
Viruses and other malware are often stopped in their tracks by macOS.
DO YOU NEED ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE FOR MAC HOW TO
Related: Downloaded a Suspicious File? Here’s How to Check if It Contains MalwareĬan Viruses Bypass My Mac’s Security Features? When you run an app in a sandbox, you limit what it can do and provide additional permissions based on input. As the name suggests, sandboxing refers to providing the app with all the bare essentials it needs to perform its purpose, and nothing else. It’s just more common to see malware from unsigned applications than apps downloaded from the Mac App Store or signed with an Apple-issued developer certificate.

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Unsigned software isn’t always harmful-lots of free software developers can’t justify the $99 required to enter Apple’s Developer Program and issue certificates. Gatekeeper blocks all software that isn’t signed with an Apple-issued developer certificate from opening on your Mac, unless you specifically authorize it. This prevents unknown applications from causing harm. Thus, if any file is suspicious, you’ll see a warning that the file may damage your computer.Īnother technology incorporated into macOS is Gatekeeper.

Whenever you open a file, XProtect scans and checks it against known macOS malware. It may surprise you to know that your Mac already runs an anti-malware scanner in the background called XProtect. Your Mac has many built-in security features to keep it safe. What Are the Built-In Mac Security Features? But they are not foolproof protections, and you may need additional protection on your Mac. These include Gatekeeper and XProtect (more on them below). Macs have a lot of built-in features and protections that can prevent malware from infecting them. Security firms have actually uncovered several threats and malware specifically targeted at Macs. Viruses and other malware can infect Macs as much as they do other systems. Macs have been historically considered very safe and secure systems, and the general belief is that Macs are invulnerable to viruses and malware.

But we’ve broken it all down for you below. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as simple as you think it is. Do I Need Antivirus on My Mac? Here’s the AnswerĬan Macs get viruses? Do you need antivirus software on your Mac? These questions have plagued Mac users for years.
