Tech To Web

Do Mac’s Need Antivirus Software?

There’s nothing quite like getting your first Mac. After years of torment at the hands of Bill Gates and his patience-testing software, your first Mac will be a revelation. Beautifully designed and a breeze to use, it is hard to find any fault with the late Steve Jobs’s creations.

Apple support workers and Mac owners will also probably tell you that you don’t need antivirus software or Internet security too, which can often be difficult to accept if you are coming from a virus-ridden PC. These Mac disciples are partly right, as aggressive malware tends to attack Windows as opposed to Mac OS X, but there is an alternative view.

Mac antivirus may be about precaution rather than prevention but after spending so much money on a shiny new laptop do you really want to take the risk? A virus that makes your Mac crash or sends out inappropriate emails is fairly unlikely, but probably the most important thing your Mac contains is at risk, your data.

Data theft is rife in the online community and more and more people are having their identity stolen and bank details used every day. Antivirus software can help stop this and give you peace of mind when handing over details online or using your Internet bank account.

If you have a business or use your Mac for work, it’s not just your data that is at risk but also your clients’ and your company’s. Large corporations have been targeted over the last year, leaking customers’ bank details and email addresses, so it would not be difficult for someone to do the same to you. You need to ask yourself just how attractive your data is, whether it personal or corporate and change your security accordingly.

The Mac has got security flaws and there are plenty of people out there who are able to exploit them. Apple’s web browser Safari is particularly at risk, with a number of vulnerable areas in which hackers can access your information. Just because there is not one mass-produced virus that can damage OS X this does not mean you are not at risk. A highly sophisticated phishing scam can still put you and your data in a difficult position so by erring on the side of caution and purchasing some antivirus software, you will be able to use your Mac safe in the knowledge it’s protected.

There aren’t many free antivirus programs around for the Mac and the ones that are offered for free often have key features omitted or can be extremely unreliable. You are better to opt for a reputable software company and spend a little bit of money on ensuring you Mac is safe.

Remember, just because a virus is yet to bring down the OS X operating system, it doesn’t mean someone won’t eventually come up with one. Your applications will still allow some form of attack so be careful what you download and beware of Trojans, backdoors, adware, spyware, and other disreputable software.

Even if your Mac does not succumb to a virus, can you be sure you won’t pass it onto someone else? Antivirus software can quarantine and destroy anything malevolent on your system before you email it to a friend, colleague or client. Can you really afford to pass on these viruses?

There is PC antivirus, mobile antivirus and all types of other software to protect your gadgets, so why should your Mac be any different? Buying some reasonable antivirus software is a small price to pay, when you consider just what it can do for you and your computer. Antivirus software gives you complete peace of mind and helps you to get on with what your Mac is designed for!