In security lab tests, Avast detected 99. You get a notification any time an untrusted program attempts to access either; you can allow access or stop the program. If spyware is your bugaboo, you'll like Kaspersky. Under Windows, Kaspersky's Safe Money feature opens sensitive sites in a secure browser that's hardened against outside interference. A Mac cleaner is very important, our list recommends some great for all devices or Clean my Mac or MacKeeper for mac only.
Cons: No independent lab test results. Do Macs require an antivirus? Certified by one independent testing lab. Another half-dozen managed a decent three-star rating, but there isn't room for another six products. These three didn't quite make it into the chart. Phishing score lags Windows edition. Bottom Line: Sophos Home Premium offers Mac antivirus protection at a low price, but it lacks many advanced features found in the Windows edition and doesn't have verification from independent testing labs. As with Bitdefender's Windows edition, the Safe Files feature prevents all unauthorized access to your documents.
What you don't get here is any form of real-time protection or web filtering, essential tools for a complete security solution. Bottom Line: Sophos Home Free for Mac keeps configuration to a minimum, but doesn't have independent test scores to verify its accuracy. Includes ransomware protection, webcam privacy, and parental control. The best commercial products offer more protection but if you can't afford the best, at least install a free antivirus. Pricey Norton is another brand that's well known in the anti-virus world, and the software helps protect your Mac with an excellent malware detection engine.
While ransomware attacks are more common on Windows devices, Macs have suffered as well. Top ratings from two independent testing labs. No detection of Windows malware. It has a very good reputation, but hard data showing its effectiveness is scarce. Bitdefender and Webroot in particular scored hugely higher against some browsers; perhaps the browsers were having a bad day. Phishing protection only works well in Chrome and Firefox, but this free utility is still worth a look.
With Sophos free or premium and Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac, a content filter can block access to websites matching unwanted categories. That doesn't mean the package is short on power. Sophos isn't just piling on these extras to disguise a weak antivirus engine, either. Detects Mac, Windows, and Linux malware. A high usability score reflects a small number of false positives, legitimate programs and websites identified as dangerous. We spent several months testing how well these antivirus programs recognize threats like Trojans, ransomware and malicious websites on Mac computers.
Alternatively, upgrading to Malwarebytes Premium with a one-year licence costs just £29. Cons: No scores from independent labs. So a good mac antivirus is required. Additional management tools that let you set policies can help mitigate this risk. Most of the products in this roundup beat the combined average of the three browsers.
Excellent phishing protection for Chrome and Firefox. Accordingly, digital security is more vital than any time in recent memory, and a decent antivirus is all you need to remain safe. That doesn't mean it's overly complicated - in fact, it has one of the most simple and easy-to-use interfaces out of all the Mac antivirus software on this list. TrafficLight browser extension marks dangerous links in search results. Sophos Home Premium offers protection for the webcam and microphone that's more substantial than Kaspersky's. The most recent report confirms that Norton manages to detect 100% of viruses.
Ransomware Protection The scourge of ransomware is on the rise. This is mainly due to the Windows market being a lot bigger, virus developers want to target as many victims as possible, and by targeting more people, the chances of the virus spreading is much more likely. Its real-time scanner checks any file the system accesses, picking up threats before they can do any harm. Cons: Doesn't add much to free edition's features. Phishing websites imitate secure sites, everything from banks and finance sites to gaming and dating sites.
Cons: No filtering of malicious or fraudulent websites. You can utilize the 30 day trial period to try out the software before you purchase it. First, an antivirus product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools hosted there. But nothing we've seen suggests that upgrading to Mojave will obviate the need for an antivirus utility. That might be sufficient for you to see the difference, which further depends on what machine spec you have. Protect Your Mac Most of the products covered in this roundup earned certification from at least one independent testing lab; some managed two certifications. Comodo Mac antivirus software wraps up some of the robust technical security features to perfectly cover the Mac security requirements.