Question for Mac users that have AV/Malware software installed.
So I’m coming up on a year of being a first time Mac user, M1 Mac Mini and I love it! I’ve installed tons of apps via the App Store and 3rd party websites. Have tons of junk files probably on my Mac but that’s part and parcel of using a computer right. I understand Mac has XProtect and Gateway installed which is great. I have software updates set to automatically update as well. I also have Little Snitch installed. Love it but it can be a bit over my head sometimes. I use Safari/Firefox with adblockers. I use a password manager and 2FA, etc. So I tick off all the boxes as far as privacy and security are concerned EXCEPT for have AV/Malware protection installed. Also human error on my part can bypass all these safeguards. And XProtect doesn’t have a UI on demand scan like Windows AV software does. In this year of using my first Mac there’s been times where it’s behaved weird, wondered if it was a malware or just too much of the proverbial “software junk files” installed.
With all that said I want to consider installing some AV/Malware protection and maybe a system cleaner (UGH uncouth for Mac users lol I know). But again the reality is there’s a lot of attack vectors and stupid human errors online. The other reality is I’ve tons of personal information on my computer, passwords, searches, documents, pictures, and videos. If this was in the physical world I wouldn’t leave this stuff just sitting in my front yard without protection. So for that Mac users here what AV/Malware and system cleaners do you have installed? What did you like about them what do you hate?
I’ve been looking at MacCleaner Pro and CleanMyMac X because they are Mac specific and they seem to have good reviews where ever I go. I’m also considering BitDefender for AV/Malware. I used to use them on my Windows machines and it also scored well with AV audit sites and it’s foot print my computer was small.
Thanks in advance!
dftf
<p>"Anti-virus, and especially system cleaners are a difficult subject on Windows […]"</p><p><br></p><p>Is it still a "difficult subject" even thesedays? "Just stick with the built-in <em>Windows Security</em> solution" is pretty-much the only advice I see or hear now. And why not? According to third-party AV testing sites, like <em>AVComparitives </em>or <em>AVTest</em>, it’s detection-rates usually rank amongst the best, especially if you leave the "cloud-delivered protection" setting on. And while not on by-default, its "ransomware protection" feature will also help stop rogue apps from altering files in certain folders.</p><p><br></p><p>"[…] third party cleaning tools […] have been redundant on Windows for most users for around a decade."</p><p><br></p><p>Not to mention they can often cause more-harm-than-good. I’d suggest just these four things:</p><p><br></p><p>In most browsers, you can request they delete the cache when you exit them fully.</p><p>The "Storage Sense" feature can automatically delete temporary files, Recycle Bin files or old Download folder items.</p><p>You can delete all but the most-recent <em>System Restore </em>point using <em>Disk Cleanup</em>.</p><p>And if you’re sure your PC is running fine and you don’t need to uninstall any recent Windows Update, fire-up an admin Command Prompt and run: <strong>DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase</strong></p><p><br></p><p>"[…] I did install ClamAV, an open source AV software […]"</p><p><br></p><p>There’s a blast-from-the-past! The last time I even tried that app it still didn’t support live-scanning, only on-demand, which makes it somewhat useless for most people. Plus in testing its definitions are somewhat weak. I guess the fact you can run it from a single folder might make it useful to clean a PC you can’t risk connecting to the Internet or local-network — but then "Microsoft Safety Scanner" is essentially a single-file download version of the same thing: on-demand scanning only.</p><p><br></p><p>"If you feel you need extra protection […]"</p><p><br></p><p>Then just upload the file to the "VirusTotal" website and see what result you get. You can do that on <em>any </em>OS, no software install required. About the only-other thing I’d recommend to regular "risky file downloader" types would be <em>Malwarebytes</em>, but for anyone-else the built-in solution should be fine.</p>
dftf
<p>"But how many PCs still come with 3-6 months of <em>McAfee</em> or <em>Norton</em> installed and try and con the user into buying a subscription?"</p><p><br></p><p>True, but that’s why you educate such people that there is a free, built-in solution. (It would be great if they would all uninstall clearly, though, as virtually every AV app has a "cleanup tool" available.)</p><p><br></p><p>"[…] fire-up an admin Command Prompt and run: <strong>DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase</strong>. Again, for you and me, no problem. For the vast majority of Windows users, "what is this voodoo you speak of?""</p><p><br></p><p>This is a site for tech enthusiasts, not the majority, so I’m knowing my audience. (Plus, <em>Windows </em>actually performs a similar cleanup via the "StartComponentCleanup" Scheduled Task about once every 30 days. But again, know your audience: most people here want to do things immediately and have the commands for them. It will also compress some unused app data, using one of the XPRESS methods, in <em>Windows 10 </em>or <em>11 </em>also.)</p><p><br></p><p>"Then just upload the file to the "VirusTotal" website […]. Again, for you and me, not a problem. But for a majority of people, "you what now?""</p><p><br></p><p>Again, education. And compared to some advice here, it’s the easiest thing to teach them: go to this website, click "Choose File" and then browse to the file you want to upload. (Or even easier, on a non-mobile device: just drag the file over and drop.)</p>
dftf
<p><strong>(1) </strong>I don’t use <em>macOS</em>, but <em>Malwarebytes </em>is a widely-used anti-malware app on <em>Windows</em> and I see they do a mac version.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>(2) </strong>Don’t forget about the <em>VirusTotal </em>online service: upload any file to it (up-to 650MB) and it’ll scan it against 60-odd AVs and give you the result.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>(3) </strong>There are some third-parties who do testing on AV products to see how many detections they can make, and impact on system performance. Try reading some of their latest reviews for macOS products:</p><p><br></p><p>AV-TEST: av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-macos</p><p><br></p><p>AV Comparatives: av-comparatives.org/tests/mac-security-test-review-2021</p>