cybercriminals focus on the Windows world? However, Macs are not entirely safe, and as they grow in popularity and cybercriminals become smarter and greedier, the risk is increasing. Threats such as ransomware are on the rise, and have recently hit huge organisations including the NHS. Wanna. Cry was big news earlier in 2.

Petya - a second ransomware attack - in late June. Also in June, users were warned by security firms Fortinet and Alien. Vault that there are new variants of malware targeting Macs after being published on the Dark Web. Cyber security is more important than ever, and a good antivirus is the best place to start if you want to stay safe.

This is one of several in- depth Macworld articles dealing with Mac security. General advice can be found in our Mac security tips; and those who have been hit by a malware attack should try How to remove Mac viruses.

In AV- Test's lab (which you can find out more about at the bottom of this article), Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac blocked 1. Even more impressively, it had a lower than 1.

You can read more about Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac here. UK Mac owners can buy Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac here. There is also a free 3. US Mac owners can buy Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac here. This reasonably priced tool offers 1. If you'd like to try before you buy, a 3.

To find out more about ESET Antivirus for Mac, click here. AVG is one of those (as are Bitdefender and ESET, numbers one and two in this chart). AVG has a bigger impact on performance than our two front- runners, though, which is why it's down in third place. There's a free version available with limited capabilities; the Unlimited version, which includes full protection and tuneup, costs . It's also not the fastest option available. Norton Security retails for .

Step up to . You can get further discounts by buying a two- year licence. To find out more about Norton Security, click here. In return you get 9. Oh, and there is a 3. The catch? Greater impact on system performance than some of the better products we list in this story, although not by much. To find out more about Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac, click here. And even though it costs you nothing, the software detects 9.

It does have a minor impact on performance, however. That may be enough for you to notice the difference, depending on what spec machine you have. The paid products above it in our chart are better, but Sophos is a compelling product. To find out more about Sophos, click here.

But this tool had a significant performance impact during tests. If you can stand that, it is a good free option. But there are better. To find out more about Avast Mac Security - Free, click here.

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Multi- device license and industry- leading antivirus combined with proactive safeguards for personal information and social media safeguards ensures comprehensive protection across PCs, Macs and Android.. Multi- device license and industry- leading antivirus combined with proactive safeguards for personal information and social media safeguards ensures comprehensive protection across PCs, Macs and Android. Protects all of your personal information and safeguards you from financial fraud and identity theft*. Robust social media monitoring helps keep the children safe from harm while award- winning and innovative multi- layered antivirus defenses stops all forms of malware. Includes PC Tune- Up for top computer performance and expert, friendly 2.