Has anyone used Malwarebytes or anything similar to protect Mac from virus etc

I was told you never get MalWare on a Mac. Wrong, my Mac was infected six months ago. I called Apple support and they said it happens, nothing is perfect. They had me to download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. It took a few scans but it did clean up my problem.

Randy

I was told

By who?

you never get MalWare on a Mac

Of course it's perfectly possible to get malware on a Mac you allow yourself to be tricked into installing it.

Apple Support.

I sincerely doubt that you were told that by Apple Support, though it's quite possible that you were told something else and misunderstood it. But even that's a direct contradiction of what you wrote above:

called Apple support and they said it happens, nothing is perfect. They had me to download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

So Apple Support told you you can't get Malware and then they told you that you can?

You must have a problem comprehending what I replied to on the previous message, and no I did not misunderstand, I will forgive you. Have a great week a head.

Millbrook2014 wrote:

You must have a problem comprehending what I replied to on the previous message...

Actually, I suspect that several of us are having the same problem. As I understood the question put to you was Who told you that you never get MalWare on a Mac? Is the answer to that question "Apple Support"? I have not heard such a response from Apple in probably a half-dozen years, so that person must have been way off-script when they said it.

You are correct, it was off-script, first time I have heard this from an Apple support person. Apple does an excellent job in marketing their total package. This call is a training opportunity for management. Have a great week!

That's good. Now I forgive you too.

THANK YOU very much. I was indeed perplexed with a nagging pop up from 'MacKeeper' trying to desperately psyche me into believing my macbook pro 'is' infected.

I shall always remain indebted to you for your advice Ralp. 🙂🙂🙂

Hello, I use Malwarebytes which is the only problem/virus ware to find and get rid of malware that my system had!

The answer marked as solved should be un-marked or the thread closed. The answer was from long ago and is not feasible currently. I wish people would also stop spreading that misinformation that Macs can't get adware, viruses or malware. I also wish if Antivirus and Antimalware tools are horrible on Mac that Apple would develop their own tools so that users would have a clear answer on what to use.

I'm a network admin. I've worked with Windows computers for over 2 decades, owned, used and supported Macs for more than a decade as well as Linux. Back in the day Macs weren't targets for viruses, adware, ransomware and malware becasue the platform wasn't widely used in comparison to Windows. Virus/Malware/Ransomware/Adware creators want to impact the most users so they can make the most money, end up in the news, cause the most damage. Times have been changing and though Windows still holds the lion's share of the market the Mac platform has become a viable target. Macs are computers just like every other computer out there. The can become infected with viruses, malware, ransomeware and adware just like any other computer. If the platform is targetted and the viruses, malware, ransomeware and adware is created for Macs. Macs will become a target for sure if people keep spreading this information that Macs don't need antivirus or antimalware tools. What is the easiest target? One without any protection at all.

What would I reccomend it's hard to say. Do the research and see what industry outlets have to report, users in forums say about the use. At the same time keep in mind that there are hundreds of millions of Macs out there with that many different setups. This is a huge contributor to differences in the way software will work from user to user. I've been using Avast now for almost a year with no problems. It does not slow my system down and because of the fact that Macs aren't targetted much it doesn't prompt very much either. However if something were to ever happen you would be happier to have it there than to not have anything. Since the Mac is not targetted as often I also personally looked for the software offering that was reputable and cost the least. During setup I also just installed the necessary things I need. I just need it to scan and protect me from viruses. I don't need it to monitor my internet usage like a firewall. In the end user knowledge is key because not being infected is always better than having a tool to fight the infection.

I trust Malwarebytes because I've used them on Windows machines in the past. I will continue to trust them until I don't have a reason to trust them. Lately they seem to be pushing the sale of their products a lot harder. I get that they are a company and need to make money. It is just a change from developing something to help users combat the nasties. I am still going to do my research on what others have to say about running MBam and give it a couple of days before I make up my mind.

Odd post from a Nerwork Admin.

so you have a more complete picture look at a software product called INTEGO it is a AV for macs.

There is no need for either Intego or Avast. There are zero current virus threats to the Mac in the wild. If there were, neither of those apps would help.

Terence Devlin wrote:

There are zero current virus threats to the Mac in the wild.

Yes, but there are tons of Adware showing up daily which is what MalwareBytes Anti-Malware for Mac specializes in and Apple mostly ignores. Savvy users know how to avoid such things, but those new to the Mac usually don't have a clue. Education is a great answer and that's what we should be focusing on, but for those that won't bother to learn MalwareBytes is a good, non-intrusive way to make up for their mistakes.