We also excluded corrupted files, and component files (which cannot run independently), as these do not pose a risk by themselves. We did not include any potentially unwanted or “grey” samples (adware, hacking tools, etc.) in the test set. All are distinctly malicious, functioning, self-contained programs and were seen in-the-field in 2016.
For this test, we used the 50 most recent and prevalent Mac malware samples (such as KeRanger and OceanLotus) that are not blocked by Mac OS X itself. In addition to the interface review described above, we have also conducted malware protection tests to see how effectively the Mac security products protect the system against malware.
We congratulate these manufacturers, who elected to have their products reviewed and tested, as we feel their commitment is a valuable contribution to improving security for Mac systems. Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete for Mac 9.0.2.22 We have reviewed and tested the following products for this report, using the newest version available in July 2016 for OS X 10.11.5 El Capitan:
Be careful about which programs you install and where you download them from.Deactivate any services such as Airport, Bluetooth or IPv6 that you don’t use.Use secure passwords (the Mac includes the Ke圜hain password manager).
Readers who are concerned that third-party security software will slow their Mac down can be reassured that we considered this in our test we did not observe any significant performance reduction during daily operations with any of the programs reviewed.Īs with Windows computers, Macs can be made safer by employing good security practices. However, we feel that non-expert users, children, and users who frequently like to experiment with new software, could definitely benefit from having security software on their Mac systems, in addition to the security features provided by the Mac OS itself. Please note that nearly all manufacturers still call their products “antivirus”, although in reality they protect against all types of malware, including Trojans.Įxperienced and responsible Mac users who are careful about which programs they install, and which sources they obtain them from, may well argue – very reasonably – that they are not at risk from Mac malware. Whilst the number of actual viruses affecting Mac OS X may be negligible or even zero, Mac systems clearly can be infected by Trojans, if users are fooled into installing them. games or music files) are much more common. These days, viruses make up a small percentage of all known malware Trojans (malicious programs disguised as e.g. This once again illustrates that Mac systems are not immune to infection by malware, and that it is advisable to take precautions to protect them.įor a sensible discussion of the subject, it is necessary to understand that a computer virus is only one of a number of different types of malware (malicious software). In March 2016, a ransomware program called KeRanger was discovered by Palo Alto Networks. It is believed to have affected over 7,000 Mac users, whose personal data was rendered unusable by encryption.