Antivirus for MacOS

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone would be able to recommend a free antivirus software to use on my Mac?

I have been using Avast Mac Security, and whilst it was often reassuring when perusing more NSFW areas of the internet to see it apparently blocking things, I noticed when running a full system scan today that it took upwards of 3 hours, seemed to freeze on 44% progress whilst increasing the number of files scanned, and then claimed to have found problem files - except there were 4, all seemingly identical from the information it gave me, and it was only capable of removing 1. I also noticed that for some reason Time Machine was apparently using a lot of battery, but this may not be related as it still says that.

Eventually I had to go out so I gave up and stopped the scan. I started it again later, this time it ran for 5 hours before I stopped it, freezing on 99% battery whilst apparently scanning almost 4 million files (I'm not that tech-savvy but given I'm only using about 100 GB of my 120 and at about half of that is video or photo files so this seemed like a lot), as in at 99% it had scanned 1 million files, then still at 99% reached 4 million. This time it found 6 problematic files and could only delete 1. Weirdly it appeared to be saying that they were some sort of Chrome extension in a mobile backup which is weird because I only had Chrome installed for about a month on my iPhone about a year ago and I don't recall mobile browser extensions being a thing, or at least they're not a thing I've used.

All this behaviour seemed kinda suspect to me which is why I'm considering uninstalling it and finding an alternative. Only thing is I'm a skint student so I can't afford to pay for anything. So yeah, advice on any alternatives?

You honestly don't need an anti-virus for MacOS. It already has built in protection (Gatekeeper keeps you safe from shady programs you download).

All you really need is to keep the OS up to date, a good adblocker (uBlock Origin) for avoiding potential adware and Malwarebytes which you can run occasionally if you ever get infected.

Dter ic said:

You honestly don't need an anti-virus for MacOS. It already has built in protection (Gatekeeper keeps you safe from shady programs you download).

All you really need is to keep the OS up to date, a good adblocker (uBlock Origin) for avoiding potential adware and Malwarebytes which you can run occasionally if you ever get infected.

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Bebop said:

I mostly agree with the above post. Proper precautions on the browser level and just generally being aware of the places you go on the internet is more than enough.
Additionally, if I'm pursuing any shady activities, I'll spin up a virtual machine running a live linux distro and just use it as a transient environment.

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Cheers guys, yeah I thought that I just ought to have an extra level of protection - then again, now i have Apple Music I guess I'm downloading far less material onto my PC anyway.

@Bebop - The last sentence, I'd say the only word I understood w/r computers is "linux".

Amore said:

@Bebop - The last sentence, I'd say the only word I understood w/r computers is "linux".

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Basically he means use a program like Virtualbox or VMware to virtualize a desktop environment by installing a Linux distro inside of it to basically protect the host operating system from any harm.

Tsutarja said:

Basically he means use a program like Virtualbox or VMware to virtualize a desktop environment by installing a Linux distro inside of it to basically protect the host operating system from any harm.

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Ah right thanks, yeah that actually makes a lot more sense. A guy I used to know who was good with computers always talked about doing that stuff. Not sure my Mac would handle it - runs slow as shit just booting up Football Manager. Its at least 5 years old (bought refurbished) so its past the seemingly built in point at which most technology starts acting up to persuade you to buy a new one.

Bebop said:

That probably wasn't much more comprehensible haha.

It's a way of creating a fake computer that runs on another computer. You can install an entire operating system on it, just like a real computer, and use it for anything a normal computer can do. It's safely tucked away in a "virtual" machine and is less able to mess with your stuff.

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I did actually get it that time, but thanks for making it even clearer.

Incineroar said:

Yeah. Setting up an adblocker (Plus adblocker blocker blockers) are usually one of the first lines of defense. If you're torrenting a lot, then I'd recommend an Anti-Virus. However, if you're not downloading a whole ton anymore, the worst thing you have to worry about is probably a rogue email attachment. And even then, most viruses target Windows, there are very few Mac OS viruses.

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True about the Windows bias, I was just getting worried due to the results of my current antivirus. I only really torrent from the same 3-4 people uploading them who clearly aren't messing with people or their torrents wouldn't rank that high up.