Malwarebytes Total Items Scanned Increases?

You are only at risk if you download something and then try to run it. Various Apple security protection layers will alert you that you are running something from the internet, or worse, trying to run something that Apple hasn't checked for malware. I encourage you to pay attention to those dialogs.

Just the other day I found a "major corporation" that had illegally copied my app and are publishing it on their own site. I've complained to them three times now and they haven't the slightest concern in the world. The internet is quite the lawless place, I'm afraid.

My official recommendation would be to avoid web sites like that. If you want to be a little extra cautious, I recommend going to this site (https://mothersruin.com) and downloading "Suspicious Package" and "Apparency". These apps will allow you to do an extra check on any downloaded installers or apps to ensure they are signed and that they signed by who they should be. If you don't recognize the party that signed the software, or can't find out anything about them on the internet, you should delete it.

Intego Internet Security - Remove it as per Developers Instructions as it maybe the source of your issue.

AntiVirus Software should be removed as per Developers Instructions. They are unneeded, cause havoc and interfere with the normal operation of the OS. 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  is all that is required. 

There are no known Windows-like Viruses in the wild that self replicate and affect macOS because of the underling UNIX  Foundation and Permission Limitation. 

PhotosPete wrote:

I had convinced myself that I opened the door to a key logger.

My first question would be to ask just what web site this was? If this was a government or large corporate site, then that sounds like a pretty generic feedback widget. They all want to know how well the website is working. This is the same reason you always get one of those rating requests whenever you talk to a person. These big organizations run on metrics.

But if it wasn't such a web site, then all bets are off. Now normally, with a default system configuration from Apple, you would be at absolutely zero risk from any key logger or malicious activity. But you haven't actually said anything about this web site, what software you use, or how your system is configured. It is not at all unusual to see people who are very paranoid about security make very poor decisions regarding security. The absolute safest configuration your computer will ever be in is that time you first turned it on. Every change you make, every security app you install, reduces your security.

People who know me told me that I need to get over my computer paranoia, trust the computer and the anti-virus software (the first program I put on the computer when I bought it).

Trust your friends. Don't trust what you read on the internet.

I didn't wipe the drive clean but I run both antivirus scanners and even added a third from the Apple App Store (which I deleted).

As I mentioned above, the technical restrictions that Apple imposes on all App Store apps makes antivirus apps impossible.

As I've already said, a couple of you in this forum already consulted me with this. I'm trying to get to a point where I trust the system and the M1 processor enough to move the Intego antivirus package over to one of my older Macs which Apple no longer supports.

There isn't much about the M1 processor that makes it more trustworthy. Apple simply isn't using Intel chips anymore and each new iteration of Apple computers is more secure than the last.

Here is good example I saw recently: Reporting a SEV-1 *BUG* in Monterey 12.0.… - Apple Community

This person was complaining that Apple Pay wasn't working and assumed it was a bug in the new M1 computers and/or Monterey. But in fact, the newer machines automatically disable Apple Pay if the system detects that you have certain 3rd party system modifications installed. These modifications are not malicious in any way, but Apple has simply raised the bar for security when credit cards are involved.

Apple doesn't "accept" anything.

The only reason it is "approved" is it started out solely as an Adware removal tool.

There is no other reason to use it. It's additional malware "scans" are completely useless like the rest of those scamware products.

I noticed that the amount in the "Total Items Scanned" box increases between scans, usually two or three files or sometimes closer to seven or nine. Is this normal that files are being loaded onto my SSD when I'm not the one loading them?

It's all part of the same scam that is trying to scare you into thinking you need the product.

PhotosPete wrote:

Malwarebytes is the only anti-malware product that is accepted by Apple

What are you basing this statement on? Apple does not recommend any anti-malware products. Technically speaking, Apple has "approved" several anti-malware products in the Mac App Store. But I can tell you, based on my own experience, that this "approval" is based solely on market presence and some kind of unspecific "certifications", not effectiveness. In fact, the technical restrictions in the Mac App Store make anti-malware functionality impossible. So the only anti malware products that Apple "approves" are the ones that can't possibly work. Funny how that works, or doesn't, eh?

senior contributors in this community.

The person behind the Mac version of Malwarebytes used to be a senior contributor in this community. But I can't remember the last time I've seen him post anything here. It's been years at least. He does regularly post standard security-industry fear-mongering on the Malwarebytes website, however.

I run the scanner once or twice when I use the computer. I noticed that the amount in the "Total Items Scanned" box increases between scans, usually two or three files or sometimes closer to seven or nine. Is this normal that files are being loaded onto my SSD when I'm not the one loading them?

You will have to ask Malwarebytes about the behaviour of their product.

both the M1 processor and BigSur has built in protection.

macOS has had multiple levels of anti-malware protection for several years now. However, Apple usually allows the end-user to override system protections, which they sadly do on regular basis to install malware. So, while the operating system and computer don't need any protection from malware, they might need protection from the user. So, if you find yourself repeatedly being tricked into installing malware, then your computer might need some 3rd party protection. But to be clear, your computer needs protection from you, not from the malware.

Are these additional files cause for concern or should I just ignore them?

That's one of the problems of all security products. The make a point to hide what they find. They give these malware products scary-sounding names like "shrootless" or "OSX.CDDS", but they usually don't tell you what the files are. Then people come here and ask what these "threats" are and we have no idea. All too often, they are harmless files, or sometimes even parts of the operating system.

PhotosPete wrote:

... "Total Items Scanned" box increases between scans, usually two or three files or sometimes closer to seven or nine. Is this normal that files are being loaded onto my SSD when I'm not the one loading them?

... I should admit that I still haven't got the confidence to remove Intego Internet Security from the computer yet. I'm also told that members of this community that both the M1 processor and BigSur has built in protection. Are these additional files cause for concern or should I just ignore them? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Your scanned items count could easily be increasing due to additional emails just received, or new files created by browser caches, or other caches, all of which are constantly active and typically adding files.

Intego Internet Security may be more of a risk to your computer's health than a help. My employer, without thousands of Macs, requires a security suite (different from yours) to be installed, probably more to protect something from being transmitted from a Mac to a PC, than providing any actual protection for the Macs. There are far more problems and service calls caused by the security suite itself interfering with normal operations, than caused by anything it purportedly protects against.

Any software like Intego Internet Security is constantly downloading new threat files and profiles, often invisibly in the background, without you knowing. That in and of itself could easily result in a higher count of files scanned by Malwarebytes.