Do Macs get viruses? Do Macs need antivirus software? The answers to these questions aren’t as simple as they might seem. In this article, we look at the dangers faced by Mac users, and the pros and cons of using Mac antivirus software.
Updated June 2024 to include details of new password and privacy features coming in macOS Sequoia later in 2024, and the latest news about the state of Mac malware.
Historically, the Mac has been considered safe and secure for a number of reasons that we will go into below, but in recent years the consensus has fluctuated. The number of Mac viruses is growing each year. In 2021, according to security expert Patrick Wardle, eight new Mac malware families were identified. Then, in 2022, 13 new Mac malware families were discovered. That number grew again in 2023, when a total of 21 new Mac-targetting malware families were discovered. That might not doesn’t sound a lot, compared to the world of Windows, but the number is growing and that is a good reason not to ignore it. We list the various Mac malware instances in our log of all the Mac viruses.
Read more at Macworld.com