#CAN A MAC GET VIRUSES INSTALL#
#CAN A MAC GET VIRUSES ANDROID#
#CAN A MAC GET VIRUSES SOFTWARE#

If you do choose to buy Mac antivirus, take a look at the best Mac antivirus software roundup put together by our colleagues on Macworld. You may also consider using antivirus on your Mac if for some reason you could be targeted individually - if you have access to sensitive or high-value data, for instance. Mac antivirus software is not prohibitively expensive - for 20 or so pounds or dollars, it will put your mind at rest and your valuable data in a much safer place. For example, Malwarebytes found a fake package tracking website which would accept any number entered and then download a PackagesTracker app when you click the 'Track' button. Naturally, this does not track packages, or even pretend to. How do these apps get installed? Mainly from fake and fraudulent websites. It usually arrives on your Mac in apps with embedded Safari extensions. This redirects searches in a web browser to earn the criminals money from affiliate schemes. Mainly it's adware and 'unwanted' programs which misbehave. However, this is not a cast-iron guarantee that malware won't get past the defences. If you use Safari as your web browser, then you're automatically protected from dangerous and fraudulent websites as well. This helps to ensure that apps are safe to use, but it doesn't replace antivirus software. But there are security features. Gatekeeper is one, and it verifies any downloaded app before allowing it to run. Right now the number one recommended product is Intego's Mac Internet Security X9 (with a free trial), with BitDefender Antivirus a close second. It is regularly updated, and is worth checking out as some of the best Mac antivirus products are free. Our colleagues over at Macworld have the definitive guide to the best antivirus for Mac.

#CAN A MAC GET VIRUSES INSTALL#

So for the price of a cup of coffee each week, it makes sense to install security software and then forget all about it. In many ways, security software exists to save you from bad decisions - installing apps that appear to offer something for nothing, but turn out to be spyware or viruses.

Unfortunately, unlike a machine, you can be fooled by a phishing email that cons you out of precious login details or a scam that tricks you into installing malware. The operating system might be inherently more secure than Windows, but it is worth remembering that the end-user is always the weakest link. There are no technical reasons why Mac users cannot be exploited. When you consider that Macs are expensive, and so their owners tend to be wealthier than the average PC users, they start to look like an attractive target. Macs are now a prime target for cybercriminals, and although macOS has built-in security, it is not so effective against adware and PUPs - potentially unwanted programs. It also found that the number of threats detected by its software running on Macs rose from an average of 4.8 in 2018 to 11 in 2019, which is almost twice as many as on Windows. It found there was an increase in Mac threats of over 400 percent in 2019, compared to the previous year. However, a recent report from Malwarebytes shows that you can't be complacent in 2020.

#CAN A MAC GET VIRUSES ANDROID#

Windows was still the primary target, with Android rapidly increasing as a platform for criminals to exploit. A few years ago, you'd have been right if your hunch was that you probably don't need to bother with antivirus software on your iMac or MacBook.

Can a mac get viruses