Many people think that Macs cannot get viruses, and therefore don’t need any form of virus protection. This is primarily due to the larger number of PCs in use in years past, which made them a more lucrative target for virus creators. However, as Macs have grown in popularity over the years, they have become a bigger target for viruses. The number of viruses targeting Macs has grown astronomically over the last ten years.

As Macs have become more popular, they have managed to stay pretty secure due to their built in suite of security features. By default, Macs only allow software to be installed that is digitally signed by an approved developer. Macs also come with a malware scanning tool that runs in the background, and needs no configuration to check files against a list of malicious files. This program, called Xprotect, is why you may have seen a message when attempting to download or open a file that tells you the file may ‘damage your computer.’

Despite these various built-in efforts to protect your Mac, there are still threats that exist that may not be stopped without additional software. In addition to keeping your Mac updated with the latest software, antivirus software can be an effective source of added protection for your Mac. A good antivirus program may be able to catch malware that your Mac is not able to detect.

If you’re interested in finding out how you can protect your Mac, and the data on it, call Macs on Demand today. We can evaluate your computer, update your operating system and applications, as well as install antivirus software that will ensure your computer is as protected as possible. Call today to learn more!