Hi. My Mac M2 is being repaired and I am using McBook Pro 11-7-10 Big Sur. Anti virus Avira, free. No longer supported by Apple updates. HOW can I secure my security when online? Thanks. Anna.
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.7
Big Sur stopped getting the latest versions of Safari several years ago. You may want to consider installing Firefox. Whereas many third-party browsers now require Monterey or better, the current version of Firefox will run even on Catalina.
Keep in mind that a lot of current threats come from "phishing" scams and similar "social engineering" schemes – where the goal of the criminals is to trick you into bypassing your own security. You would need to be on guard for those even if you had a M5-series MacBook Pro running the latest release of macOS 26 Tahoe.
And, of course, it's a good idea to stay away from the "dark corners" of the Internet.
Windows-like viruses that self-replicate and affect macOS don’t exist because of the underlying UNIX Foundation and permission limitations.
The macOS operating system resides in a sealed and read-only volume that can’t be opened by users or third-party applications.
Mac app security enhancements are sufficient to protect computers from malware.
Effective defenses against malware and other threats
Adware and Malware can affect computers and are often downloaded from “shady” websites or developers who inject them into downloads.
Using Torrents to download hacked or otherwise compromised software is also a good vector for Malware / Adware
Source: User tip from @Kurt Lang
What is malware? - Apple Community
Follow the previous advise from my colleague @ John Galt and remove " Uninstall "Avira". Follow its uninstallation instructions. "
Online security for unsupported MacBook Pro running Big Sur
