10 Best Anti-Virus Programs for Macs. Do I Need Mac Antivirus Software?
In a world of full of digital viruses, malware and paranoia, Mac computers have long enjoyed a bulletproof reputation. Most malicious software attacks the biggest fish in the pond, to maximize the bite per byte - Windows users beware. Unfortunately for Mac lovers, the black-hatters who make viruses, malware and worms are in the middle of a paradigm shift - go directly for money.
If these folks find a financial incentive to attack Mac users, it can only be a matter of time until they hit you hard and fast. Little Snitch 2.0.3 Networking Utility Review. When I reviewed Objective Development Software GmbH’s Little Snitch 1.2 for Macworld two years ago, it helpfully filled a gap in the ipfw firewall software Apple provides with Mac OS X.
The built-in firewall monitored, and blocked, only incoming network traffic, and Little Snitch was one of the available options for dealing with outbound network traffic. With Little Snitch 2 ( ; $25), Objective Development has delivered a worthy successor, with more-informative alerts to the user, more ways of seeing what traffic is coming from your Mac, and more pre-configured rules for common types of network traffic.
As with Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), the firewall software Apple provides with Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) is designed to screen incoming network traffic—attempts to access your computer over its network ports. If all outbound connections were so obvious, there’d be no cause for concern, but more and more software is designed to quietly make outgoing connections without our knowledge. VirusBarrier Express: Mac Antivirus Review. VirusBarrier Express from Intego is a free on-demand Mac antivirus.
VirusBarrier Express scans for Mac malware only, so it's most suited for Mac only users. The lack of realtime on-access protection could be a plus or minus, depending on your needs. For example, VirusBarrier Express could be installed as a second antivirus scanner, or it could be used as part of a portable antivirus toolkit for support purposes. On the downside, on-demand only means the scanner won't prevent Mac virus infection - it will only detect and remove the malware after the fact. If you need full-time protection or also want to scan for Windows viruses, VirusBarrier Express is too limited to do the job. Intego VirusBarrier Plus: Mac Antivirus Review. Intego VirusBarrier Plus is a full-featured on-demand antivirus scanner that detects Mac, Windows and Linux malware.
Users can schedule scans for specified times, configure trusted zones that won't be scanned, select specific files or folders, or perform a quick or full scan at the click of a button. VirusBarrier Plus review - Mac software. VirusBarrier Plus review Macs have been blissfully unaffected by viruses and malware for many years, but the recent publicity surrounding the MacDefender Trojan suggests that it might be time to start taking things a bit more seriously.
Apple has supplied its own update for OS X to block MacDefender, but if you want to take extra precautions then you might want to consider Intego’s VirusBarrier Plus, which is now available from the Mac App Store. The original version of this program – called VirusBarrier X6 – is still sold through Intego’s own website, and costs almost £50. VirusBarrier Plus is a more basic version of the program that you can download from the App Store for just £5.99.
VirusBarrier Plus scans for viruses, trojans and other types of malware that can affect your Mac; it also has the ability to scan for Windows malware files that you might download or receive via email in order to prevent you from passing that malware onto friends or colleagues who use PCs. Review: VirusBarrier Plus. From TechRadar's expert reviews of Anti malware software. There have been enough malware scares on the Mac lately.
This suggests that the days of not even thinking about checking if your Mac is host to something dubious may be over. Intego VirusBarrier Plus is a small application (available only from the Mac App Store), which lets you scan your Mac for threats, and, if it finds anything, helps you get rid of them. It scans your hard drive or selected files for both Mac and Windows malware. This means not only are you protecting yourself, but you're also ensuring you don't unwittingly pass on anything to your PC-using friends. Scans can be scheduled, so you don't need to remember to run it. It stops short of offering the kind of protection that you'd normally expect from an anti-malware package, but it has the advantage that there's no messy software running on your Mac, potentially impacting performance. VirusBarrier for iPhone: Protect Your iPhone By Scanning for Malware.
Mac Antivirus, Mac Anti-Spyware - TopTenREVIEWS. Intego Internet Security Barrier 2012 - TopTenREVIEWS. Mac users are no longer immune to malware.
Organized criminals have begun going after Macs because so many people use them now. Intego VirusBarrier X6 for Mac - Free software downloads and software reviews. Intego VirusBarrier X6 - Reviews and free Intego VirusBarrier X6 downloads at CNET Download.com. Review: Intego VirusBarrier X6, virus protection for Mac. A look at Intego Internet Security Barrier X6 for OS X. When it comes to anti-malware utilities, a few prominent names stand out, including Norton, Kaspersky, and Sophos, in addition to some smaller and perhaps Mac-only tools like iAntiVirus and MacScan.
Among the popular options for OS X is VirusBarrier from Intego, which I recently gave a spin. VirusBarrier is offered in two versions: the basic VirusBarrier X6 package and the extended Internet Security Barrier suite that includes VirusBarrier and a number of additional utilities. I chose the latter to see what advantages it may offer over the basic VirusBarrier antivirus scanner, especially given recent malware developments on the Mac and people's interest in keeping their systems safe. VirusBarrier X6: The center of it all At the heart of the suite is Intego's main anti-malware program, VirusBarrier. Unlike most scanners that will watch folders and schedule scans, VirusBarrier has both incoming and outgoing firewall options to help keep the system safe. Intego’s Internet Security Barrier X6 Packs A Wallop. The Intego Internet Security Barrier X6 package for Mac OS X is an annual subscription service that offers five different programs: Personal Antispam, VirusBarrier X6, Personal Backup, ContentBarrier, and FileGuard.
It is compatible with OS X 10.5 and 10.6 and is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. In this review I am going to cover Personal Antispam, Virus Barrier X6, and Personal Backup. Personal Antispam Personal Antispam works with the Apple Mail application. It does not take the place of the junk mail filters that are part of Mail, rather it adds another layer, one over which the user has total control. Personal Antispam looks at five areas as it screens mail. Using Personal Antispam This is an awesome application. To label a message you simple click on it once to highlight it, and go to the mail box icon on the tool bar and choose from the options. Training Personal Antispam Selecting domain names to exclude. Best Mac Security Antivirus - TopTenREVIEWS. Intego VirusBarrier 2011 - TopTenREVIEWS. The idea that Macs are immune to malware is incorrect.
You need Mac security software such as Intego Mac Internet Security to defend against viruses, Trojans, spyware and worms. Intego includes a two-way personal firewall to defend against intrusions and threats. It also protects you from phishing frauds. Though some threats may not cause damage to Macs, they can still be stored on your system and passed on to friends and coworkers. Real-time malware protection occurs in the background as every file is scanned when it is created, saved or copied.
Norton AntiVirus for Mac 2012 - TopTenREVIEWS. Norton by Symantec is one of the most trusted security software brands in the PC world, but it is not just for Windows. Norton AntiVirus for Mac protects Macs from malware, includes useful features and extends excellent help and support. It is among the best Mac antivirus software products. Although there have been some spectacular malware attacks on the Mac OS during the past few years, Macs are still much less exposed to hackers' attention. BitDefender Antivirus for Mac 2012 - TopTenREVIEWS.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is Mac antivirus software that protects Mac OS X from malware. There are those who would have you believe that Mac antivirus software is useless. While the threat to Mac OS X is far less prevalent, it isn’t nonexistent. Mac viruses can delete files, steal sensitive information, disable programs, slow down your system, allow remote access to your Mac or otherwise interfere with your computer. Best Antivirus for Mac - Readers Choice Awards 2011. VirusBarrier X6: Mac Antivirus Review. The overwhelming favorite of Antivirus.About.com readers, Intego VirusBarrier X6 provides realtime signature-based and behavior-based scanning for Mac malware and on-demand scanning for Windows-based malware. This not only keeps your Mac computer virus-free, it also guards against your inadvertently passing malware on to your Windows friends. VirusBarrier X6 includes antivirus, anti-spyware, a two-way firewall, and an anti-phishing filter.
The interface is sporty and intuitive, making it easy to access the multiple features offered. The two-way firewall lets you set permissions to automatically deny or allow chosen apps to have Internet access - a great way to guard against spyware and other unauthorized program access. VirusBarrier X6 also includes network monitoring and complete logging so you can quickly see what's happening on your Mac now as well as what may have happened in the past.