Best Malware Removal Tool For Mac

There is a popular opinion that Mac systems are inherently more secure than Windows. In fact, most Mac users don’t even bother to use an antivirus or anti-malware software. Objectively speaking, that opinion may or may not be true. Mainly because that depends on a variety of factors like the number of Mac users, how they use their system, how computer literate they are, etc. However, over the past few years, the threats to Mac users have been increasing, thanks to quickly spearing malware, ransomware, and adware.

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Best Malware Removal Tool For Mac
Best Free Malware Removal Tool For Mac

AVG AntiVirus for Mac offers excellent protection from viruses, web, and email threats. The app doesn't have much to it aside from on-off sliders, and a few minor settings, but for those who just. MacCleaner Pro is a suite of six applications developed to clean up and speed up your Mac. It offers tools to find and remove duplicate files and folder (including the ability to merge Similar.

Read: Best Malware Removal Tools For Windows

Avoid MacKeeper

I bet you might have seen ads on websites (mostly porn sites), telling you to clean your Mac with MacKeeper. And while it’s legitimate software (as in not a virus), but it’s nonetheless useless and a waste of resources. Also, uninstalling MacKeeper isn’t easy as well. So, no matter what you do, avoid MacKeeper at any cost.

Instead, it is essential that you use a good anti-malware software so that not only you can be safe but also avoid spreading malware, ransomware, and viruses to other users. Here are some of the best anti-malware software for mac.

Read: How I Removed Malware From my WordPress Site

Best Anti Malware for Mac

1. Malwarebytes

When it comes to dealing with malware and other nasty stuff like rootkits, there is no other software that more popular than Malwarebytes. Other than it being able to remove malware from Mac effectively, the best thing about Malwarebytes is that it plays nice with your other antivirus software if you’ve already installed any. In fact, most users including me use Malwarebytes as a backup and perform weekly scans just to make sure that the system hasn’t been infected or has infected files.

To scan your system all you have to do is install the application, launch it and hit the scan button. As soon as you hit the button, it can do a quick scan for malware, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), rootkits, adware, spyware, virus, etc., both in your system memory and hard disk. If it finds any threats, it will automatically quarantine those threats.

For in-depth scanning, select the custom scan option. Do keep in mind that the custom scan can take a couple of hours depending on the amount of data you have on your hard disk.

Download Malwarebytes (free, $40 for pro version)

2. Systweak Anti-Malware

Systweak Anti-Malware is a dedicated malware scanning and removal software for MacOS. Just like Malwarebytes, Systweak Anti-Malware scans for malware, rootkits, viruses, and adware in your hard disk and system memory. Once it finds a threat, it automatically quarantines it. If you know that Systweak Anti-Malware quarantined a false positive, you can restore the file or app with just a single click. For regular, deep, or custom scans, you can create custom schedules.

If you know a file or folder to be safe, you can exclude them from scanning avoiding any possible false positives by adding them to the exclude list. Of course, Systweak Anti-Malware always runs in the background and protects your Mac system from malware and PUPs in real-time. Other features of the software include start-up scan, memory scan, and beginner friendly user interface.

So, if you unsatisfied or looking for a good alternative for Malwarebytes you should try Systweak Anti-Malware.

Download Systweak Anti-Malware ($40)

3. Bitdefender

Bitdefender is another popular software to protect your mac from various threats like malware, virus, trojans, adware, spyware, unwanted software, and much more. The best thing about Bitdefender is that apart from protecting you from regular threats, it can actively scan in multiple layers and protect your system from ransomware. Other than that, Bitdefender can also keep an eye on cross-platform threats so that you don’t unintentionally spread malware, virus, or other infected files to your friends, colleagues or family.

Since Bitdefender always runs in the background, it can block any and all threats in real-time. Of course, Bitdefender also scans your system occasionally. If needed, you can create custom schedules with various configurations and scan settings. Bitdefender also has other features like backup protection, safe files, parental controls, secure shopping protection, etc.

Simply put, if you need a full-fledged software that can do much more than blocking and removing malware then give Bitdefender a try.

Download Bitdefender ($50 – $70 according to the version you choose)

4. Avast

Just like Bitdefender, Avast is not just an anti-malware software, it is a anti-virus software that can scan and protect your system from a wide range of threats. In fact, if you’ve ever searched for a anti-virus software, you should have definitely heard about Avast.

Using Avast you can regularly scan your system and create your own schedules to better protect your system. Along with anti-malware security, Avast can also protect your system from infected emails, unprotect WiFi network, and ransomware. Other features of the software include real-time protection, detailed security reports, browser protection, ability to shield you from dangerous downloads and PUPs, etc.

As good as the software is, while using Avast, you should be ready for a little bit of performance dip, at least, that is my experience while using Avast. Other than that, Avast is a pretty good and reputed software to protect Mac system from online and offline threats.

Download Avast (free, $70 for pro version)

5. AVG

AVG is yet another popular software that can protect you from malware, viruses, trojans, adware, and other threats. The good thing about AVG is that you can scan your system for threats related to Mac, Windows, and Android so that you don’t spread viruses or malware to other systems. Also, thanks to the simple and minimal design, using AVG to scan or create scanning schedules is pretty easy and straightforward. Moreover, unlike Avast, AVG always runs in the background and provides real-time protection for free.

As good as it is, when you try to download AVG from the official site, you will be redirected to the CNET website. So, be careful while installing it on your system as CNET has a habit of bundling adware and other toolbars along with the software you are trying to install.

If you are looking for all-around protection with real-time threat analysis and blocking then you should go with AVG.

Download AVG (free)

6. Sophos Home

Another popular opinion amongst Mac users which is more than just an Anti-Malware. Sophos Home comes with a bunch of extra features including a live chat support.

Sophos offers features like Anti-virus and ransomware security along with anti-malware protection. The programme also lets you remotely manage your devices. Yes ‘Device(s)’, Sophos home can be used in up to 10 devices for the paid version and 3 devices for the free version. Doesn’t end here, Sophos Home also lets you put on parental controls so that none of your devices reach the unprotected side of Web.

Download Sophos Home (30 day trial, $27 yearly for premium)

Wrapping Up: Best Anti Malware for Mac

If you are looking for a dedicated anti-malware software that plays well with other antivirus and firewall software then go with Malwarebytes. As a premium option, you can also try Systweak Anti-Malware. If you are looking for a full-fledged anti-virus software that can extend the protection to viruses, adware, ransomware, and other threats then go with AVG as it provides real-time protection for free. You can also try Bitdefender.

In general, if you know what you are doing on the Internet and don’t download the cracked software or porn, you’ll probably don’t need an anti-virus and/or anti-malware software. That said, if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy or if you are buying a computer for your parents, it’s a good idea to have an anti-malware installed.

That’s for now. If you think I missed any of your favorite anti-malware software then command below and share it with me. It will also help other Mac users.

Read: Top 10 Free Portable Anti-Malware Software to Have on Your Pen Drive

26 November 2019

The issue of how to remove malware from Mac has become a hot topic over the years - and with good reason.

Mac malware is on the rise and shows no sign of stopping.

Here we take a look at some of the most recent malware threats faced by Macs in 2019, symptoms of malware on your Mac, and the best removal tools (as voted by MacUpdate users) to get the job done.

Ready? Let's go!

Here's what you'll learn in this post:

Do Macs Need Malware Protection?

In a word: Yes.

Despite earning a reputation for being almost impervious to viruses, Apple devices are facing a growing threat of malware - one that's been bubbling away for 15 years.

The first example of macOS malware dates back to 2004.
More recently, a 2018 report highlighted a 270 percent increase in Mac malware.
Of the ten most popular cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2019, Mac malware took up two spots.
April 2019 witnessed a whopping 16 million instances of Mac malware - four times the previous record.

Why is this happening?

The most obvious answer is the fact that Macs are increasing in popularity. As more consumers purchase these devices, more cybercriminals are opting to target them.

This has also coincided with an increase in more complex attacks, such as:

Adware
Ransomware
Phishing sites
and cryptojacking

5 of the Best Malware Removal Tools, As Voted For by MacUpdate Community

2.8 stars from 114 MacUpdate users.

A well-known name in the world of anti-malware, Malwarebytes is a simple and straightforward solution. It works away in the background largely unprompted, and if you need to run a manual scan, it's only ever a few clicks away.

The free version gets to work cleaning up an already infected Mac, but if you want ongoing protection, you should opt for Malwarebytes Premium. This prevents further malware infections, proactively blocks adware, and runs superfast scans when required.

3.8 stars from 177 MacUpdate users.

A solid and reliable antivirus for Mac, VirusBarrier X9 from Intego is slick, quick and focused.

There's no feature bloat here as it gets to work on the task at hand - identifying, removing and blocking malware. Folder scanning is fast, and the full scans are thorough.

You can also schedule scans ahead of time, which is always handy.

The downside is the full scan can be time-consuming, while the free trial only offers very limited functionality.

4.1 stars from 642 MacUpdate users.

Little Snitch's primary function is to alert you to outgoing network connections. It essentially stops your private data from being sent out without your knowledge or approval - sort of like a reverse firewall.

It runs quietly in the background and can also detect network-related activity of malware, trojans and viruses.

But (and there's always a but) it only looks at single connections and overlooks patterns of network activity that malware can engage in.

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It's good at what it does, however, there are better malware-busting alternatives out there.

4.4 stars from 273 MacUpdate users.

An award-winning general-purpose software, Catalina Cache Cleaner (CCC) makes system maintenance a breeze, but we're interested in its capabilities as a malware scanner. We're pleased to report that it shows up well.

CCC helps keep your Mac safe from malware by adding three additional layers of security. It also ships with the open-source, cross-platform ClamAV antivirus built-in. It's always-on, scanning downloads on the fly to ensure you receive the very best malware protection from both Mac and Windows threats.

And the Winner Is...

4.5 stars from 127 MacUpdate users.

Designed to scan, identify and delete malware quickly and easily, MacScan is a worthy winner.

Rewritten from the ground up for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (and later), it takes a no-nonsense approach to dealing with malware, spyware, Trojans, and more.

Simple and easy-to-use, its comprehensive and consistently up-to-date library of known threats keeps your Mac ticking along nicely. With its new Smart Scan engine, it gets to work in the very areas of your device where security and privacy threats like to hide.

The only real cons are the annual license, and the high CPU usage while scanning. If the latter seems like a fair trade when you get such a complete security solution in exchange.

Bonus review: The Perfect Solution for Post-Malware Attack

4.9 stars from 344 MacUpdate users.

A software befitting of its name, SuperDuper is a powerful and popular app for creating a fully bootable backup of your hard drive. It's particularly useful when recovering from a malware attack.

SuperDuper is easy to use and geared towards less technical users, but it also caters to more experienced users with a slew of sophisticated features such as customizable scripts and version control.

What Are the Most Recent Mac Malware Threats?

For the sake of brevity, here are five of the most recent, significant and scary:

OSX/MaMi
OSX/CrescentCore
LoudMiner (aka Bird Mine)
Mshelper
CookieMiner

Looking for a full list of recent Mac malware threats? Check out this article from Macworld.

OSX/MaMi

First reported back in January 2018, the OSX/MaMi malware is a nasty piece of work. It exists to route all traffic through dodgy servers in order to steal sensitive info.

The program installs a new root certificate to intercept encrypted communications (eek!), and it can also take screenshots, execute commands, and upload and download files.

OSX/CrescentCore

CrescentCore was found on a number of websites and even showed up in Google search results. It was cleverly disguised and very sneaky.

Before running, it would check to see if it was inside a virtual machine. It would also search for antivirus tools. If the machine was unprotected, it would go ahead and install malicious files.

The alarming part? It had a signed developer certificate, issued by Apple. This meant it could bypass Apple's Gatekeeper.

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Although later revoked, the fact it had a signed developer certificate in the first place proves that malware can get through the in-built protection.

LoudMiner (aka Bird Mine)

LoudMiner found its way onto Apple devices via a cracked installer for music production software Ableton Live. It was a cryptocurrency miner designed to use Mac's processing power to make money. Not cool.

Mshelper

First spotted in May 2018, another cryptojacker called Mshelper was causing all sorts of issues.

Those infected noticed hardware problems right away - namely their fans spinning much faster than normal, and devices running hotter than usual. This typically indicates that an often malicious background process is using up processing resources.

CookieMiner

Discovered at the end of January 2019, CookieMiner was able to steal user passwords and login information for cyberwallets from Chrome.

It could also grab browser authentication cookies associated with crypto exchanges, and access iTunes backups to build up a user profile with enough personal information to bypass two-factor authentication.

All of this meant easy access to the victims' cyber currency.

Shout out: Listen to the brilliant Intego Mac Podcast to learn more about the most recent Mac malware threats.

How Do I Know If There's Malware On My Mac?

Okay, that list above makes for some scary reading, right?

That's why it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the common symptoms associated with malware. If you ever notice any of the following, you can quickly take action and avoid potentially catastrophic consequences.

Common Malware Symptoms

Your Mac slows way down, becoming laggy or sluggish. The fan is spinning like crazy and the hardware is overheating. Pages are taking longer to load and the cursor doesn't move in real-time. It's almost as if there's something running in the background, hogging processing power.
Your web searches are being redirected to a site you don't recognise.
You notice a toolbar or addons in your browser (Chrome, Safari) that you didn't install.
You're redirected to spam pages when visiting your favorite websites.
Random pop-ups serve ads on your desktop, even when you're not running any programs.
Web pages are covered in dodgy-looking adverts - especially sites where you wouldn't usually see ads, such as Wikipedia.

It might not be malware

If you notice any of those signs, don't panic. It doesn't always mean your Mac is infected with malware. There are other reasons why a Mac runs slowly.

The one thing you definitely want to avoid doing is Googling the problem and installing the first thing you find in an attempt to remove the problem.

This could result in you downloading more malicious software and making the entire situation much worse.

Instead, you need to turn to a reliable software solution (like those listed above) to run a check and - if you do have malware - safely remove the offending files.

What to Do if Your Mac Has Malware

If you think your Mac is infected with malware or a virus, take these steps to keep the situation under control:

Avoid Passwords - In case there's a keylogger running on your system, avoid typing in passwords or login details. Some more sophisticated malware can also take secret screenshots, so be careful not to expose sensitive information until you're certain your device is clean.
Try to Stay Offline - Staying offline can essentially cut off the oxygen supply to the malware. Naturally, this is easier said than done, and if you need to download an antivirus tool after infection, it's not going to be an option. That's why it pays to protect your device right away.
Contact Your Bank - If you unwittingly paid for the malware, make sure to contact your bank or credit card provider and explain the situation. They can stop the scammers in their tracks by freezing your card.
Shut Down + Restore - If you can, shut down your Mac immediately and restore from a recent backup.
Update Passwords - Once you're certain that you've managed to remove the malware, update your passwords. Better yet, use a password manager for yet another layer of security.

How to Recover from a Malware Attack

When recovering from a malware attack on your Mac, there are a few things you need to do:

1. Update your system software

If you've missed a recent update, you could leave your device vulnerable to further attacks. It might even be the reason why you suffered the attack in the first place!

Click on the Apple menu icon > Select App Store > Click on the Updates tab > Install all available updates.

2. Check the disk for errors

Apple's Internet Recovery Partition allows you to safely check the hard drive for anything out of the ordinary.

Restart your device > As it reboots, hold down Command + R > Once rebooted, you should see the Internet Recovery Partition > Select Disk Utility and click Continue > Click on First Aid > Click Run.

Your Mac will now run a scan on the hard drive to look for errors and - if possible - fix them.