If you have an Apple Mac computer, you may have heard that you don’t need any additional antivirus protection. However, this is just a myth. In fact, there are many reasons why you should install AV protection on your Mac.
If your device is a Mac Mini, Mac Pro, MacBook, or iMac, you might be trying to decide whether installing an AV program is really necessary to stay secure, safe, and protected from all the cyber threats that we’ve heard about. After all, it’s often said that malware can only affect a Windows PC. But, is that true?
Here, we take a closer look at the truth and look at how to choose the best antivirus software for Mac devices.
The Mac Antivirus Myth
For some time now, Mac computers have had a reputation for being unable to be infected by malware and viruses. Yet, it turns out that this is a myth. Although Apple Macs are more secure when compared to Windows systems, they remain vulnerable to some malware and viruses, and the problem is growing. The inbuilt security system that Apple uses does a good job when it comes to guarding against malware, but it still needs extra support in the form of installed AV software.
Why Buy Extra AV Protection For Your Mac?
Whether you’re using a Mac for work or as your home computer, you’ll find some convincing reasons to think about improving its security:
• Macs are now more popular than ever before. The primary appeal of trying to attack Windows PCs is the extent of the impact since Windows has an 80% market share. However, now the numbers of Macs are on the rise, they have become a juicier target.
• Mac users appear more attractive as a target. Macs cost more than a Windows PC, so their users are generally believed to be wealthier.
• Windows PCs are now more secure and, thus, harder to attack.
Although the Mac operating system has inbuilt malware detection, the chance is higher these days that new threats could enter the system before Apple has a chance to update its database. These zero-day threats are a top reason for installing AV software on your device.
Mac’s Malware Detection
Macs have inbuilt security measures that are designed to combat malware. These include:
• Gatekeeper – this blocks software that hasn’t been approved by Mac until you authorize its installation.
• XProtect – this detects malware and blocks it from installing.
• Malware removal tool – should any malware be found on the system, this technology remediates infections straight away.
How To Secure A Mac Computer
While Mac computers have the above security features, there is more you can do to ensure additional protection. These include:
• Enabling the firewall. This is the first defense against security threats.
• Disabling Java in the browser. Java is usually not needed and has security flaws.
• Keep your Mac near you. Don’t allow anyone else to access your computer or install any files on it unless they’re known and trusted.
• Don’t open any unknown files.
• Be wary of software providers and only install programs from sites you trust.
• Use passwords that are as strong as possible with a minimum of 8 characters and a mix of lower and upper case letters, special characters, and numbers.
• Keep your software updated.
Installing Virus Protection
Although there are several security features that come pre-installed on a Mac computer, and there are several other steps you can take to improve your protection from cybercrime, hacking and malware, it’s still a good idea to install proper antivirus protection, whether free or paid, on your Mac device. This will ensure that the level of protection you receive is as good as possible and you won’t be putting yourself at risk of any unwanted problems, viruses, or scams.
Follow the tips that we’ve outlined above, and you should have no difficulties when it comes to keeping your Mac safe from potential cyber threats. After all, your device was expensive so you want to make sure that you’re protecting it as much as possible and, so, minimize any possible additional expenses that you’ll face from getting the damage caused by viruses and malware repaired.
