anti virus Mac

sj67b wrote:

I thought I had hired someone who knew about Macs, I asked.

Thank you for your response. This gives me the confidence to go back to them and insist.

Third party AV is not recommended— it typically does nothing but add issues to the macOS and competes directly with Apples own built in security:

https://support.apple.com/guide/security/introduction-seccd5016d31/web

Apple uses its Software Update service (which also drives the system software updates that show in the App Store) as a mechanism for installing “background and critical” updates that are installed silently in the background with no notifications to the user.

The macOS uses these to combat malware:

Gatekeeper mechanism, central to security services, which tries to ensure that any code loaded is ‘safe’. Code signatures are only part of this.

XProtect checks the security and integrity of files, including in broader ways too, vulnerable document types, such as JPEG images, are also screened to ensure that they’re not malicious.

Apple’s Malware Removal Tool (MRT) an app which often complements XProtect’s signature-based screening, and can automatically remove all traces of many different species of malware.

System Integrity Protection (SIP) which ensures that nothing can tamper with key system files, or even Apple’s bundled apps.

ref: macOS - Security - Apple

https://www.apple.com/macos/security/

Apple Platform Security - Apple https://support.apple.com/guide/security/welcome/web

They are idiots.

Remove Sophos, and tell them they are fired.

If you're going to pay someone to take care of your Macs, then hire someone who has a clue about Macs.

There are no known viruses in the wild that can affect a Mac that is kept up to date.

macOS has virus and malware protection built into the OS. All any 3rd party software will do is cause problems.

100% agreement with KiltedTim. Get rid of Sophos and the so-called IT expert.

You are exposed to nothing. Or more specifically, nothing different than with, or without Sophos.

There are no Mac viruses. None. Haven't been since the release of OS X, 10.0 in 2001. A virus is self replicating malware that is virtually impossible to run in a Unix structured OS. Permissions are just one thing that prevent it.

Can your Mac get infected by anything? Yes, that type of malware is a Trojan or worm. Or, software that requires YOU to be the one to install it. It can't self replicate and it can't get on your computer on its own.

If you install any type of Trojan or worm, AV software will not lift a finger to stop it since it can't know what you're installing or running until after the fact. Often, they won't even tell you you've just installed malware. We've seen many such topics here where the user had up to four AV software titles running, and their Macs were still loaded down with adware or worse. That's how useless AV software is.

Avoiding malware is really this simple:

1. Never, ever download or install anything from P2P, file sharing or pirate sites.
2. Get your third party software only directly from the vendor who created it. If it's cost software, pay for it. Do not go the route of point 1. to try and get it for "free". That's a sure way to install much worse malware, like key loggers or back doors.
3. Pay attention. Read up on new, actual threats as they're discovered so you know how to avoid them. So far, they have all either been Trojans, or direct attacks where someone else with access to your Mac gains deliberately infects it.
4. Ignore the hype on the Internet of the many, many supposed security sites shouting "Mac viruses!!!!" I have yet to see one that screams they have a list of Mac viruses, and every single one is a Trojan.

Also, as has been noted, Catalina made it extremely difficult for malware to be installed since the System folder is read only. Big Sur ramps up that protection by a factor of 10. As a Signed System Volume (similar to iOS), it's now virtually impossible for anything to write, delete or modify any part of the OS other than Apple's own updates.

MyApple8MyPC wrote:

KiltedTim wrote:

macOS has virus and malware protection built into the OS.

Could you point out exactly where this is in the OS?

Start here:

macOS - Security - Apple

Also, this is a good read:

Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community

IdrisSeabright wrote:

macOS - Security - Apple

If this is true AV, then how do you update it?

You do, and you don't. There are some security updates the OS does in the background whenever you're online. You don't need to pay attention to it, and by default have no direct way to control it anyway. The other is when you get an update notice in the System Preference and there is a larger security update to apply.

For the first, here's part of a list the OS automatically applied as presented by Onyx. And almost all of them, such as FlashBack and Genieo are old. Really old and patched against years ago.

With Onyx, I could indeed "control" it somewhat by highlighting any item and clicking a Delete button to remove that protection from the list. But why would anyone do that?

KiltedTim wrote:

macOS has virus and malware protection built into the OS.

Could you point out exactly where this is in the OS?