Anti Virus and Malware any good

Hey there!

+1 -- Mac computers don't need anti-malware software. Here are some Apple articles that describe Apple's built-in malware protection, which is far superior:

• macOS - Security - Apple
• Protecting against malware in macOS - Apple Support
• Protect your Mac from malware - Apple Support
• Ways to avoid malware and harmful apps on Mac - Apple Support

Should you ever get any malware on your Mac, you can easily remove it with Malwarebytes for Mac. Malwarebytes is considered to be the only good third-party security utility for Mac.

Hope this helps! Happy Holidays!

-Jack

Remember, the majority of online reviews any more seem to be paid placement. I've seen problems posted here that involved every one of the aftermarket products the author lists.

You paid Apple good money to build elegant protection and automated self-cleaning capabilities into macOS. It's not a new thing—this started over 20 years ago.

Having seen thousands of "slow Mac" reports over my ltenure here that were due to useless third-party utilities, I believe that the third-party dreck sold through fear marketing competes with Apple's built-in protection, causing issues.

I have seen hard data where one popular "cleaning" app slowed drive access by 20-40 percent, and removing it restored full expected drive performance.

Macs, cat-like, cleans themselves. Let your Mac be a Mac. Please.

In support of Jack-19's reply here is my 2¢ worth: there is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus, VPN or security apps on your Mac.  This documents describe what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community and Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support.  

There are no known viruses, i.e. self propagating, for Macs.  There are, however, adware and malware which require the user to install although unwittingly most of the time thru sneaky links, etc.   

Anti Virus developers try to group all types as viruses into their ad campaigns of fear.  They do a poor job of the detecting and isolating the adware and malware.  Since there are no viruses these apps use up a lot of system resources searching for what is non-existent and adversely affect system and app performance.

There is one app, Malwarebytes, which was developed by a long time contributor to these forums and a highly respected member of the computer security community, that is designed solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  

“Free” is how malware and adware too often self-identify.

Free apps and cracked apps have a cost.

Here is one of the well-known add-on security apps that was caught selling personally-identified web browsing info, and web purchasing activity:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation

First-few-hops add-on VPNs are another add-on product group that badly solve a problem that hasn’t existed for a decade, but badly solve it in a way that is perfect to collect and log personally-identified internet metadata; to track ~everything the VPN users do.

In addition to the other links in the above replies: Apple Platform Security - Apple Support

Most people who write here about such programs is to get their Mac working again after such programs made the Mac stop working to slowing down to a crawl

macOS - Security - Apple

And

Protect your Mac from malware – Apple Support (UK)

it is not nessecary to install anti virus software on your Mac. It will only slow down your Mac

frank_the_snake_master_01 wrote:

How can I give you that you answer my question like in the past? Email has no fixed my issue?

I do not understand what you are asking here.

Could you provide some background, and a longer description?

Are you having a particular issue or concern with your Mac?

Around add-on “security” or “cleaner” products, from this thread?

Or something else?

If you are now having issues with email, what are those?

frank_the_snake_master_01 wrote:

Before when we got an email, and it was fixed in the email said fixed issue and that person will get the notification he fixed it for me.

Okay; this question is about the forum software. Yes; Apple has been making changes to the forum gamification scheme, and to the details of the “internet points” assignments made around here.

The most recent forum update can just send out whole new masses of ⬆️ mail messages, too.

Check your forum notification settings by tapping your own selected round icon in the upper right corner of this webpage. Select Preferences, and scroll down. Also check your email spam folder for any notifications there, too.