If you have kids, you're probably concerned about what they're getting up to online. For more on firewalls, see our reviews and our roundup of the best free firewalls. Firewalls are a rare feature among Mac antivirus products, perhaps because OS X comes with firewall features baked in. Many Mac antivirus apps will keep your Web activity covered, either by scanning your Web traffic or with a URL advisor, which rates URLs in search engine results, letting you know which are safe to click.įirewalls go further than typical protection by controlling the flow of data to and from your computer. You need extra protection when you're online. You could get hit by browser-based attacks or a phishing site that tricks you into handing over your personal information. Malware on your Mac is one thing, but the Web poses many more threats. Even attached iOS devices will be checked to ensure nothing untoward is hiding amongst your many apps. Best of all, two independent labs, AV-Test Institute and AV-Comparatives, have confirmed that Mac antivirus actually works.īut why stop with just your Mac? Some of the antivirus apps we've tested and reviewed here will automatically scan attached storage devices for unwanted travelers. To combat these sneaky malicious programs, some Mac antivirus apps scan for Windows and Linux malware to keep your computer tidy, and your friends safe. Also, advanced malware can sometimes use your Mac as an infection vector for Windows or Linux computers, hitching a ride in an email or on a USB drive. These nefarious programs may not always be able to run on your Mac, but they aren't doing you any good by taking up space, either. While the list of viruses and other malware targeted at OS X is short, Windows and even Linux malware pose a threat to your Mac, too. Developers make their operating systems strong, but antivirus is your last layer of protection. Or that you couldn't encounter a phishing site that dupes you into giving away your personal information. Or that you couldn't pick up a piece of Windows malware in a stray USB drive, and end up becoming an infection vector for your friends. That doesn't mean that an attacker couldn't, for example, hijack your computer. It's true that there are fewer threats out there for Macs, and that OS X includes many built-in protections. Johnny Ive may have crafted an iPhone that's "beautifully, unapologetically plastic," but no one has made a computer that can't be attacked.
#ANTIVIRUS FOR MAC AND PC SOFTWARE#
But many also don't experience the joy of installing antivirus software perhaps because they think they're already safe.
#ANTIVIRUS FOR MAC AND PC WINDOWS 8#
They will never, for example, have to suffer the confusion of Windows 8 or the madness of Windows RT. Mac users are lucky enough to miss out on some of the heartbreak that's part of the Windows experience.
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