1.磊 Avira Free Antivirus for Mac — Best for Overall macOS Protection in 2021. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is my favorite free antivirus for Mac — it provides lightweight cloud-based malware scanning as well as more free features than any other brand on this list, including real-time protection, intuitive system tuneup tools, a surprisingly good password manager, and even a VPN!
There IS antivirus scan software approved by Apple, that is assuming that if it's in the App Store for purchase using Apple-ID, then de facto it's approved. Remember it's function is to scan documents and media for malware that may be passed onto Windoze users by email or file sharing, not to find malware that will attack Mac OS X. Free and quick online virus scan. HouseCall can quickly find new threats on your Windows or Mac computer for free without getting in the way of your existing security software. You can count on HouseCall to keep malicious files off your device and stop them from spreading. Sep 15, 2021 Check Activity Monitor for Mac malware. If you suspect your Mac has been infected with a virus, one of the best places to look is Activity Monitor. Here, you’ll be able to see background processes and apps that are running – including malware. Open Activity Monitor from Applications Utilities. Free tools to check if your Mac or Windows computer is infected with a virus. If your Mac or PC is on the fritz, use one of these free online security scanners to check for malware.
While you may have heard that Macs don’t get viruses, this just isn’t true. Lately, it’s becoming more and more common for Macs to be affected by malware, as the potential payoff is generally larger than on PCs, and very few Macs have installed protection in place.
Maybe you’ve noticed that your Mac is running slower in the last little while, or you can hear its fan working overtime — all these could indicate a virus that has infiltrated your computer’s defenses and is running somewhere in the background.
Don’t panic yet! It could be that a virus is not as malicious as you think. Also, you can be sure to know how you get rid of it quickly and efficiently by the time you finish this article.
How to scan your Mac for viruses online?
The truth is there are lots of ads and websites that promise free online virus scan and removal for Mac. But most of them are ironically also affiliated with malware players trying to get into your Mac for their malicious purposes and make things even worse. There are a few ways to substitute online virus scan that macOS needs and protect your Mac so no malware can get in.
1. Update your software
As searching for “online virus scan Mac” doesn’t help much, the first thing to do to really protect your Mac is updated to the latest version of macOS as well as turn on auto-updates for all your apps. The latest versions of software include all the necessary security patches known to developers, so it’s a good starting place.
- Check the App Store for software updates and install them.
- In System Preferences > Software Update, check the box to “Automatically keep my Mac up to date.”
- Click Advanced and select all the options there.
2. Back up your Mac
Another precaution against viruses you can take is backing up your documents. For instance, you can use your Mac’s built-in Time Machine utility to save your backup to an external hard drive. That way, frequent backups will allow you to restore recent versions of your documents should they get deleted or encrypted by a virus.
- Connect an external hard drive.
- Go to System Preferences > Select Backup Disk and turn it on.
- Choose Back Up Automatically.
3. Turn on Mac’s built-in protection
If you’ve ever got a warning on your computer asking whether you’re sure you want to download something, you’ve seen File Quarantine in action. It lets you decline to download an item in case you don’t completely trust the source it’s coming from.
Another built-in utility Gatekeeper checks that there’s an electronic signature from an approved Mac supplier on any item you attempt to download. So making sure it’s turned on is a great way to protect yourself from downloading something malicious.
- Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
- Under “Allow apps downloaded from,” ensure that “App Store and identified developers” or “App Store” and not “Anywhere” is selected.
- From macOS Mojave onwards, the “Anywhere” option is no longer available to increase security. That’s why updating your macOS is crucial.
4. Examine your Disk Utility
Navigating to Disk Utility will give you a sense of what’s taking up space on your hard drive. You can also click on First Aid to run a scan of the hard drive and repair any errors. Make a note of the types of things taking up space, especially if any category is unusually large — this would be a good one to target directly or to check on later to see if it became smaller through the measures you are undertaking.
5. Clean up your hard drive
Unused apps, redundant copies of documents, and old media files — getting rid of these is likely to help with deleting any existing viruses and also free up space and speed up your Mac at the same time.
In general, cleaning up your computer will improve your day-to-day experience and ultimately mean you won’t have to buy a new one too soon, saving you money.
- Launch the Applications folder (Cmd + Shift + A).
- Go through the list and uninstall any programs you’re no longer using.
- Then check your Documents, Pictures, Movies, and Music folders for files you haven’t been using in a long time.
- Empty the Trash when you’re done.
Here is an ultimate tutorial on how to clean up your hard drive.
It’s easy to forget about keeping your files tidy (sort of like your apartment), so periodic cleanups are a must.
6. Check if your email has been compromised
You daily hear that millions of user emails have been leaked due to the careless policies of Facebook or other corporations. Could your account be one of those? The security expert Troy Hunt created a website that allows to see if your email has been hacked.
Check out this website https://haveibeenpwned.com/
You can even get a clue as to which company leaked your email.
7. Encrypt your Mac
It might come as a surprise but files on your Mac are easily readable to anyone who can gain unauthorized access. They will be able to read your documents, apps, messages, etc. To prevent this, you need to turn on Mac’s built-in encryption engine called FileVault.
- Go System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
- Turn On FileVault and wait for the encryption to finish. Done!
8. Protect and optimize your Mac in one click
If you have the time and are willing to be methodical about the cleanups you need to do and how often you need to do them — ideally once a month — you can go through the above checklist every time.
However, why not save some time and make sure you do it the right way. The truth is there is no online virus scan macOS would be happy about, but there definitely is some pro software like CleanMyMac X that can do it better. It’s fast, automatic, and vigilant — saving you time and doing a more thorough and complete job of taking care of your Mac than you can.
To scan your Mac for viruses:
- Grab a copy of CleanMyMac X (the free version is available here)
- Go to Malware Removal tool and click Scan.
- Wait for results and process as instructed.
Here's how the scanning process looks:
Once CleanMyMac X has finished the scanning process, it will show you all the found threats. These may include adware, spyware, viruses, cryptocurrency miners, and more. Some of these apps will try to sneak into your Launch Agents and other protected system folders. For such cases, CleanMyMac has a real-time monitor that detects any attempts for unauthorized access from malware apps.
After you finish scanning for malware, don’t forget to perform additional scans for Optimization, Maintenance, Junk, and an overall Smart Scan. In each case, CleanMyMac X takes care of all the tasks necessary to protect and optimize your Mac. Repeat the process every week or so and you are set.
CleanMyMac X is notarized by Apple which confirms its safe status for using on Mac computers.
You've just learned a few ways to check your Mac for viruses. Hopefully, they will encourage you to study the built-in protection layers of your Mac. In case you did find malware on your Mac, that's not the end of the world as we've shown you some antidotes you can try.
Stay tuned for more Mac tips!
Macs don’t get viruses, right? Wrong, sadly. Your Mac may be safer from malware than the average Windows PC, thanks to its Unix core and Apple’s default security settings in the OS, but it’s not immune. All it takes is one thoughtless click on a link in an email or on a website, and your Mac could be infected.
The good news is that performing a Mac virus scan is very easy and if it finds anything, getting rid of the virus is very straightforward, too.
How to check your Mac for a virus
There are a number of tell-tale signs that your Mac has a virus. If it’s not displaying any of those, there’s probably nothing to worry about. So, before you scan your Mac for a virus, here are a few things to check.
Check Mac For Malware Free Online
1. Is your Mac behaving erratically?
This could include applications crashing, web browsers loading pages you didn’t ask for, and unusually high traffic on your network.
2. Has it started running very slowly all of a sudden?
Some viruses run processes that hog CPU cycles and leave little capacity for the tasks you want to carry out.
3. Are you seeing adverts or pop-ups for things you would never normally see?
Adware viruses are designed specifically to show adverts in the hope that you’ll click on them.
4. Have you noticed software appear on your Mac that you didn’t deliberately install?
Some viruses appear in the form of browser extensions, others run in the background, but some may appear as applications in your Applications folder. Before we'll explain how to scan Mac for malware, check these 5 tell-tale signs.
If any of the above are true, it’s possible that your Mac has a virus, but don’t panic, it may be relatively easy to remove.
How to run a malware scanner on Mac
So how to check for malware on Mac? There are several Mac virus scanners that allow you to scan your system. However, it’s very important that you don’t just google ‘free Mac antivirus software.’ Many sites that claim to offer free antivirus tools in fact host viruses themselves. So, you go to the site looking for a solution and end up making the problem worse. It’s important to use a reputable tool. We recommend using CleanMyMac X.
CleanMyMac X detects thousands of malware threats, including adware, spyware, worms, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, and if it finds something suspicious, it offers immediate removal. Here’s how to scan your Mac for malware:
- Download CleanMyMac X (free edition here) and launch the app.
- Click on the Malware Removal tab.
- Click Scan.
- Click Remove.
Malware Monitor is another thing I love about CleanMyMac X. And this Mac malware scanner works in real-time. Whenever an adware attempts to enter some protected areas on your Mac, you’ll get instantly notified.
How to get rid of suspicious apps
If you find an application that you didn’t intend to install, you should get rid of it. But don’t just drag it from your Applications folder to the Trash, that won’t remove every trace of it from your Mac. Applications store files in a number of different places in your Mac’s Library folders. You could hunt them down and remove them manually, but it’s quicker and easier to use a dedicated uninstaller like CleanMyMac X. That way, you can be sure you will remove every trace of the application and no stray files will be left behind.
- Download CleanMyMac for free here.
- Launch it from your Applications folder.
- In the Utilities section, click on Uninstaller.
- Look through the list of applications until you see the one you want to get rid of.
- Check the box next to it.
- Press the Uninstall button.
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How to prevent your Mac from getting a virus
Check For Malware Free
Scanning Mac for malware is one thing. But prevention is always better than cure. So, if you want to make sure that every virus scan returns a clean bill of health, here’s what to do.
- Never click a link in an email unless you’re 100% sure where the email has come from and where the link will take you. Reputable companies and banks won’t ask you to click a link to log into an account, for example.
- Never download anything unless you’re certain what it is. That includes movie files, software updates, games, and anything else you’re not absolutely certain about.
- Keep your Mac updated with the latest version of macOS. That doesn’t mean you have to be running the very latest OS, but if you’re running, say, Sierra, make sure you install the latest updates when they become available.
How Do I Remove Malware From My Mac For Free
Scanning your Mac for threats is very easy. To check Mac for malware, you can download the free version of CleanMyMac X which is an Apple notarized app. With its help, you get rid of any applications you didn’t intend to download and scan your whole system for malware very quick and easy. Give it a go.