How can I stop data on my MacBook Pro Apple M1 Ventura 13.2.1 from being breached?

If we may take exception to this aspect of the posting " installing reliable antivirus software "

Otherwise, most of what was suggested is a good recommended practice.

There are no known Windows-like Viruses in the wild that self replicate and affect macOS, because of the underling UNIX  Foundation and Permission Limitation. 

Additionally, in macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS 12 Monterey and macOS 13 Ventura. 

The Operating System resides in a Sealed and Read Only Volume that can not be opened by the User nor by Third Party Applications.

The only Entity that can open and modify or alter this Volume is Apple.

That would occur when a update or UpGrade is performed.

The Only thing this Antivirus software is protecting is the Bank Account of the Developers and for zero return to the User aside from the problems this software creates.

AntiVirus Developers purposefully Market their product to create a “ Fear Factor “. In so doing, creating a False Need for their Product.

The The Built in Security  is all that is required to protect the computer.

Hello Randy 🙌,

To safeguard the important data on your MacBook Pro Apple M1 Ventura 13.2.1, it's essential to take precautions like using unique and complex passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, installing reliable antivirus software, and always using a VPN when accessing public Wi-Fi networks. It's also crucial to exercise caution when handling email attachments and to keep your software up-to-date to stay protected against the latest security threats. By taking these steps, you can ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your data, and enjoy peace of mind knowing that your information is safe and secure.

Kind Regards

[Link Edited by Moderator]

I would suggest that you read Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community. it's a long article, but worth your time to read every word. and also, it specifically addresses your question.

The below will not cut down on Spam e-mails nor will it eliminate Spam e-mails.

Though, it may present some insights as to how exposed your e-mail address may be to Bad Actor Spammers.

E-mail addresses are Bought and Sold on the internet for various reasons including Sold to Spammers.

That is how they make their money.

I have done some testing on some personal e-mail addresses as well as on family members e-mail addresses 

I was floored by the results.

Some were exposed by Data Breaches from some will Known Software Developers and even from my Own ISP.

You can only mitigate your exposure in the future and deal wth this Spam as an “ After to Fact  “ situation

https://haveibeenpwned.com

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2021/05/have-i-been-pwnd-what-is-it-and-what-to-do-when-you-are-pwned

Randy4u2 wrote:

MacBook Pro Apple M1 Ventura 13.2.1

How can I stop breach and leaked information ?

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Never use third party apps that claim to protect, clean, manage, boost performance etc.

Never use a public VPN. Using a public VPN exposes yuor data to the public VPN provider to do with as they wish prior to them dumping your data onto the open Internet.

All great info given by other users. One thing I would like to add along with never install Cleaner/Virus Software is that while you are using Safari (or really any browser), be aware that you may get pop ups or pages that look like they are for something else. For example, a common one is a dialog box saying "Update Flash Player is Required" that looks like it comes from the system, when in reality it is trying to get you to give it access to do an action that you would otherwise not allow. This can be reduced by blocking pop-ups and denying Notifications in Safari settings.

Are you referring to the notifications in Passwords stating you have passwords that were part of a data breach?