Malware Protection for Macs
It used to be a “given” that owning an Apple computer meant you didn’t get viruses. It was always a theoretic possibility, but now, it’s a reality and sometimes a commonality. Our computer repair shops, Bayou Technologies, first started seeing malware infections on our customers’ Apple Mac computers starting about 6-7 months ago, and we’re now getting a couple a week that have some sort of undesirable malware on them. With the increase in the popularity of Apple products and Mac users as a by-product of being in the Apple ecosystem, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to target this demographic for malware and adware creation.
Luckily there already exist some solutions that are rather effective at combatting this “new” type of issue with Mac computers. Today we’ll look at a few that you should consider adding to your Mac.
The first one you need to go grab is from Malwarebytes, appropriately called Anti-Malware for Mac. This program “scans for and removes code that degrades system performance or attacks your system”. What I like about it is how quickly it runs and how it gets rid of annoying things like Genieo, VSearch, and Vidx, all common unwelcome visitors to the Macs we get in the shop.
Next up, having a dedicated antivirus program is advisable, and we at Bayou Technologies are advocates of Kaspersky for this type of protection. They have a product specific for Macs or Kaspersky Total Security, which gives you the ability to install it on Macs, PCs, and even mobile devices. Kaspersky is on the frontlines when it comes to antivirus and their paid products are highly recommended. If you want something for a little less money, you can try out Avira and their free Antivirus for Mac.
While we’re on the topic of malware and things to watch out for as a Mac user, let’s take a moment to talk about MacKeeper. Do not download and install this piece of garbage. They spend a good deal of money advertising this product through a series of pop-up webpages that promise to speed up your Mac. The company is even involved in a class action lawsuit for making false promises. Removing MacKeeper from your Mac isn’t an easy process, though it can be done, and any one of our locations would be happy to help.
Macs are computers, just like PCs, and now, they’re on the radar for malware and adware developers. If you own a Mac, start preparing your defenses and get a couple of these programs installed.
