The vast majority of threats for macOS in 2019 were in the AdWare category. During the first half of 2019, we registered 1.8 million attacks of this kind. The number of attacks on macOS users through malicious and potentially unwanted programs has been increasing annually since 2012, and in 2018 it exceeded 4 million attacks. However, starting in 2018, the number of attacked users began to decrease, and in the first half of 2019, it only amounted to 87,000. Mac Security Test & Review 2019 ()įrom 2012 to 2017, the number of macOS users who have experienced attacks from malicious and potentially unwanted programs grew, approaching 255,000 attacked users per year. Whilst it is certainly true that the population of macOS malware is very tiny compared to that for Windows and Android, there have been instances of macOS malware getting into the wild.

Although there’s a lot less malware for macOS than for Windows, it does exist.

Mac Malware ExistsĪny software can be compromised, and macOS is no exception. The term antivirus is often used for software that’s anti-malware, because it fights not only viruses but other forms of malware. It’s software that prevents and/or removes malware (malicious software) from a device. I try to base my advice on data rather than on marketing, so let’s look at the data.īefore we continue, allow me to define anti-malware. I hope you haven’t been a victim of malware!ĭo you need antivirus (anti-malware) for your Mac ( MacBook, iMac, or Mac Mini)? Unsurprisingly, makers of Mac security software are happy to tell you about all the malware that could be targeting your Mac.

I’ve seen firsthand the damage malware can do. Early in my IT career, I removed countless pieces of malware from consumer and business Windows PCs.

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