Antivirus for Mac: Excess or Necessity?

Updated on November 29th, 2012 by Quertime Writer in Software

There’s a wide-spread opinion that the devices that run under Mac OS X are immune to viruses. Do Mac users need to install an antivirus on their devices? In this article I’d like to try and answer this question and also tell you about good antiviruses for Apple devices.

Why Macs are so Safe?
One of the Mac’s advantages is low susceptibility to virus attacks. The reason is in the architecture of the Mac OS X kernel. The thing is that Mac OS X restricts all global actions that can be done by third-party software. For example, if you have downloaded an infected object, this object won’t get access to important system files. But you should take into consideration that though protected you still may carry the virus to other devices.

Is There a Reason for Concern?
Still there always will be people claiming that the virus for Mac will soon appear. On the opposite side will be people claiming that Apple’s system of protection is perfect and no virus can damage it. The Apple developers themselves have introduced some advice for all Mac users, such as downloading only from trusted resources, updating the software, using FileVault, etc. But I think that you will agree that any system can’t be regarded as full protected.

How to Protect Your Mac?
First of all, I’d like to mention some means for protection of your Mac from external threats.

– Software updates
Always update your software to the latest versions available, especially when we speak about security system updates. Apple very quickly reacts to some holes in your security system. This is why Mac devices are so good in resisting external threats. As soon as some problems are detected, developers create a solution and it comes to you in the form of software update. If you ignore these updates for a long period of time then you can make your system defenseless to different threats.

– Data encryption
Mac OS X automatically protects important system files while the security settings for private data are left for a user to set up. Open “System settings”, choose “Protection” section and go to “FileVault” tab. Here you may activate data encryption of the information in the home catalogue. Now it will be much more difficult to get access to your private data.

– Be careful while Internet surfing
It may sound stupid but you need to be careful. Don’t open sites Mac warns you about. And surely don’t download files from the sites you don’t know or don’t trust. Also, be aware of the fact that Mac will always warn you when opening files or documents downloaded from the Internet. Sometimes it may be really useful.

Kaspersky Security for Mac
This is a great app from a well-known Kaspersky Laboratory. The program does exactly what is promised – it protects your Mac without using much if your system resources. The antivirus is not free but it’s not a very high price for computer safety.

Avast Antivirus for Mac
One of the best antiviruses at the market. Not long ago there appeared a version for Mac. It has a lot of advantages (no use to name them all here). Among the disadvantages I’d like to mention pretty frequent crashes, though I think that’s it’s only a matter of time for the developers to fix it.

Sophos Antivirus for Mac
This is relatively new antivirus software. The antivirus attracts with its functionality, flexibility and absence of fee.

Corporate users may also consider buying Norton and McAfee antiviruses.

Conclusion
As a conclusion, I’d like to say that from my point of view, buying and installing an antivirus on your Mac is not a sign of paranoia but a right decision for your computer protection. Additional safety measures never will be excessive.