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User profile for user: trejr
trejr Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Mid-2010 17in MBP - keeping High Sierra "safe" in 2021

I just gave my 2018 MBP 15" to my son because he is using it for his business and had been using our old Mid-2010 17in MBP which I didn't feel comfortable with him using and not being on the current OS version and security updates. That being said - I can't bear to part with this old 17" MBP - have done the ram upgrade to 8GB and also it has a new OWC SSD and also have a new battery staged to be installed - to max out it's potential and prolong it's serviceable life. Since it's OS is locked in with High Sierra and won't be getting any more security updates I was wondering what the best option(s) are for securing it with maybe a third party security package and whether there are any recommendations? McAfee, BitDefender, Norton, etc. all seem to have Mac OS options and I've read a few reviews but thought the Apple Community would be a good place to ask this. Has anyone had experience with High Sierra and third party security packages and found any stand-outs with the security companies packages for Mac OS?

MacBook Pro 17″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Oct 11, 2021 10:43 AM

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
116,837 points

Posted on Oct 11, 2021 1:20 PM

None of the so-called third-party security solutions/anti-virus products will find real viruses on the Mac as there are none. All you will get are alerts for legitimate files in some application bundles. Don't waste your money or system resources on nonsense-ware. The macOS operating system has built-in security that also makes third-party alternatives pointless.


Adware and Malware are legitimate concerns, usually introduced to a Mac by using download aggregation sites (macupdate, Cnet, etc.) or torrent sites, instead of the original software developer site. There is one product that we continue to recommend and that is Malwarebytes. It is a fully-featured 14-day trial, has an optional subscription plan, and continues to work just fine after the trial without a subscription. It is purpose-built to detect and remove ad/malware. It can also be uninstalled from its Help menu.


As there are no further Safari updates coming for High Sierra, you may need the latest Firefox (93), Chrome Browser, or Brave Browser (without Google junk and higher security). All of these browsers are supported on High Sierra, and may become necessary as web security increases beyond your Safari's capabilities.

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
116,837 points

Oct 11, 2021 1:20 PM in response to trejr

None of the so-called third-party security solutions/anti-virus products will find real viruses on the Mac as there are none. All you will get are alerts for legitimate files in some application bundles. Don't waste your money or system resources on nonsense-ware. The macOS operating system has built-in security that also makes third-party alternatives pointless.


Adware and Malware are legitimate concerns, usually introduced to a Mac by using download aggregation sites (macupdate, Cnet, etc.) or torrent sites, instead of the original software developer site. There is one product that we continue to recommend and that is Malwarebytes. It is a fully-featured 14-day trial, has an optional subscription plan, and continues to work just fine after the trial without a subscription. It is purpose-built to detect and remove ad/malware. It can also be uninstalled from its Help menu.


As there are no further Safari updates coming for High Sierra, you may need the latest Firefox (93), Chrome Browser, or Brave Browser (without Google junk and higher security). All of these browsers are supported on High Sierra, and may become necessary as web security increases beyond your Safari's capabilities.

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Mid-2010 17in MBP - keeping High Sierra "safe" in 2021

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