Other packages might offer VPN (virtual private network) capabilities which can be useful when you need to operate your computer in an untrusted environment, or a public location such as an Internet café, where you are not sure of the integrity of the connection. Windows, as phishing sites function by deceiving the user rather than by altering the operating system or browser. Readers should note that Mac users are just as vulnerable to phishing attacks as users of e.g. For example, browser extensions can identify web sites which are potentially phishing locations. Mac security programs can offer other capabilities too. In this scenario, it is useful to be able to ensure that malware is not inadvertently passed on from one friend to another, even if your own machine is not at risk. There is Windows malware on the USB stick, and you make a copy of all the files. They both use Windows, but you are using a macOS computer. For example, if you are given a USB stick of photos by one friend, who asks you to make a copy for a second friend. There are scenarios where you might well benefit from scanning for such threats. Hence an AV program on your macOS computer could effectively handle Windows and Android malware as well. Some vendors’ macOS security products can detect malware aimed at other operating systems too. Secondly, you might want a broader base of malware evaluation. Firstly, the approach taken by Apple might be adequate for well-established malware, but might not respond quickly enough to emerging threats. The effectiveness of Apple’s built-in anti-malware features have been questioned, however, and some security experts recommend strengthening the defences by adding in a third-party antivirus package. System and security updates are installed automatically using the macOS update process.

These features are essentially invisible to the user, other than configuration options and alerts. Finally, Apple provide the “Malware Removal Tool” (MRT). Then there is “XProtect”, which checks files against known-malware signatures. Firstly, there is “Gatekeeper”, which warns when apps without a digital signature (i.e. In addition, it should be noted that Apple themselves ship some anti-malware capabilities within macOS. Moreover, Apple Mac security needs to be considered in the wider context of other types of attacks. Whilst it is certainly true that the population of macOS malware is very tiny compared to that for Windows and Android, there have still been many instances of macOS malware getting into the wild. It is an often-heard view that macOS computers don’t need antivirus protection.

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