Antivirus software

[idea67]

Hi
Anybody knows of a free of antivirus software that is free and reliable.
Please let me know .

Thank you, oh... Happy New Year!

 

[chscag]

You can try this one:

DetectX

kicking out badware on macOS since 2014

sqwarq.com

or this one:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/

or:

VirusBarrier Scanner | Intego

Number 1 Leading Mac security and antivirus software since 1997. Award-winning AV, network security, utility and parental control software exclusively for Mac OS X and macOS

www.intego.com

 

[Randy B. Singer]

We had a long recent thread on this topic here on Mac-Forums; and a really long older one. You should do a search and find and read them. I believe that one of those threads has been pinned here to make it easier to find.

To summarize:

- There are extremely few threats in the wild for the Mac. That, combined with the fact that just about all of the fully interactive anti-malware utilities for the Mac have been implicated with nasty slowdowns and vexing rotating beachballs, most Mac users do completely without. Despite this, even on a list like this with many thousands of users, you just about never hear of a believable report of someone losing data to malware.

- The Macintosh operating system COMES WITH several layers of anti-malware protection built-in.

- While the often-recommended MalwareBytes and DetectX are excellent at finding and taking care of adware (which generally isn't malicious, just annoying), there is concern that (despite what it says on their Web sites) that they aren't truly comprehensive anti-malware utilities. However, since the true anti-malware utilities often don't look for adware, it's good to have both DetectX (which is free) as well as a really good anti-malware utility.

DetectX

kicking out badware on macOS since 2014

sqwarq.com

- There aren't any current comparison tests of anti-malware utilities that are offered by unbiased believable sources. However, going on the last believeable tests, Intego's VirusBarrier is the best such utility. It comes from a company that only makes Macintosh software. There is a free version!:

VirusBarrier Free Edition (free)

‎Intego VirusBarrier Scanner

‎Free antivirus and malware security for your Mac! Intego Virus-Barrier Scanner can scan and remove Mac and Windows malware with a single click. VirusBarrier Scanner will detect any infected files which you might have downloaded or gotten in your inbox. This way your Mac is always kept safe and...

itunes.apple.com

 

[pm-r]

Intego's VirusBarrier is the best such utility. It comes from a company that only makes Macintosh software. There is a free version!:

VirusBarrier Free Edition (free)

It's true that they do seem to provide a "Free version", I would add unless I am doing something wrong, that the Free trials only seem to last 30 days before they expire.

But at least their installer does contain a handy uninstaller, if and when one wants to get rid of the free expired trial.


- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

It's true that they do seem to provide a "Free version", I would add unless I am doing something wrong, that the Free trials only seem to last 30 days before they expire.

Nope, this one is free. No limit. Free. As in, Free.

 

[chscag]

@Patrick:

The version that I listed and also Randy is the free version. Hopefully, the OP skips the VirusBarrier and just goes with DetectX which I also recommended to him.

 

[pm-r]

Nope, this one is free. No limit. Free. As in, Free.

Thanks Jake.
And it also seems to be a completely different version series from what I had Installed and it also needs macOS 10.10.x or above.


- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

@Patrick:

...Hopefully, the OP skips the VirusBarrier and just goes with DetectX which I also recommended to him.

As I explained, the two are complementary. It's good to have both.

It's not simply that DetectX Swift can't be doing a complete scan for all malware, everywhere it might hide, in the 20 second or so scan that it does...I've been recommending that folks use both products together for a good while now, and one product will consistently find some things that the other doesn't. I've had a good amount of feedback from users on this at this point and I'm very comfortable suggesting that folks use both.

They are both free products, there is no downside on having and using both.

 

[Rod]

Just for interests sake I downloaded the current version of Malwarebytes and I have to say I've seldom seen an app that tries that hard to talk a user into purchasing a paid (Premium) subscription form of the app. First they give you the premium version as a trial (unless you refuse it). Then they show you what you will be missing when you use the free version. Then the scanner UI offers another large button to upgrade to Premium or Trial Premium and it features a block declaring that App Block and Malware Protection are off but could be on if you upgrade to Premium. Wow!
Of course you can ignore all this as I did and just run a scan and unlike DetectX and Intego's VirusBarrier it actually found something, PUP.Systweak which is Malwarebytes’ generic detection name for a family of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) published by Systweak Software.
So I have quaretined them for now and I will see what the result (if any) is.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...it actually found something, PUP.Systweak ...

I had never heard of this "potentially unwanted program." So I did some research. Systweak is a legitimate company that makes both Mac and PC utilities:

Software for Windows, Mac, iOS & Android -Systweak Software

Systweak Software has been developing and distributing Windows, Mac, iOS & Android Apps for the last 20 years to improve the average user’s digital experience.

www.systweak.com

Some people regard Systweak's software as "unwanted" because they didn't purposely download it. Instead, it often comes as part of a legitimate software bundle deal. But I can't find anything anywhere that says that Systweak's software is at all malicious or that it is adware. The thing is that company's that distribute software bundles sometimes include demo software; it's how they make their money. So it is questionable whether Systweak's software is indeed a legitimate PUP.

But if you want to check out something that really seems questionable, do this. Download EasyFind, which is free:

DEVONtechnologies | Needful Things

A little collection of free utilities for the Mac to make your life easier.

www.devontechnologies.com

Set EasyFind to look for "malwarebytes", and set it to ignore case, to only look at file and folder names, and to also look for invisible files. Then sit back and let EasyFind search your entire hard drive. See how many files it finds that Malwarebytes installed.

The last time I checked, Malwarebytes installed **24 files** on my Mac. What in the world do you think that all of those files are doing? I don't know myself....which is why I deleted them all and I now use and recommend DetectX Swift instead.

 

[Rod]

Randy I know kinda suspected as much. It really has turned into a sort of adware program itself.
I do have EasyFind so I'll do a check as you suggested and give you a count.

 

[Rod]

Restored quarantined items and found Malwarebytes had installed 32 files/folders. All but 2 removed by their uninstaller being frontend saved state files all gone now. Interesting exercise but I'm more than happy with DetectX Swift and Intego's VirusBarrier. I didnt think Malwarebytes could get much objectionable but it did.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...found Malwarebytes had installed 32 files/folders. ...

Wow! Scary, isn't it?

One can only begin to imagine what all those files are doing.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I had never heard of this "potentially unwanted program." So I did some research. Systweak is a legitimate company that makes both Mac and PC utilities:

Software for Windows, Mac, iOS & Android -Systweak Software

Systweak Software has been developing and distributing Windows, Mac, iOS & Android Apps for the last 20 years to improve the average user’s digital experience.

www.systweak.com

Some people regard Systweak's software as "unwanted" because they didn't purposely download it. Instead, it often comes as part of a legitimate software bundle deal. But I can't find anything anywhere that says that Systweak's software is at all malicious or that it is adware. The thing is that company's that distribute software bundles sometimes include demo software; it's how they make their money. So it is questionable whether Systweak's software is indeed a legitimate PUP.

To be fair here to MalwareBytes, DetectX also flags Systweak's software as PUPs. I had installed their app Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro to clean up duplicated photos in iCloud Photos. It came from the Mac App Store and I never had, nor developed, any reason to believe the software was malicious in any way. There's simply a database "somewhere" of these PUPs that these guys are getting their info from. I think it was the Windows counterparts to their software that is a bit sketchy, from what I read up on when the app I had got flagged. Actually, here's a site that explains why they are flagged as such.

Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro – WHAT IS IT + Remove It

What is Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro? Is Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro legit or a scam? How to remove Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro from Windows?

sensorstechforum.com

 

[pm-r]

The thing is that company's that distribute software bundles sometimes include demo software; it's how they make their money. So it is questionable whether Systweak's software is indeed a legitimate PUP.

In case anyone else wasn't sure of the translation for "PUP" as in this case:

• A PUP (potentially unwanted program) is a program that may be unwanted, despite the possibility that users consented to download it. PUPs include spyware, adware, and dialers, and are often downloaded in conjunction with a program that the user wants.

- Patrick
=======

 

[chscag]

The places where most PUPs are picked up are on game sites. Even though the game site itself is legal and posts demos and add ons, it seems that downloading any of those sometimes include PUPs.

The other day, I went to a game site to find a newer DOOM wad to add to my collection. The site download wanted to first install "Flash" stating that I had to have it since it was not already installed. I immediately killed the download sequence and ran a check of my system to make sure no Flash bits got thru.

A non savvy person would have allowed the download to continue and Flash would have been installed. And who knows what kind of Flash it is? Not from Adobe that's for sure since they quit supporting it and have removed it from their site.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

But if you want to check out something that really seems questionable, do this. Download EasyFind, which is free:

DEVONtechnologies | Needful Things

A little collection of free utilities for the Mac to make your life easier.

www.devontechnologies.com

Set EasyFind to look for "malwarebytes", and set it to ignore case, to only look at file and folder names, and to also look for invisible files. Then sit back and let EasyFind search your entire hard drive. See how many files it finds that Malwarebytes installed.

The last time I checked, Malwarebytes installed **24 files** on my Mac. What in the world do you think that all of those files are doing? I don't know myself....which is why I deleted them all and I now use and recommend DetectX Swift instead.

I get 24 hits when I do a similar search for "VirusBarrier" also. I don't think the file/folder count is necessarily a sign of something nefarious. Granted, DetectX only gives me 8 hits, but it's also a less comprehensive solution, though IMO perfectly adequate especially when using its Folder Observer feature.

 

[Cr00zng]

In case anyone else wasn't sure of the translation for "PUP" as in this case:

- Patrick
=======

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

I've posted this blogs six years ego, just as relevent now as it had been then...

 

[Jim40]

We had a long recent thread on this topic here on Mac-Forums; and a really long older one. You should do a search and find and read them. I believe that one of those threads has been pinned here to make it easier to find.

To summarize:

- There are extremely few threats in the wild for the Mac. That, combined with the fact that just about all of the fully interactive anti-malware utilities for the Mac have been implicated with nasty slowdowns and vexing rotating beachballs, most Mac users do completely without. Despite this, even on a list like this with many thousands of users, you just about never hear of a believable report of someone losing data to malware.

- The Macintosh operating system COMES WITH several layers of anti-malware protection built-in.

- While the often-recommended MalwareBytes and DetectX are excellent at finding and taking care of adware (which generally isn't malicious, just annoying), there is concern that (despite what it says on their Web sites) that they aren't truly comprehensive anti-malware utilities. However, since the true anti-malware utilities often don't look for adware, it's good to have both DetectX (which is free) as well as a really good anti-malware utility.

DetectX

kicking out badware on macOS since 2014

sqwarq.com

- There aren't any current comparison tests of anti-malware utilities that are offered by unbiased believable sources. However, going on the last believeable tests, Intego's VirusBarrier is the best such utility. It comes from a company that only makes Macintosh software. There is a free version!:

VirusBarrier Free Edition (free)

‎Intego VirusBarrier Scanner

‎Free antivirus and malware security for your Mac! Intego Virus-Barrier Scanner can scan and remove Mac and Windows malware with a single click. VirusBarrier Scanner will detect any infected files which you might have downloaded or gotten in your inbox. This way your Mac is always kept safe and...

itunes.apple.com

I find Malwarebytes very useful, especially as my UK bank provides it free of charge for all account holders. Pity I can't say the same about Malwarebytes Privacy which when you buy one copy, you are supposed to be able to install it on another Mac. Never able to do this and it took months to get a refund.