How to scan my MacBook Pro for viruses?
How do I perform a security scan on my Mac book pro to check for viruses?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 14.3
MacOS shares a lot of the lock-down mechanisms developed for the iPhone. Applications are all sand-boxed with a list of the resources they require, and they cannot ask for anything outside their sandbox without crashing. Signed Applications are checked that they are from legitimate Developers, and Notarized Applications are delivered with the assurance that they have NOT been modified since their release by the Developer.
Recent versions of MacOS completely changed how you should think about malware.
From MacOS 11 Catalina onward, the system is on a Separate, crypto-locked System Volume, which is not writeable using ordinary means. Any unauthorized differences that appear to the crypto-locked volume are quickly detected and you are alerted.
So you could store just about every malware known to mankind on your Mac, and your Mac would not get infected spontaneously. Scanning for virus-like patterns might make you feel a little better now, but it is outdated nonsense.
Nothing can become Executable Unless/Until you supply your Admin password to "make it so".
