Purchased a new 2019 MacBook Pro a few days ago. Do I need anti-virus/malware software? If so, what software/programs/apps is/are recommended?
I had a window pop up two days ago saying that I had a virus. I closed it and so far, have not had any more messages or problems.
No Anti-Virus software or so-called “cleaning” apps are needed or recommended for Mac OS. They can conflict with Mac's own built-in security. At best they will slow your Mac by using unnecessary resources and at worst will bork your entire system. Your Mac has all the built-in protection you need.
The popup you saw was a scam to frighten you into purchasing some useless software. It also was a poorly crafted one since there are no viruses that affect Mac OS.
No Anti-Virus software or so-called “cleaning” apps are needed or recommended for Mac OS. They can conflict with Mac's own built-in security. At best they will slow your Mac by using unnecessary resources and at worst will bork your entire system. Your Mac has all the built-in protection you need.
The popup you saw was a scam to frighten you into purchasing some useless software. It also was a poorly crafted one since there are no viruses that affect Mac OS.
stellarsue wrote:
Purchased a new 2019 MacBook Pro a few days ago. Do I need anti-virus/malware software?
No. Anit Virus and anti-malware applications will cause far more trouble than its worth. macOS is perfectly capable of protecting itself: macOS - Security - Apple
You can if required install Malwarebytes for Mac if you need to check fro Malware, but keep it uninstalled if you don't.
I had a window pop up two days ago saying that I had a virus. I closed it and so far, have not had any more messages or problems.
Those are almost always scams or phishing attempts and you can ignore them. no popup from a website should be trusted ever. There's also no way a website would know whether your Mac has malware or not.
The Internet is full of scary fake things. A Web site can't see what's on your computer unless you give it permission and when you do that's when malware is uploaded and installed on your computer. Most of us who suggest any malware at all recommend MalwareBytes which has a free version that you have to run manually. In all the years that I've use a Mac and PC the only malware I've gotten have been webpage redirectors (they are annoying rather than dangerous) and as is typical of malware, I didn't get it from surfing, I wasn't paying attention when I installed a legitimate application (Java).
stellarsue Said:
”Purchased a new 2019 MacBook Pro a few days ago. Do I need anti-virus/malware software?[...] I had a window pop up two days ago saying that I had a virus....”
———-
No. Any Such software is useless for a Mac.
As for this Popup Message:
A Web Site Popup Message is HTML Code:
If you were on a Web site when this popped up, then it is no more than a part of the HTML code compiled for the Web site. A Web site is a file. There is nothing application about it, so to speak.
MalwareBytes for Mac:
Being that this is a scam, If there is any item out there that is trustworthy when it comes to Mac, it is MalwareBytes for Mac. This software looks for malware (malicious software), which makes your Mac act in a malicious manner. So, try it. It is created by longtime users of these forums. So, that is what makes it trustworthy. Get it here: MalwareBytes for Mac
You may also want to review this user tip:
Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community
"I had a window pop up two days ago saying that I had a virus. I closed it and so far, have not had any more messages or problems."
Any such popups are phishing scam and can be ignored.
No.
Do I need an anti virus/antinmalware app?
