MAC Security??

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Level 1

74 points

MAC Security??

Now that MacOS Monterey is out and me deciding to stay on Catalina, no way wanting any of the dang problems I have read about, one gal I know in another grp. Big Sur pretty much turning hers into a brick, barely running, I am staying put. Now I read that Catalina will be supported until Nov 2022. Now when that support ends, me only using Chrome Browser, always having been my favorite browser of choice, no matter the device I use; as long as Chrome keeps updating, wouldn't I be safe, no matter what??

And by the way, the said GAL above's MAC, I believe is an ALL IN ONE IMac, that was easily supposed to be able to take, BIG SUR, as they claim my, " Late 2014," MacMini is supposed to be able to even take, Monterey, with its' 8G of RAM and a 1TB HD.

TIA for any thoughts :-)

Posted on Jan 29, 2022 8:53 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

woodmeister50

Level 7

21,259 points

Jan 29, 2022 9:35 AM in response to shkarst

shkarst wrote:

Now that MacOS Monterey is out and me deciding to stay on Catalina, no way wanting any of the dang problems I have read about, .......

.

If you count all of the posts of all the problems here in the Apple Communities (even in other sites), it still amounts to a tiny fractions of the millions of users that are not having any issues at all.

In a notable portion of all the "problems" listed here about Monterey (or any macOS for that matter) end up being people using apps that are no longer supported (or even obsolete for years), people using third party "cleaners", optimizers, antivirus apps, and all other manor of junk ware, the "click anything in a browser types, people insisting that 10-15 year old apps should still work today, etc.

Just browse through past history of Catalina and you will see just as many of these "dang problems".

Something you can always do, install the new OS on an external drive, migrate your current data and apps to it and boot from it and run it a while and see if it is suitable.

Also, note, eventually apps will abandon any of their support for Catalina, including Chrome, at some point. Some are even closing out support for all except the currently supported versions of macOS.

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Answer 2

den.thed

Level 10

93,798 points

Jan 29, 2022 9:05 AM in response to shkarst

You can stay on Catalina if you wish. However you should go to Apple > System Preferences > Software Updates to get the latest Catalina Security Update. Just ignore the offered Big Sur or Monterey Upgrade and click on the offered Catalina Security Update or optionally go to > https://support.apple.com/downloads/macos and get the latest Security Update 2022-001 (Catalina)

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Answer 3

Jack-19

Level 8

46,288 points

Jan 29, 2022 1:11 PM in response to shkarst

I also have AVG Cleaner, MalwareBytes, and AVG AV on my MAC.

As the others have said, Mac computers do not need any sort of anti-virus, cleaners, VPNs, etc. The only thing they are good at is creating false marketing promises and taking consumers' money. In fact, anti-virus and other cleaners cause performance issues, security issues, and make macOS appear buggy. Your Mac is far worse with these types of Apps installed.

Mac computers have protection built-in, which is the best protection for your Mac. For specifics on macOS Security, see: macOS - Security - Apple and Protecting against malware in macOS - Apple Support. Mac computers also have built-in storage recommendations: Optimize storage space on your Mac - Apple Support. You can even use the built-in macOS Firewall: Block connections to your Mac with a firewall - Apple Support. Other than that, all you should do is restart your Mac approximately once a week and keep macOS up to date: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support.

However, should you ever get adware or malware on your Mac, the only tool that should be used to remove it is the free Malwarebytes for Mac. This App is the only exception to the general rule that no anti-virus, anti-malware, etc. should be used.

Delete all cleaners/anti-virus apps, except Malwarebytes, following these steps: How to Delete Anti-Virus, Cleaners, VPNs,… - Apple Community.

Cheers,

Jack

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Answer 4

Jack-19

Level 8

46,288 points

Jan 29, 2022 3:37 PM in response to shkarst

this MAC that can take so long, even for a security update, one would nearly think that something went astray :-)

If you feel your Mac is too slow, we could try to diagnose it. If you are interested, I believe we need to proceed with an EtreCheck report. EtreCheck is a useful App to diagnose and identify issues, both hardware and software. It is trusted by many users. Please follow the steps outlined below:

Navigate to: https://etrecheck.com and get the free version of EtreCheckPro.
Download it. It is a free and trusted app. It is often recommended here on Apple Support Communities.
Open EtreCheck, and before running the report, be sure to check “Allow full Drive Access” at the bottom of the EtreCheckPro window.
Run the report, and put it in a post, as shown here: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000211. We will then examine the report for issues in your Mac.

Jack

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Answer 5

Jack-19

Level 8

46,288 points

Jan 29, 2022 10:49 PM in response to shkarst

Unfortunately, that doesn’t help much. We need the full text report. Post following these steps: How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community.

Jack

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Answer 6

shkarst Author

Level 1

74 points

Jan 31, 2022 12:56 PM in response to woodmeister50

What I've seen, Chrome appears to go on forever & ever & ever, independent of whichever device or OS it is on.

Also I use APPs mainly from the ITunes store although I will admit that I also have AVG Cleaner, MalwareBytes, and AVG AV on my MAC. I know I know, many Apple FanBoysGirls say, "Not needed," but I am not buying that :-).

I have a friend who went totally MAC many years ago, and he has gotten infected and he IS Careful.

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 7

Ronasara

Level 6

15,543 points

Jan 29, 2022 11:52 AM in response to shkarst

Your statement above that your fried visited a site and got infected is wrong. Do your research and you will learn conclusively that Mac cannot be infected with a virus as we know them. It has its own built-in protection, which also includes the operating system being write protected, so it cannot be changed. Yes, you can get malware, but that is easily removed and is not a serious problem.

I also second the comments above that most problems with Monterey are due to people having installed junk which is the cause of their problem. That tale is illustrated here on this forum every day. The problem turns out to be something other than the OS.

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Answer 8

shkarst Author

Level 1

74 points

Jan 29, 2022 11:27 PM in response to Jack-19

My ErteCheckPro Report

My Report, sorry if not done correctly, tired, so POWERING down & heading to bed, Night:

Major Issues

These are major issues identified by EtreCheck. Anything that appears on this list needs immediate attention. If you cannot resolve these issues by yourself, contact Apple Support or post a question on Apple Support Communities and include your EtreCheck report.

No Time Machine backup Time Machine backup not found. Review

Minor Issues

These are minor issues identified by EtreCheck. These issues do not need immediate attention but they may indicate future problems or opportunities for improvement. If you cannot resolve these issues by yourself, post a question on Apple Support Communities and include your EtreCheck report.

More than one antivirus app This computer has multiple antivirus apps installed. Review

Unsigned files There are unsigned software files installed. Apple has said that unsigned software will not run by default in a future version of the operating system. Review

Low performance EtreCheck report took an unusually long time to run. Review

x86-only Apps This computer has x86-only apps might not work on future versions of the operating system. Review

Kernel extensions present This computer has kernel extensions that may not work in the future. Review

Sharing enabled This computer has sharing services enabled that could be a security risk. Review

Security

System Status

Gatekeeper About App Store and identified developers

System Integrity Protection About Enabled

Antivirus software Apple, AVG, and Malwarebytes

Sharing Services

Printer sharing About Enabled Review

Unsigned Files

Launchd Files

Launchd script: /Library/LaunchAgents/com.avg.userinit.plist

Executable: /Applications/AVGAntivirus.app/Contents/Backend/hub/userinit.sh

Status: Loaded

Install date: 2022-01-28 21:03:38