What is Categoriesservice and Is It Safe?

Are there any AntiVirus, Disk Cleaner, Optimizers, Defrag, VPNs etc installed which should be removed as per Developers Instructions. They are useless, unneeded, cause havoc and interfere with the normal operation of the OS and may even Corrupt the OS requiring a Reinstallation. The Built-in Security of Big Sur is all that is required.

Any Third Party Applications that will interfere with the normal operation of the OS, alter, modify, remove or delete or attempt to do so is an invitation for disaster and may require a Reinstallation of the OS.

There are no known Viruses in the wild that self replicate and affect macOS. There are Malware and Adware that does affect macOS and are often times downloaded as part of an Application from Third Party UnTrusted Site and get installed along with the Application.

One could safe some more money and System Resources by eliminating the " antivirus software's firewall " which got lost in this discussion. That was my real thrust of initial response to your original posting.

Are there any AntiVirus, Disk Cleaner, Optimizers, Defrag, VPNs etc installed which should be removed as per Developers Instructions. They are useless, unneeded, cause havoc and interfere with the normal operation of the OS and may even Corrupt the OS requiring a Reinstallation. The Built-in Security of Big Sur is all that is required.

Thanks for the advice. I see that you even mention VPN’s. You don’t feel that it’s necessary hiding your url even when using free hot spots?

What is the purpose of "hiding your url?" Any tracking would be associated with the IP address of the hot spot.

Thanks for your reply. What I should have said is that a VPN would shield any personal information while using a public hot spot.

Shield from who? The VPN company who is selling it?

It’s also good while online making purchases and things like that from home or your mobile connection, no?

Only if you would like your VPN company to know what you are buying.

The odds of anyone snooping on your home network are probably slim to none. Even on a public WiFi, they would have to be set up to intercept your secure connections. Certainly highly more probable on a public network, but then why would you use it for anything that necessitated a secure connection?

If you are sending it through a VPN, you are 100% guaranteeing that someone else has intercepted your connection.

As more Senior Contributor has outlined earlier.

Commercial VPNs are in for business and how better than to collect data and monetize it in whatever way they decide to do. The only real need for VPNs ( IMHO ) if mandated by the company one works for to work Off-Site and connect to HQ Network and / or Banking. The rest is just buying into a myth that ones Privacy and Security is protected.

If and only if one suspects Malware / Adware infection - excellent removal tool below >>

Suggest downloading from a Trusted Developer and Respected ASC Contributor the application Malwarebytes for Mac. It is free or paid for added features. Run the Application and it should remove the malware / adware. Once done, restart computer and test.

It is part of the operating system.