Don's Home Technology Macintosh Utilities Mac Anti-Malware Contact |
Under Construction
There are no viruses on mac because it doesn't allow self replication Trojans only - Software that appears to do something good (e.g. clean up your Mac so it will run faster) but are actually malware.) As a Unix-based operating system macOS is sandboxed (apps can only modify/install files in a limited part of the system, the sandbox). It's like having a series of fire doors - even if malware gains access to your Mac, it is unable to spread to the heart of the machine. Macs are not unhackable, but they are more difficult to exploit than Windows.
Things like Address space layout randomization (ASLR) protects from buffer overflow attacks.
However Mac is still subject to some kinds of malware. The smaller user base makes it a less desirable target for hackers. Software Many of the Mac security apps available are historically poor performers. Pete Lozzi, a Mac guru and frequent speaker at https://www.macnexus.org, The Sacramento Macuser Group, says All the virus programs, MalWare Bites, Kapersky, McAfee, ... are really spyware. They make more money by selling information about you and your browsing habits than they make from selling software. They may generate reports about how many problems they have scanned for, but that's about all. Apple Support recommended Malwarebytes (also removed Adware) Security Gurus: Khürt Williams also recommended Malwarebytes and Kapersky Sam Freund recommended Virus barrier - Other recommendations at PMUG Sophos Web root $20 (Jeff Gorman - Çreative Computing) How to protect yourself: See: Mac Malware Guide : How do I protect myself? | TheSafeMac.com Adware Removal Guide | TheSafeMac.com Some Malware: Chumsearch browser hijacker EasyPDFCombine is another browser hijacker installed as an extension, which can be removed by selecting Extensions under the Windows menu and just removing it. See EasyPDFCombine Uninstall (Mac/Win) - Virus Removal These programs provide some potentially useful functions but may be tracking online activity. Fake Adobe flash player and Java updates are a common source of malware. See Fake Flash Player Update | The Mac Security Blog How to determine if a Flash update notification is legitimate - CNET Go to the Adobe Flash web page to be sure you get a legitimate one. I am usually pretty careful to avoid downloading anything suspicious Malware bytes found the following What should I do if Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac didn't solve my problem? Links: Best Mac antivirus 2017 | Best free security software for Mac - Features - Macworld UK |