Ransomware Protection for Important Files Bitdefender also scores 99%, while Webroot edges them both out with 100%. In this test, the macOS edition scores exactly the same as the Windows edition, coming in with an excellent 99% detection rate.
It also displays a warning right in the browser. When you accidentally direct your browser to a dangerous or fraudulent page, it prevents the connection and pops up a warning.
The Web Shield component works below the browser level, so it protects any browser you use and doesn’t need to install extensions. The product under test protects one, of course, while the other three rely on phishing protection built into Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. I scrape hundreds of reported phishing URLs and launch each simultaneously in four browsers.
For testing purposes, I make sure to include reported frauds that are too new for the blacklists. It’s true that the fraudsters get caught and blacklisted constantly, but they just grab their winnings and pop up a new fake site. Yes, highly observant folks can learn to recognize phishing frauds, but it’s nice to have some help for those days when you’re a little muzzy. If you log into the fake, the fraudsters steal your credentials and thereby own your account. They design websites that look exactly like sensitive sites such as PayPal, or your bank. Instead of looking for vulnerabilities in the operating system, they focus on the most vulnerable component-the user. Phishing fraudsters don’t bother with any of that.
Learning to code is a big investment of time, and learning to write malware that can escape the notice of security products requires a high level of skill. Naturally that second detection phase couldn’t happen on my test Mac. The Windows product wiped out more samples as they attempted to install. That’s about the same percentage that Avast One Essential detected immediately on launch. When I scanned a thumb drive containing my current set of Windows malware samples, Avast quickly identified 85% of them as malicious.
While that’s not the absolute maximum, it’s enough to earn Avast the designation “Top Product.” Bitdefender also scores 17.5 with this lab, while Norton and Trend Micro reach a perfect 18. Avast takes six points for Protection and Usability in the latest tests, and 5.5 for Performance, yielding a total of 17.5. In reports from AV-Test Institute (Opens in a new window), products can earn six points each for Protection, Performance, and Usability (that last category refers to minimizing occasions when the product identifies a good app or website as bad). Two of the four labs that I follow for Windows antivirus results also publish reports for Mac antivirus, and Avast scored very well with both. Since I don’t have the resources to put macOS antivirus utilities to the test with real-world malware, any available lab results are like gold for me. Intego works on 10.9 (Mavericks) or higher, while ProtectWorks goes all the way back to 10.8 (Mountain Lion). Kaspersky wants 10.14 (Mojave), and Avira requires 10.15 (Catalina).Īt the relaxed end of the spectrum, a few antivirus tools still support ancient macOS versions for those who can’t (or won’t) upgrade. Other Mac antivirus tools need an even newer OS version. Most Mac owners keep the OS up to date, so that shouldn’t be a problem. To install this free product your Mac must run macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later. However, when you can get the new Avast One Essential for free, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to settle for the smaller feature set of the older Avast Security for Mac instead.
All of Avast’s previously released products remain available for download or purchase in other markets-but also in the four markets where Avast One is being released. This new Avast One product line releases initially only in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Even in this free edition you get a surprisingly rich collection of features. With Avast One Essential, you don’t pay a penny, and this isn’t a bare-bones antivirus, but rather a suite of security and privacy tools. Even so, you may resent having to pay for additional protection. Antivirus protection for your Mac is a must.
Sure, Windows is a more popular target, but there’s still money to be made with attacks that target macOS. The days when Mac users blithely assumed no virus could harm them are long gone.