Besides the World’s most popular antivirus for Windows, Avast is offering a comprehensive antivirus for Apple Mac OS X (Macintosh). The product is called Avast Free Mac Security 2018 (version 11) and same as the Windows version it’s completely for free.
Show More Macs may be a far less tempting target for malware and viruses, but they’re not immune from attack. Even if you don’t care about or being used as a, it’s still possible to fall victim to, password theft,.
Accordingly, good antivirus software will protect your Mac on all of these fronts. It’ll catch malware that’s still spreading or in circulation; block ransomware; protect older systems with out-of-date software from security vulnerabilities; prevent your Mac from acting as a carrier for malware aimed at other operating systems; and keep infected files off of any virtual machines you’re running. Antivirus for Mac cheat sheet Our quick-hit recommendations:.
Best paid antivirus for Mac:. Best free antivirus for Mac: Many antivirus suites provide a decent level of protection, but a few rise above all others by providing the very best in performance. Our top contenders dominate by posting perfect (or virtually near perfect) scores from security research labs, passing our own malware detection tests with flying colors, offering well-designed interfaces, and even throwing in extra features like a firewall or password manager. Updated: Added a link to our ESET Cyber Security Pro review.
To read the full review,. Looking for Windows antivirus recommendations? You can read about the on our sister site, PCWorld. Latest antivirus for Mac news. More than $1.1 million was lost to cybercrime every minute in 2018.
That’s the key takeaway of the latest In total, more than $600 billion will be lost to cybercrime and nearly 980 million people will be attacked in 2018. North Korea’s alleged state-sponsored hackers, the Lazarus Group, has launched its first known malware attack against Mac computers,. Kaspersky says a third-party “trojanized cryptocurrency trading application. Compromised several banks and infiltrated a number of global cryptocurrency exchanges” to steal digital currencies like Bitcoin. Enterprise security firm Cylance is launching its first consumer-grade package:.
The new software claims to use advanced, predictive AI to kill threats, all with a consumer-friendly interface and minimal penalties to device performance. Best overall antivirus software. On Sophos Sophos Home Premium has the most extensive and up-to-date approach to fighting malware at an unbeatable price.
Has it all: Effective malware protection, ransomware monitoring, protection against potentially-unwanted-apps, and additional features that often require separately licensed software. Its cloud-based configuration and generous licensing (up to 10 Macs and PCs) also make it easy to shield friends and family from threats, no matter where they live. (Full details available.) Best free antivirus software. Though Sophos does offer a good free version of its software, edges it out as the best free antivirus software for macOS. In security lab tests, Avast detected 99.9 percent of macOS malware, and 100 percent of Windows malware. However, if you want more advanced protection (like ransomware detection), you'll need to upgrade to paid software. What to look for in antivirus software By our reckoning, antivirus software should be able to neutralize a threat before it can begin wreaking havoc.
That means preventing the download, installation, or execution of malicious software. Since you can encounter threats by visiting compromised or malicious websites, receiving virus-laden attachments, or accessing USB drives with malware, good AV software should scan on a continuous basis unless you configure it otherwise. And ideally, files identified as malicious should be quarantined into a special storage area managed by the AV software, with the option to automatically delete files known to be malware or repair normal documents that also carry devious payloads. Great AV suites also will monitor the filesystem for certain kinds of changes. Ransomware—which is malware that will rapidly encrypt user files like documents and mailboxes and then delete the originals—has become a huge moneymaker on other platforms. As a prime opportunity for attackers, it’s the greatest danger Mac users likely face as a category.
Macworld Detecting this pattern and halting it before any files are unavailable should be possible without an anti-malware system knowing the specific innards of a ransomware virus. Sophos, our top pick, includes this feature in the Home Premium version of its 2018 update. Other vendors, like Avast and Trend Micro Antivirus, offer an alternative feature that allows you to whitelist programs allowed to manipulate files in specific directories.
So if this particular type of attack becomes rapidly popular, you’ll be protected. Good antivirus software should also use minimal computational resources. That’s especially the case these days—AV monitoring hasn’t become much more complicated than when it first became available, and faster, multi-core CPUs can easily handle the demands of running AV software in the background without disturbing your active work.
Beyond these primary features, an easy-to-navigate interface and extra features are worth factoring into your decision. Some AV software are full-fledged suites that offer additional options like backup service for essential files, a password manager, parental controls, anti-tracking and privacy modes or options, a more advanced firewall, and the blocking of Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). How we test Each software package is evaluated creating a clean installation of macOS Mojave, cloning it for each AV product, and then booting separately into each one to install a different package. This was to ensure that previous app installations didn’t interfere with new ones—sometimes AV software treats other AV software as an infection. In addition to visiting malicious websites, downloading known malicious software, and even running said malware, we also reference the most recent reports from two labs that regularly cover macOS malware:. These laboratories test AV software against sets of known malware as well as products that are grouped as potentially unwanted applications (like adware). The latter doesn’t damage or expose your computer or its files but may consume power and CPU cycles.
Because the testing effectively looks at a combination of virus databases and behavior, they remain good gauges even after many months. When an antivirus software package lacks a rating from a known security research lab, we do more extensive testing with real malware. Finally, while we gave props for a lot of different features and behaviors, we marked products down if they lacked any or all of the following:. A nearly perfect score on macOS malware detection.
Ransomware monitoring. Native browser plug-in or system-level Web proxy. A high score on Windows malware detection Privacy concerns Using an anti-virus product, especially any that includes tools to also improve your online privacy, may lull you into believing you’re safe from personal and private information leaking out. That’s not quite the case. While there’s no reason to panic, you should consider a few reasonable issues. 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. This practice is normal and sensible: Some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge.
Antivirus software makers also can access their massive databases to examine files with characteristics that trigger their algorithms—certain elements that match known malware. As a result, security researchers discover new viruses, worms, Trojans horses, and the like.
Macworld However, helping the greater good means you’ll have to be comfortable with trusting a third-party with your file contents. Where appropriate, we noted privacy policy issues in individual reviews.
Second, this software may also rely partly or entirely on cloud-based checks of URLs, malware, and the like. Accordingly, an AV package might upload every URL you visit, metadata about files, signatures of files, information about your computer’s hardware, a list of running or installed applications, and more. Companies vary on their disclosure of such policies, and may not let you opt out of this kind of sharing. We note issues in each review as available. Third, anti-virus software makers also get a sense of what behavior is happening on your computer that’s being monitored or blocked, and may use that information for their own purposes. In some cases, you can opt out of this information gathering.
All of our antivirus for Mac reviews If you have specific requirements or just wish to see other options, below is a list of all the antivirus software we’ve reviewed. We’ll keep evaluating new and refreshed software on a regular basis, so be sure to come back to see what else we’ve put through the ringer.
Reports from Malwarebytes show that between July 2016 and August 2017, Mac malware attracts increased by 230%. That means Mac users now have over twice more reasons to get the best mac OS 10.14 antivirus protection of 2018 than they did a few years ago.The war against malware has always been fought behind the scene by the Apple team. But as the malware attacks continue to give rise to larger number of computer virus strains, the role of mac users in the war is increasingly becoming more decisive. Whether your Mac is only used to execute only simple task or a number of complex enterprise functions, here are the best macOS 10.14 antivirus software 2018 to safeguard your activities sessions from prowling malwares. Best macOS 10.14 Antivirus 2018 1.
Intego Mac Internet Security X9 As one of the fastest and highly efficient antivirus software out there, Intego is undoubtedly one of the best antivirus for macOS. It comes with and easy-to-follow tutorial on how to install and authorize the appropriate kernel module. It’s highly efficient scanner scans for viruses within 30 minutes - an industry-best timing. Key features:. An airtight antivirus scanner. Settings for real-time and scheduled protection.
Functions for flagging any hazardous item on the Mac, including non-Mac malware Price:. $39.99 2. Kaspersky Internet Security While this antivirus offers maximum protection for your activities sessions on Mac, it leaves a relatively minimal footprint on your Mac, using relatively minimal CPU space and energy. Its award-winning protection caters to a wide array of security issues ranging from privacy protection to parental control and special protection for financial transactions. Key features:. An unassailable antivirus that’s easy to install and use.
Privacy protection. Protection for multiple Macs. Extra protection for online transactions Price:. $39.99 3. Sophos Antivirus for Mac With its highly simplistic user-interface and airtight antivirus scanner, this product is hands-down one of the best free antivirus for Mac in 2018. The software reveals details of its operations mainly through prompts on the Mac’s menu bar and web pages. Key features:.
Real-time and scheduled antivirus protection. Parental control over contents viewed on the web. Protection from malicious sites. Remote operability Price:. Free 4. McAfee This is a long-standing antivirus software that has made its way to this list of the best macOS 10.14 antivirus software 2018 because of its ever-increasing range of security functionalities.
Over the years, the software has been developed to offer more protection for Mac users. McAfee now features an impressive array of security functions including protection against malicious emails and web pages, remote backup for system and personal files, and lots more. Key features:. Anti-spam protection. Additional protection for online transactions. Parental control functions Price:. $39.99 5.
Avira Antivirus for Mac Mac users looking to download free antivirus for macOS 10.14 can turn to this no-brainer antivirus software. After downloading this free antivirus for macOS 10.14, you can easily install and run the software without breaking a sweat. Avira sports a highly intuitive user interface. It comes with a host of security functions, including parental control over web contents and installed games, and a scanner for USB storage devices. Key features:. Multi-functional parental control security feature.
Protection from malicious web pages. A USB device scanner Price:. Free 6.
Norton By offering a formidable malware protection and using relatively minimal CPU energy and space, the Norton antivirus has indisputably secured its place among the best antivirus for macOS 10.14 in 2018. In addition to being certified by an independent testing lab, this product has also won a number of awards. What’s more, you can purchase a copy of this antivirus for use on multiple devices with various operating systems, including iOS, windows and Android devices. Key features:. Swift scanner. Firewall protection.
Certification from an independent testing lab Price:. $69.99 7. Bitdefender This is another all-rounder antivirus software that comes with a user-friendly interface, a smooth and highly efficient scanner, and a wide range of security functions. With its extension for widely used web browsers, it provides maximum protection against malicious and questionable sites. It also comes with settings for monitoring the viruses both in real-time and scheduled times. Key features:. Real-time and scheduled antivirus protection.
A swift scanner. A quarantine feature Price:. $44.99 8. Antivirus Zap for Mac This app gives users complete control over virus infestations. Its anti-virus scanner is quick and incisive. And after scanning for viruses, it puts up a list of identified viruses so that the user can make a decision on them.
While the software cannot be set to run real-time background virus scanning, its on-demand scanning function is reliable enough to root out any virus in the system any time it is activated. Key features:. Formidable scanner. Functions for dealing with detected virus in numerous ways including deleting and quarantining Price:. $9.99 9.
TOTAL AV By offering an impressive range of security features at a relatively lower price, this antivirus product offers you the best bang for your bucks. As one of the best macOS 10.14 antivirus software in 2018, this software gives you protection against adware, malware, spyware, and ransomware. Among its list of impressive features are the advanced firewall protection, protection from phishing and malicious web pages, and a speedy scanner. Key features:. An all-round antivirus protection.
Advanced firewall protection. Functions for boosting Mac speed like redundant file deletion, etc. Internet security functions Price:. $19.95 10.
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MacClean In addition to offering airtight antivirus protection, this product comes with tools for clearing out junk files and managing app extensions. Its system decluttering tools can be used to remove junk files, caches, redundant app files, and trashed files. Key features:.
A fast scanner. Functions for boosting Mac speed. Highly responsive costumer support Price:. $19.99.