norton antivirus free download for macbook air

Other tools like password managers and VPNs can also help you protect your security and privacy online, while a parental control module could be a valuable addition if you have kids. What features should I look for?Īside from intercepting malware, a good security product will include a web protection module that can warn you when you’re in danger of providing potentially valuable information to an untrustworthy website. Both labs publish the full results of their regular tests online, so if you’re interested in a product we haven’t mentioned, you can check up on its performance on the sites linked above. Testing antivirus software against real-world threats, and determining which will do the best job, is no easy task, but thankfully there are several independent laboratories dedicated to doing exactly that.Īt the time of writing, all of the suites recommended below achieved full marks for protection in the latest tests by both and.

It goes without saying that when choosing security software, you want a package that will keep you as safe as possible. How to choose the best antivirus for your Mac Happily, there are also plenty of software packages out there that can keep you safe from all types of threat. Apple users can be taken in by phishing attacks and other scams just like anyone else, and there’s no shortage of cryptocurrency miners and ransomware attacks designed to target the Mac. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to worry about security, however. Malware authors have frequently found and exploited weaknesses, such as using obscure file formats or large file sizes that the sandbox can’t process, leaving Mac users at risk of infection.MacBook Air 2019 update could include 10th-gen Intel processors While sandboxing adds another layer of security for Macs, not even the App Store nor sandboxed apps are 100% safe, as highlighted by the attack on the Chinese version of the App Store by the XCodeGhost Virus. XProtect defends Macs against various types of malware, by scanning downloaded files for signs of infection, but it needs to be regularly updated to recognize new or emerging threats - and it won’t help you if you unwittingly land on an infected or unsafe website.Ī digital certificate is always seen as proof of a file’s security and a surefire sign that the file contains no malicious code, but cybercriminals can still plant malicious code at the file completion stage, exploit security gaps to sign their malicious files with valid digital certificates, and more. The macOS, or Mac OS X system, has existed for 40 years in various forms - it’s robust, and because of its regular updates, malware developers find it hard to keep up with the changes and write viruses that will successfully infect the Mac operating system.Īpple's basic malware detection is built directly into its Mac OS X operating system.

Norton antivirus free download for macbook air