Top Ten Antivirus 2017 Mac May Not

In both these tests, Bitdefender took the top score, greater than 99 percent.

TrafficLight browser extension marks dangerous links in search results.

With its handy Autopilot mode, you can set it, forget it, and have confidence that your Apple computer is protected against malware.

So it couldnt hurt to go with a name thats famed in the Windows world, right This is definitely true of Windows security star Bitdefender.

Top Ten Antivirus 2017 Mac May Not

While Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac may not offer the bonanza of added features that its Windows cousin does, it does go beyond most of its Mac competitors.

You should definitely accept the installers offer to enable Safe Files ransomware protection (more about that later) and to protect Time Machine backups against tampering.

Once the product itself is installed, youll also want to enable the TrafficLight browser extension, which identifies dangerous websites.

Theres no left-rail menu, and no secondary pages with detailed configuration for protection and privacy.

A status banner occupies the top portion of the screen, with three big buttons below that launch Quick, System, and Custom antivirus scans.

That means it does its job as quietly as possible, keeping user interaction to a minimum.

If you turn off Autopilot, your security status changes and the program enjoins you to turn that feature back on.

Webroot is similar, but you get three licenses for lessjust 49.99.

As for McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac), it also costs 59.99 per year, but that subscription includes protection for every macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS device you own.

That sounds high, but its more of a security suite than a mere antivirus.

Norton is also a suite, which makes its price (89.99 per year for five licenses) seem more reasonable.

Good for you But if youre running an older version, your need for antivirus is even greater.

ESET goes beyond that, almost ten years back, with support starting at Snow Leopard (10.6).

Others require a much more recent version.

Oh, I can run a few tests manually, but for the most part I have to rely on reports from the major labs.

Five of the labs report on Windows antivirus products, just two on Mac products.

Like all the products in the latest test by AV-Comparatives, Bitdefender achieved 100 percent success protecting against Mac-specific malware.

Because its possible for a Mac to act as a carrier for malware that attacks Windows, the researchers also check how well each antivirus detects Windows threats.

Bitdefender also managed 100 percent in this test, and almost all products detected better than 90 percent.

The one exception was Intego, whose 28 percent detection rate makes sense given that, unlike the rest, Intego has always focused on Mac protection, not Windows.

Bitdefender also achieved 100 percent protection in this labs test, with no false positives.

Top Ten Antivirus 2017 For Mac