antivirus and spyware detection and removal

By Siobhan, 2 December, 2021

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hi all. Since i've gotten my new Macbook pro, I want to keep ti as protected as possible. I've already downloaded and reactivated Clean my Mac. I'm sure it will detect some stuff but i was curious of any other applications anyone has. Thanks for the help.

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Comments

By Kilroy on Sunday, November 28, 2021 - 20:52

You will likely get competing opinions, but so long as you are sensible in how you use your Mac and don't routinely download or receive files which are then sent to a PC or PC user, I would suggest that you don't bother with virus and spyware software as malware on Mac is still relatively uncommon due to the built-in macOS security features such as Gatekeeper and XProtect.

Here's more info on the built-in security features: Protecting against malware in macOS

From the little I've read on this topic, my takeaway has been that most malware software for Mac is bloated, a resource hog, and expensive.

I do have CleanMyMacX, and the reviews I read about its antivirus functionality when it was added weren't great. So, if you do decide that you need malware protection, I would suggest that you look in to a dedicated malware tool.

By Igna Triay on Sunday, November 28, 2021 - 20:52

I fully agree with @2 in general, but to be in the safe side, I use a anti virus. Bit defender is what I use.