Mac Devices Still Need Antivirus Software, According To Experts

Aadhya Khatri - Sep 17, 2019


Mac Devices Still Need Antivirus Software, According To Experts

Lots of us still believe that Mac devices are immune to malware. However, that is far from the truth. You still need other measures to stay safe online

Lots of us still believe that Mac devices are immune to malware. However, that is far from the truth. Intego, a Mac security firm, found out about several threats targeting Macs in June 2019 alone. Similar malware has been uncovered in the past. So the real question here is are Macs more secure than Windows PCs.

mac-immune-malware
Lots of us still believe that Mac devices are immune to malware

Macs indeed have lots of tools that can come in handy when fighting malware. Since they come by default with every mac device, you may wonder whether it is necessary to go for other third-party antivirus software. Here is what the experts say:

Vulnerabilities In Apple’s Systems

There is a reason for the belief that Macs are a harder target for malware. Since 9 out of 10 PCs on the market run on Windows, it is more attractive to attack them than attempting to hack a Mac device.

Macs do have tools that may protect users from malware to a certain level, of course. When you download anything from the Internet, the device will use XProtect to check it against the list known threats. Since this tool operates in the background, it requires no activation, maintenance, or slows your computer down.

Gatekeeper, another security software, will prevent any app that has not been determined as safe by Apple to open without your permission. Apple recently starts to notarize apps so that they can prove themselves as trustworthy.

Another handy feature is the fact that all of the apps are sandboxed, meaning they only do what they are supposed to do and cannot access critical settings or system infrastructure.

However, Macs do have vulnerabilities. Apple will add quarantine tags to malicious software, so whenever you want to open one of them, the system will prompt a warning dialogue to notify you of the threat.

Thomas Reed, Malwarebytes’s Director of Mac & Mobile, said that the quarantine tags do not work as well as many users expect:

Screenshot 19

Another gap is that XProtect’s list of known malware is far from being comprehensive. It only checks the new software against 94 rules, a small number in comparison with the total number of rules an antivirus engine use.

This year’s macOS Catalina has had an improvement in security. Apple said that apps needed your consent before accessing your desktop files, documents, external drives, and iCloud Drive. The company promised more reliable protection for its users.

Apple-T2-mac-Chip
T2 Security Chip in new Macs

With all of that in place, Reed is still skeptical about the level of protection users have. He said that Gatekeeper does not perform signature checks on apps that are not quarantined, which means bad actors can find their way to the system by tampering with a legitimate app.

According to Reed, the sandboxing mechanism of Mac also limits antivirus software:

Screenshot 1

Where’s The Weak Link?

Mac-weak-link
We, the users, are the weal link here

Some people believe that antivirus software would add bloatware and slow Macs down. McElhearn said that this assumption was not entirely true.

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It is possible that Mac users are the weak link due to their over-confidence in the devices’ inbuilt ability. Reed said that the Mac system did not do a good job of detecting unwanted programs or adware, the most common threats to Macs.

If a Mac user falls victim of malware, it is more likely due to they have been fooled to install it because it has disguised itself as something trustworthy.

Relying on Mac’s defense is far from enough to keep you safe online. While Gatekeeper can block untrusted or third-party developers, users can easily bypass it if they want by a few clicks. The software will give you lots of warning, and most of them should be taken seriously, users can still ignore them easily.

Gatekeeper-mac-warning
Gatekeeper's warnings should not be ignored

So users, not the system, is the problem here. We can be manipulated, or we are just lazy to take a precaution when Mac warns us of a potential threat.

Many users, when seeing too many warning, have thought that the software has flagged the wrong apps and let the potential threats run.

If the issue comes from the users, nothing, even antivirus software or Mac inbuilt system can protect us.

Gatekeeper-mac-warning-bypass
Gatekeeper's warnings can be bypassed easily

A Multi-Pronged Approach

The best solution to stay safe now seems to be opting for antivirus software. However, that is not enough.

At the end of the day, users’ common sense is what makes the real difference between malware can or cannot attack a device. So do not download apps from untrustworthy sources, do not ignore Gatekeeper’s warnings, do not install anything just because some website tells you to do so, and do not follow a link in an email from a sender you do not know who.

Competent antivirus software can help to cover the places where XProtect, Gatekeeper, or other Mac software have missed.

So in conclusion, what you need is a large dose of common sense, antivirus software that does not slow your mac down, and you have a complete package to protect your device from malware.

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