There is no end to the scams on the internet and they can pop up on your Apple Mac at any time. Would antivirus software help? Some apps will, but some apps are poorer than you might expect.

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Scams and tricks

While searching for information on Terminal commands at Google, I opened three or four tabs for links on the first page of results. I find it useful to look down the results and Ctrl+click interesting ones and open them in a new tab. Then I can quickly switch from tab to tab, checking the pages to see if they have what I want.

One of the tabs suddenly switched from the web page I was viewing to a pop-up scam. It was trying to trick me into doing something, I don’t know what because I didn’t hang around long enough or click the link to find out. It’s best to shut these pages down as fast as possible.

How do I know it is a scam? For a Start I am using an Apple MacBook running macOS and the popup message has a Windows logo. This is obviously aimed at Windows users, presumably because they far outnumber Mac users on the internet. They make up the largest group of computer users browsing the web.

The web page, dimmed in the background (you can't see it because the images is cropped), has Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo all over it. This is dumb mistake on the part of the scammer because I am on a Mac, but I have heard of popups like this that pretend they are from Apple, or they look like macOS generated messages.

Scammers could easily write code to check whether they are on a PC or Mac and show the appropriate message. It would be pretty easy to swap out the logo, Microsoft and Windows wording for an Apple logo, Apple and macOS wording, so don’t assume this won’t affect you as a Mac user. It could and one day, probably will appear on your screen. You must be on your guard and be very suspicious of scams like this.

In this case I just closed the tab and everything was fine. However, the scammer might try to lock the browser and prevent it from closing. In this case, press Command+Option+Esc to open the Force Quit window. Select the browser and click the Force Quit button.

15 ways to increase the security of your Mac

Encrypt files from the command line using OpenSSL

Sources of malware on the Mac?

Mac malware exists and there is a fair bit around. In fact, according to Malwarebytes (Malwarebytes Labs releases 2020 State of Malware Report), it is actually increasing at a faster rate than Windows malware. If you look a little deeper, much of it is adware, spyware and Trojans, and there are hardly any true viruses. Mac malware often has to trick you into installing it or running it, but that does not make it any less of a problem.

Malware can get on the Mac through software, such as a dodgy extension for Chrome or Firefox. Malware is found in software from, let’s say, less reputable sources. Some Mac users are plagued with popup ads and spyware after installing apps from dodgy websites. Don't try to avoid paying for software by downloading a pirated or cracked version from a dodgy website because it might contain malware. Use reliable software sources, such as the Mac App Store or a direct download from the developer’s website.

Which is the best antivirus software for Mac?

Security software is available for the Mac and there are many apps to choose from, but which is the best? It is best to consult experts like AV-Test and a recent test of 11 Mac security programs found that 8 of them achieved the maximum possible score of 6/6 for protection, performance and usability.

Airo

Avast Security

AVG AntiVirus

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

ClamXAV

Kaspersky Internet Security

Norton Security

Trend Micro Antivirus

The results are very interesting and AV-Test found that even the worst performing Mac security software detected 93.8% of recent Mac malware. That is still pretty good and Mac security software seems to have improved since I last looked. If you are at all concerned about security or have been affected by malware in the past, install one of these applications.

I am currently running an alternative security app. Well, it is more of a multi-function toolkit for the Mac called CleanMyMac X.

There are many functions from scanning for junk files to uninstalling apps cleanly to removing malware. It contains both a malware scanner and real-time protection from threats. I have been running it for a while now and have not had any problems with malware on my Mac.

Even if you don't need the malware removal tool and real-time protection, there are many more useful modules in this app. Check the latest price of CleanMyMac X. The time has probably come to install some security software on your Mac and as Malwarebytes has pointed out, it is growing fast. Sooner or later you will encounter malware and you need to be ready to deal with it. Don't be complacent and think that Macs don't get malware.

Further reading: 5 ways to browse the web securely using Safari