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Need Help-Which Antivirus Program should I use? (Never Used one on a Mac Before)

Hello All,

So I wanted to get some advice on which antivirus

program would be best to use.

Im running Catalina on the 2020 iMac.

To be honest, I've always been under the assumption

that I didn't need one, running Macs throughout the years,

only on Windows was it needed. I have to say, all these years running Macs, since my first Mac

back in the 90's, not running any antivirus software, I've been pretty lucky not having any problems.

Now though, with all the crap out there online, I figure I better get an antivirus/malware program.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

Have a great day, be safe and thanks,

-Retha

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Sep 28, 2020 8:46 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 28, 2020 8:52 AM

You do not need any third party antivirus app. They are not needed, use system resources while providing no benefit, and may cause problems.

macOS - Security - Apple

Protect your Mac from malware - Apple Support

Set up your Mac to be secure - Apple Support

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8841

9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 28, 2020 8:52 AM in response to rethafromvegas

You do not need any third party antivirus app. They are not needed, use system resources while providing no benefit, and may cause problems.

macOS - Security - Apple

Protect your Mac from malware - Apple Support

Set up your Mac to be secure - Apple Support

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8841

Sep 28, 2020 8:53 AM in response to rethafromvegas

None.


There are no Mac viruses (malware that self replicates), so there's nothing to find. There are lots of Trojans (malware that can't get on your computer unless you put it there). AV software will not make the slightest attempt to stop you from installing a Trojan, and rarely will even tell you afterwards you have. So in short, all AV software is completely useless.


Your defense is paying attention to what you download, and where from.

Sep 28, 2020 9:01 AM in response to rethafromvegas

... not running any antivirus software, I've been pretty lucky not having any problems.


Luck has nothing to do with it. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a macOS "virus".


Now though, with all the crap out there online, I figure I better get an antivirus/malware program.


The only "crap" is non-Apple "antivirus" junk, and there's a lot of it. Rule 1 of Macs is don't install junk.

Sep 28, 2020 9:21 AM in response to rethafromvegas

The macOS operating system already includes multiple layers of malware protection. However, Apple allows the user to override system settings on a Mac. So, it is more of a personal question. Apple already protects the computer against malware. But in some cases, the computer may need additional protection against its user.


Among EtreCheck users, all major antivirus vendors (Avast, Bitdefender, CleanMyMac, MalwareBytes, Sophos) provided some protection against the user. Sophos was the most effective defense against the user, reducing malware infections by about 75%. But the cost for this protection was 40% longer file system performance times.

Need Help-Which Antivirus Program should I use? (Never Used one on a Mac Before)

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