Here are our top antivirus software picks for Mac, with each one being specially tailored to protect your Apple computer. However, there are plenty of antivirus solutions offered to Mac owners.
Cybersecurity company Malwarebytes wrote last year that the amount of malware being detected on Macs was outpacing that on PCs for the first time. "All of these things make access or control of these devices potentially incredibly valuable to an attacker."Īpple isn't alone recognizing the rising plight of attacks on its computers. "It's an attractive target," he added, noting the cameras, microphones, location data and two-step authentication technology that are standard on smartphones these days. Epic says that Apple's approach is too restrictive and that competing technologies should be allowed onto its phones as well.įederighi described Apple's restrictive approach as an important part of protecting the more than 1 billion iPhones in active use. The court is considering whether Apple should be allowed to wall off its phones and tablets, only allowing apps to be installed through its App Store. But Apple's now defending its App Store for the iPhone and iPad in a California court, where Epic is asking a judge to force major change. "It's an endless game of whack-a-mole."Īpple's choice to essentially attack the security of its own software may seem shocking after the company spent years criticizing competing PCs as insecure. Since last May, Federighi said, there have been 130 types of Mac malware, and one of them alone infected 300,000 systems.įederighi said he believes Macs are still more secure than PCs, but he made clear that the Mac's facing a "significantly larger malware problem" than are iPhones, iPads and Apple's other devices.
But still, the malware can infect hundreds of thousands of computers before Apple stamps it out. Each week, Apple identifies a couple pieces of malware on its own or with help of third parties, Federighi added, and it uses built-in systems to automatically remove them from customers' computers.