You may have been led to believe that you don’t have to worry about computer viruses on your Mac. And, to some extent, there’s truth to that. While your Mac can definitely be infected with malware, Apple’s built-in malware detection and file quarantine capabilities are meant to make it less likely that you’ll download and run malicious software.

Fortunately, Windows 10 can improve your security from this kind of threat. Its recent edition of Windows Defender is built to protect you from ransomware. But ransomware protection isn’t on by default. So it’s on you to turn it on. Tap the Windows key and launch Windows Defender Security Center. Go to Virus & threat protection.

Whether you’re choosing a free or a paid version, it’s vital that any antivirus software you use have at least these five fundamental features. 1) Spam and Phishing Protection. Most spam emails won’t do you much harm, other than cluttering up your inbox and making it hard to single out the real emails that you want to read.
Experts also agree that paid antivirus software may come with better, more personalized support, should you need it. Beyond that, the question of whether to pay for antivirus software comes down.

Apple introduced malware detection to the Mac OS with Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6). This system consists of the quarantine of any app downloaded from the Internet, the use of Code Signing certificates to verify that an app is coming from a legit source, and regular security updates that include databases of known malware targeting the Mac OS.

Because of this system, called File Quarantine and occasionally referred to as XProtect:

Apps in quarantine display a dialog window reminding you where the app came from and asking whether or not you’re sure you want to open it.
Apps with no code signing certificate, depending on your Gatekeeper settings, may display a message saying the app can’t be opened because of your settings. (For software you know is good you can bypass this by control-clicking the app and selecting Open from the resulting contextual menu.)
Apps that are known malware cannot be opened at all. You’ll be met with a message offering the option to toss the app in the trash.

And this is why Macs remain mostly virus and malware free.

To make sure your Mac malware database is always up to date you’ll want to verify that your Mac always automatically installs security updates and related system data files.

To do this:

Open System Preferences
Open the App Store preference
Make sure that Automatically check for updates and Install system data files and security updates are checked.

This should keep your Mac free from most malicious software, although it’s important to note that it does not make it impossible for malicious software to be installed on your Mac. There is no software that’s able to catch everything. If new malware is released today and you download and run it today you will have done so before Apple’s databases could have been updated. So it’s always best to be wise when downloading software from unknown sources.

While it’s unlikely that your Mac will run any malware, there is possibly a more pernicious issue: You Mac could become the Typhoid Mary of Windows viruses, which is to say, you could be harboring viruses on your Mac that won’t effect you, but can be problems for Windows users.

Think I’m joking? Have a look at this screenshot, taken from my Mac during the course of writing this column:

That, my friends, is a list of 30 potentially bad things that…you guessed it, were found on my Mac while I was running a test virus scan, one of which is a Windows virus. And, nope, I did not plan this, even though I did plan to write about this problem.

So, how do you keep your Mac from relaying Windows viruses to Windows users?

ClamXav.

Why ClamXav? Because it has one job and it does it very well. It’s not too intrusive. It doesn’t try to do too much. If you’re using Apple’s Server app to host your email, it’s what Apple uses to scan incoming mail for viruses.

ClamXav is, like AdWare Medic, donationware and it is fantastic. You’ll find it at the Mac App Store or you can download it directly from the ClamXav Website, where you can also make a donation.

Once you’ve downloaded and opened the app you’ll want to set the app’s preferences, as the default behavior is to scan for viruses but not delete or quarantine them. ClamXav offers five configuration options:

General: For setting up alerts and whether or not to scan for malware and phishing in your email messages (which is where the app found infected files on my Mac)
Quarantine: For defining where you want to quarantine malicious files
Exclude Files: To specify file types you don’t want scanned
Log Files: For setting whether or not you want log files stored and for viewing them
Schedule: For defining when you want the latest virus definitions downloaded and when you want scheduled scans to take place

Once you’ve finished your setup, click the Start Scan button and go grab some milk and cookies. Scanning may take awhile, but when it’s done you’ll know for sure your Mac is clean.

No, and if your bank insists you install some non-Apple product I recommend you find another bank, because any organization that does not understand such fundamental aspects of Internet security should not be trusted with your money. There appears to be an incestuous relationship between at least one 'anti-virus' product vendor and many banks. Their product is capable of nothing beneficial and is likely to prevent your Mac from working properly.

Do I Need Antivirus Mavericks Windows 10

OS X already includes everything it needs to protect itself from viruses and malware. Keep it that with software updates from Apple.

A much better question is 'how should I protect my Mac':

Never install any product that claims to 'speed up', 'clean up', 'optimize', or 'accelerate' your Mac. Without exception, they will do the opposite.
Never install pirated or 'cracked' software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources. Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
Don’t supply your password in response to a popup window requesting it, unless you know what it is and the reason your credentials are required.
Don’t open email attachments from email addresses that you do not recognize, or click links contained in an email:
- Most of these are scams that direct you to fraudulent sites that attempt to convince you to disclose personal information.
- Such 'phishing' attempts are the 21st century equivalent of a social exploit that has existed since the dawn of civilization. Don’t fall for it.
- Apple will never ask you to reveal personal information in an email. If you receive an unexpected email from Apple saying your account will be closed unless you take immediate action, just ignore it. If your iTunes or App Store account becomes disabled for valid reasons, you will know when you try to buy something or log in to this support site, and are unable to.
Don’t install browser extensions unless you understand their purpose. Go to the Safari menu > Preferences > Extensions. If you see any extensions that you do not recognize or understand, simply click the Uninstall button and they will be gone.
Don’t install Java unless you are certain that you need it:
- Java, a non-Apple product, is a potential vector for malware. If you are required to use Java, be mindful of that possibility.
- Disable Java in S