What's the best virus protection for mac

I have to agree that you really don't need antivirus software on a mac. And then there is my dad......

No matter how much I try to convince him that moving from a PC to a Mac now allows him to skip getting antivirus software.....he won't listen. I think there are just some people that want to know that they have extra protection even if everyone tells them they don't need it. They are call stuborn people.

For those people, you don't need it, but it's your money. And I guess if $15 will give you some special piece of mind, who am I to try and stop you.

http://www.amazon.com/Norton-Antivirus-2012-Mac-Download

I agree with you that there are some people out there who could use a little extra protection. The extra protection of anti-virus software is a bit dubious - it can't guarantee anything, and often misses the most prevalent threats out there (adware). Still, the idea of my 15-year-old son online without anti-virus software is a chilling one... he's got no judgement about what he downloads!

That said, Norton is one of the worst choices you could make. It's notorious for its ability to bring a perfectly healthy Mac to its knees, and its detection of Mac malware is only so-so. I strongly recommend not installing Norton!

I'd recommend reading my Mac Malware Guide (and making your dad read it), and if you decide to install anti-virus software for yourself or your dad, use one that it recommends.

(Fair disclosure: The Safe Mac is my site, and contains a Donate button, so I may receive compensation for providing links to The Safe Mac. Donations are not required.)

Don't be heaping abuse on the teenagers. I was helping my teenager download something and the site made it almost impossible to download without hitting a deceptively wrong button. (This was on a PC, but still...)

Keith Barkley wrote:

Don't be heaping abuse on the teenagers.

I'm not. I'm talking about one specific teenager as an example. I know him, and I've seen the kind of crap he has loaded (repeatedly) onto his old junk PC.

As an update - ClamXav is no longer free..

Sestrel wrote:

ClamXav is no longer free..

Unless you count the 30-day trial, which is still free.

Wonder why I'm still following this over four year old discussion?