• Antivirus Program For Mac 10.6.8
• Best Antivirus Program For Mac
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The Best Free Antivirus Software app downloads for Mac: Avast Free Mac Security Avira Free Antivirus Malwarebytes ClamXav Bitdefender Antivirus Adware.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

Superior protection, low system impact

Kaspersky Internet Security

Most everything you need

Kaspersky Total Security

Still top of the class

Plenty of Windows users believe they don't need to pay for antivirus software. Many Mac and Android users think they don't need protection at all. Windows' high profile makes it the biggest target, but macOS and Android are also vulnerable to malware, even if they don't encounter as much of it.

We believe it's worth paying for Windows antivirus software, because even the best free software leaves out some protection features we consider essential. But you don't have to spend a lot. Many antivirus products are sold online for much less than their list prices. Mac and Android users have other options: Some of our favorite Mac AV products cost nothing, and most Android security apps have free versions.

Different Types of Antivirus Software

Latest Security Alerts and Threats

—The Android PDF-creation app CamScanner was corrupted with adware, despite being in the Google Play app store. CamScanner's developers may not have been aware. ADVICE: Delete CamScanner from your Android device until a new version appears in the Play Store, and run Android antivirus software.

—Spammers have been sending emails to inject scam or malicious messages in regular people's Google Calendar pages. ADVICE: Follow our instructions to stop phony Google Calendar notifications from happening to you.

—Diagnostic software loaded onto most Lenovo Windows computers made between 2011 and 2018 could be used to hijack a PC. ADVICE: Uninstall Lenovo Solutions Center from your Lenovo PC., and run Windows antivirus software.

How We Tested

Our evaluations were based on an antivirus product's interface, performance, protection and extra features. Was the interface intuitive and user-friendly? How badly did malware scans slow performance? How well did the program detect and remove malware? Does the program have any additional tools, and are they useful?

All of our Windows tests were performed on the same Asus X555LA laptop running 64-bit Windows 8.1 (later upgraded to Windows 10), with an Intel Core i3 processor, 6GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive containing 36GB of files. To assess a program's impact on system speed, we used our custom OpenOffice benchmark test, which matches 20,000 names and addresses on a spreadsheet. The longer it took the laptop to finish the test, the heavier the performance impact. For smartphones, we used the Geekbench 3 benchmarking app.

Our Mac evaluations were conducted on a late-2013 MacBook Pro running OS X El Capitan 10.11. The Mac had a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 23GB of data on a 512GB SSD. For Android, we used a Nexus 6P smartphone running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

For malware-detection scores, we've used the results of four independent testing labs: AV-TEST in Germany, AV-Comparatives in Austria, SE Labs in England and our own labs in Utah. Each lab subjects the major antivirus brands' products to stress tests involving thousands of pieces of malware, including hundreds of previously unseen samples.

Windows Antivirus Software Types

Most antivirus makers have three or four tiers of Windows products, with each price bump adding extra features, such as parental controls or cloud backups. But because each company uses a single malware-detection engine for all its Windows antivirus software, the cheapest item — even a free one — in any product line usually finds malware just as thoroughly as the priciest.

Not all users will need premium suites, or even midrange products. If you don't have kids, or if you already have backup software, the basic product may be enough.

MORE: How to Buy Antivirus Software

Basic or Entry-Level Windows Antivirus

The least-expensive paid Windows antivirus products, which generally list from $40 to $60 per year depending on the number of PCs covered, have the essentials. Definition updates and scans are automatic; websites and email attachments are screened, and the products are mostly easy to use. Some basic AV programs toss in extra features, such as file shredders or system optimizers, that are normally found in pricier products.

Best Basic Antivirus Product

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Not only does Bitdefender Antivirus Plus have nearly perfect malware-detection scores, but it also offers great value, with a strong selection of extra tools. You'll find a built-in password manager, a secure browser, VPN client software, protection against encrypting ransomware and automatic profiles that optimize Bitdefender's impact on your system, depending on whether you're working, watching a movie or playing a game.

Midpriced Windows Antivirus

These products usually list from $60 to $80 per year. They generally build on the basic packages by bundling in parental controls and a two-way firewall to catch outgoing data, although many add other features. But for the full feature set each brand offers, you'll have to pony up for the premium products.

Best Midrange Antivirus Product

Reasons to Buy

Kaspersky takes first place among midrange antivirus software products, thanks to its excellent malware protection, a moderate system-performance impact and a full assortment of extra features and tools. Kaspersky Internet Security includes a secure browser, a virtual keyboard, specialized protection against ransomware, webcam protection to guard your privacy and VPN client software that automatically switches on when you connect to an unsafe Wi-Fi network.

Premium Windows Antivirus

Top-tier packages are often called suites because they do much more than catch malware. They might also offer file encryption, secure online storage, a password manager or an ad blocker. As most suites cover multiple devices, they also frequently bundle in licenses for Mac and Android antivirus software. For all this, you're meant to pay between $80 and $100 per year — but as with all paid antivirus software, steep discounts can often be found online.

Best Premium Antivirus Product

Reasons to Buy

Kaspersky Total Security has it all for those who want more than just excellent malware detection. This one rose to the top because it eliminates threats without generating many annoying false positives. We also like the included secure browser, which is ideal for online banking and shopping. Other highlights include a thorough file shredder and Windows backup and recovery software.

Free Windows Antivirus

Free Windows antivirus products have gotten much better, and our top two choices offer excellent malware detection, if little else. The others provide adequate protection with a smattering of goodies such as password managers or parental controls. Among those is Microsoft's built-in Windows Defender, which has risen to the middle of our rankings. However, free antivirus software generally leaves out extra protection features such as dedicated defenses against ransomware or spam blockers.

Best Free Windows Antivirus

Reasons to Buy

Kaspersky Lab largely keeps quiet about its free antivirus product, but it's a winner, with a user-friendly interface, a fairly light system-performance impact and Kaspersky's nearly flawless malware protection. Just don't expect anything from it but the bare necessities.

Mac Antivirus

Despite what Apple's marketing has implied, Macs do get infected, and the amount of Mac malware keeps rising, with more seen in the first half of 2017 than in any previous year. But there's less money to be made in the Mac antivirus market than in the Windows one, and the products are less standardized. Some Mac antivirus products are free, and some are paid. Of the products we recently evaluated, one of our No. 2 choices, Avast Free Mac Security, doesn't cost a dime.

Best Mac Antivirus

Reasons to Buy

Kaspersky Internet Security offers both the lowest system impact and some of the best malware-detection rates recorded. It even provides extra security features, including parental controls and options to lock down your webcam and stop websites from tracking your browsing activity. If you're willing to pay to protect your Mac from malware, Kaspersky Internet Security is the best option available.

Android Antivirus Apps

Every Android device, whether it's a smartphone, tablet or TV stick, should have antivirus software. Usually, that software comes with an all-encompassing security app that also includes anti-theft and remote-locating features, and many apps have both a basic free version and a premium version with more features.

The free versions of the Android security apps we reviewed are pretty solid. The paid versions, which cost between $15 and $30 per year, range from being just a bit better than the free ones to becoming practically separate products, with a wide range of capabilities. You'll have to decide what you need and select accordingly.

Best Android Antivirus

Antivirus Program For Mac 10.6.8

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

The Bitdefender Android security app has flawless malware protection, a small performance hit, privacy-protection tools and Android Wear integration. Yet there are no scheduled malware scans, and no freemium option. (The separate Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Android only scans for malware.) Still, at $15 per year per device, Bitdefender Mobile Security is worth the expense.

iOS Antivirus Apps

A lot of people want iOS antivirus software for their iPhones and iPads. The truth is that such software doesn't exist. Apple won't let third-party apps examine other iOS apps, or even inspect new apps as they're installed. Anything that claims to be antivirus software swiftly gets kicked out of the iTunes App Store.

Many major antivirus vendors, including F-Secure, McAfee, Norton and Trend Micro, do have 'security' apps in the App Store. But these check web links for known malicious sites, locate lost devices or pretend to protect your privacy. None scans an iPhone for malware.

There has been real iOS malware that affects non-jailbroken devices, but it's very rarely cropped up. In each instance, Apple has pushed out a new version of iOS to stop the malware in a matter of days or weeks. Generally, if you keep your Apple mobile device updated to the latest version of iOS, you should be safe.

[Editor's Note: Best Buy has removed Kaspersky Lab products from its shelves, citing concerns regarding Kaspersky's alleged (but as yet undocumented) ties to the Russian government. Top U.S. newspapers have run stories in which anonymous sources say Kaspersky software helps Russia spy on American spy agencies. However, until we see real evidence that Kaspersky software is a threat to consumers, we will continue to recommend it. Here is further clarification of our position.]

All about Mac antivirus

Can Macs get viruses?

If you’re a Mac user, you get mixed messages about whether viruses and other malicious software pose a bona fide threat. Historically, Mac fans have touted their platform as immune to the kinds of data attacks and other hostile intrusions that plague the Windows world. Apple itself even reassured its customers for years that Macs “don’t get viruses.” It even said so in a series of commercials that first aired in 2006.

While it’s true Macs are more secure than PCs, they’re still vulnerable to viruses, and they always have been. By design, the Mac operating system is more secure against the threat of viruses and malware, but there are still plenty of ways for malware to find its way in. Another thing protecting Macs is the fact that they’re less popular than PCs, but that doesn’t stop some hackers from targeting Macs. Despite this, there are still tech pundits who recklessly advise against taking even basic security precautions, such as installing a cybersecurity program.

“Malwarebytes saw more Mac malware in 2017 than in any previous year.”

Best Antivirus Program For Mac

In the last few years, a growing number of active threats have targeted the Mac operating system. In fact, Malwarebytes saw more Mac malware in 2017 than in any previous year. By the end of 2017, the Malwarebytes intel team counted 270 percent more unique threats on the Mac platform than in 2016. What’s more, Apple's current strategies may not be enough to stop the rising tide of Mac viruses and malware. Look into the history of threats to Macs, and you’ll see that even early on, the so-called “Mac invulnerability” was a myth. It makes you think twice about wandering around cyberspace on your Mac without taking precautions. (For further reading, see “Mac security facts and fallacies” by Thomas Reed.)

The latest Mac malware news

Mac cryptocurrency ticker app installs backdoors
Mac malware intercepts encrypted web traffic for ad injection
Mac App Store apps are stealing user data

Antivirus Program Til Mac

A short history of Mac attacks

The first widespread Apple virus was called Elk Cloner. It was created by a 15-year-old high school student in 1982, and it targeted Apple II computers. Disseminated by infected floppy disks, the virus itself was harmless, but it spread to all disks attached to a system. It proliferated so quickly that many consider it the first large-scale computer virus outbreak in history. Note that this was prior to any PC malware.

The first virus that targeted Macintosh computers, nVir, emerged in 1987 and remained a problem until 1991. It infected executable files on Macs, causing system issues like printing problems, application crashes, and slow response times. Compared to today’s malware that steals your identity or spies on you remotely, nVir’s annoyances seem quaint.

“nVir emerged in 1987 and remained a problem until 1991.”

Apple’s switch to a completely new architecture in 2001 helped squash such nasty bug invasions, but malware for OS X started to appear a few years later. Since roughly 2012, the number of Mac threats have seen a huge upswing. These threats include malware like spyware, keyloggers, backdoors, and more. It also includes Mac adware, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). All of these contribute to an increased risk for Macs. Even the Mac App Store has suffered a tidal wave of scam software. Go to any Mac forum these days and it won’t take you five minutes to find someone suffering from some kind of malicious threat.

Even as the first Mac virus threats appeared, they inspired counter measures. The first Mac antivirus programs were created in 1987 in response to nVIR and variants of nVIR. In addition, those of us sufficiently long in the tooth might even remember one of the most popular early Mac antivirus programs—a free utility named Disinfectant, released in 1989.

OS X security measures

Aware of the problem, Apple eventually replaced the classic Mac operating system with the new Mac OS X, which came with built-in malware security measures. For instance:

• Quarantine, introduced in 2007, alerts users if they try to open applications downloaded from the Internet. It acts as a reminder, in effect prompting users to think twice before clicking—even if it’s a benign program. But Quarantine is useless against executable programs that download and launch by exploiting vulnerabilities in your browser, executing the so-called drive-by download.
• Xprotect, added in 2009, prevents malware from being opened, but only if it carries a known signature from an ever-changing universe of malware programs. This means you have to keep updating the signature database to stay ahead of the latest threats. If that database lags behind, the bad guys get ahead.
• Gatekeeper, which appeared in 2012, only allows installation of applications from the Mac App Store and its identified developers who have “signed’ their code. However, the modest fee to register as an identified developer, bad guy or not, presents a low barrier to getting around Gatekeeper. In other words, Mac malware often comes signed nowadays, so it looks legit to Gatekeeper.
• There is also Malware Removal Tool, which removes known malware but only after infection, and only at certain times, such as when the computer restarts.

While these measures by Apple help lower the user’s risk, they’re not really sufficient. There are ways to bypass them, and they don't block or detect all threat types.

Who do Mac viruses and other malware target?

The answer to that depends on the malware. Mac adware and Mac PUPs most often go after the average user, based on the assumption that Mac users are well-to-do and worth the effort. Other malware deploys in a targeted manner, such as nation-state malware, which goes after specific individuals or small groups.

Another likely vector is the developer community itself. In this sort of attack, often called supply-chain attacks, the hackers concentrate on breaching a developer’s server, allowing them to insert themselves in some part of a process between the writing and delivery of the app to users. Some time ago, a particularly widespread hack of this sort placed an infected copy of Xcode (a suite of Apple software development tools) on a developer’s servers, which subsequently affected tens of thousands of iOS apps. Once it was discovered, Apple went in and shut down all the infected copies of Xcode. (For further reading, see “XcodeGhost malware infiltrates App Store” by Thomas Reed.)

“Another likely vector is the developer community itself.”

Is my Mac infected?

How do you know if your Mac has a malware infection? Look for such clues as:

• You land on a web page you’ve selected, and advertising banners start to intrude on you aggressively.
• You notice that random web page text suddenly has a hyperlink.
• Browser pop ups get in your face, earnestly recommending fake updates or other fake software.
• You notice other unwanted adware programs, which you did not authorize or which were installed without your knowledge.
• Your Mac crashes, heats up, or runs its fan faster than normal for no apparent reason. It may be working on an intensive task because of a cryptocurrency miner on your system, most likely installed by a Mac Trojan.

If you see any of the above, or other strange behavior, then it’s high time you got yourself some cybersecurity protection. Furthermore, though the general consumer may consider cybersecurity synonymous with the term “antivirus,” the more accurate designation should be “anti-malware,” a catch-all term that describes all malicious software, regardless of type. For example, viruses and Trojans are two specific types of malicious software, both of which are malware. The fact is, viruses are much less of a thing today, largely because there are far easier ways to infect Macs with Trojans, worms, spyware, and ransomware. (For further reading, see “How to tell if your Mac is infected” by Wendy Zamora.)

So how do I protect myself against Mac malware?

First of all, don’t fall for the hype. There’s nothing implicitly safer about a Mac except for the rarity of threats compared to Windows. As the Mac threat landscape continues to expand, most Mac users aren’t prepared for it, continuing to think they’re safe simply by virtue of using a Mac. This puts Mac users at higher risk of getting infected with something nasty.

“There’s nothing implicitly safer about a Mac except for the rarity of threats when compared to Windows.”

Secondly, always remember the “if it’s too good to be true” rule. If you get a perky pop up offering something free, put on your skeptical face and don’t touch that mouse. This often happens on risky websites, so it’s best to avoid them. If you look at the status bar at the bottom of your browser, it’ll usually show you the true URL of the site you’ll go to if you follow the link you’re mousing over (without clicking). Pay particular attention if the domain ends in an odd set of letters, i.e., something other than com, org, edu, or biz, to name a few. This may indicate it is a viper’s nest for malware.

Also, keep your software up to date, whether it’s the operating system, browser, or just about any program you frequently use. That way, you’ll avoid any malware that seeks to exploit any bugs in the code.

Remember, you are your own first line of defense, so stay vigilant. Beware of unsolicited email attachments and software from untrustworthy websites or peer-to-peer file transfer networks.

Finally, install a Mac cybersecurity or anti-malware program from a reputable vendor. This will protect you from malware that makes it past your good cybersecurity habits.

What to look for in a Mac cybersecurity (“antivirus”) program

What should the enlightened Mac user look for in a cybersecurity program?

• Comprehensive, layered protection. It should be able to scan and detect viruses, as well as maintain proactive real-time defense against malware. The goal is to catch dangerous threats automatically, before they infect your Mac. This way, you don’t have to stress about it or rely on manual scans.
• Detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). These annoyances can lurk on your machine, slowing down your Mac. You want security software that finds and quarantines them.
• Remediation. After removing the threats, remediation corrects system changes, regardless of severity. This allows you to return to the machine’s “desired state.”

Of course, it’s best to have comprehensive protection before something—malware or otherwise—infects your Mac. If you do take a hit, hit back by downloading Malwarebytes for Mac, run a scan, and rest easier. It zaps and continues to block malware. It detects and quarantines adware and PUPs too, and it does it all with a low impact on system resources, so you don’t get bogged down. It can even recognize when new threats appear to be similar to the signatures of previously identified threats, providing protection against new, unidentified threats (zero-day).

Here’s your takeaway: Even on a Mac, safe computing is a matter of vigilance. Avoid opening unsolicited email attachments or downloading software from untrustworthy websites or peer-to-peer file transfer networks. Keeping security in mind can go a long way toward keeping you safe from some online threats, but not all of them. This is why a good Mac cybersecurity program is essential.

See all our reporting on Mac malware at Malwarebytes Labs.