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Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community
I use the in-built anti-malware, use two-factor authentication, stay on the current or one of the two previous (supported) macOS versions, use a password manager, and keep multiple backups. I’ve not had issues with malware.
General security has gotten substantially better with Catalina too, with the write-protected system environment.
Have backups, too. Preferably multiple backups.
Where I’ve had issues with systems used by others? Systems where folks loaded anything and everything, bluntly. Folks that loaded anti-malware were usually also infested. Either by the add-on anti-malware, or the add-on anti-malware was hosed, or the anti-malware reasonably assumed the other dreck they had also intentionally installed wasn’t malware.
Problems from those folks that had realized that the enter your admin password to install prompt means giving over your entire system and all your passwords to what was just installed, not so much.
MalwareBytes has a decent reputation around the forums. I’ve poked at it a few times locally, to have a look at how it operates. But I don’t run it, and I’m not comfortable with the intrusive nature of even the (legitimate) anti-malware around.
And the folks that are getting in trouble with malware? They’re often getting phished, or otherwise socially engineered. Pop-ups with You have 32653 viruses!!!!!! install our free anti-virus now!!!!! and Your Apple ID is locked due to was log in attempts from {far away], log in now to unlock! and such. Those sorts of social-engineering scams are just far easier to run, and are proving far more effective. And any anti-malware security has a very difficult time identifying those scams. They pop up and disappear far too quickly. But a password manager also won’t auto-fill your credentials on a sketchy looks-like-Apple-but-isn’t web site.
BTW: Windows 10 with the in-built Defender is probably the best approach for most Windows users.
