As you almost certainly know, you need a piece of software to proactively detect and block malware on your computer. This type of software is usually called “anti-virus” software because originally it only provided protection from viruses. However, a more accurate term today is “anti-malware” because it now provides protection from other malicious software, such as fraudulent URLs, ransomware, and spam emails.

How to choose effective protection

Don’t rely on free anti-malware software. These solutions usually lack real-time protection, meaning that they may not detect and block new malware as soon as it appears. They also tend to get less frequent updates which means there’ll be a longer period during which your device will be vulnerable to new threats.

Furthermore, free software can be a nuisance. To generate revenue, most free anti-malware software will display advertisements on your computer, which is quite annoying. More seriously, though, some actually engage in data mining — tracking your behaviour so that the information can be sold to other companies.

When choosing anti-malware software, the challenge lies in finding one which doesn’t slow down your machine by using lots of computer resources, or itself spam you with messages and offers – all while catching as much unsafe activity as possible. I recommend BitDefender for up to about 20 devices, although you’ll need to disable notifications. To be most effective, it’s important to install the corresponding extension/add-on in your web browser to block malicious content there, such as browser hijackers and activity trackers.

If you have a larger company, you’ll be looking at enterprise-level solutions which make management easier. This is slightly outside of my focus at Simplex, but generally Sophos or ESET should serve you well. I don’t recommend BitDefender’s enterprise product, GravityZone, because changing the number of protected devices is not straightforward.

Do Macs need anti-malware software?

I get asked this question a lot, so here’s my definitive answer.

Apple Macs have a reputation for being malware-proof, which is why Windows PC aficionados and cybersecurity vendors alike will often point out that these computers still suffer from vulnerabilities. Whilst the latter is true, it’s also true that these vulnerabilities are fewer and less serious than those affecting Microsoft Windows.

Malwarebytes’ ThreatDown reported that, during 2023, only 11% of all malware detections were found on macOS, and that only 11% of those posed a security threat. The rest were adware (software that serves advertisements to generate revenue) and PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Assuming these figures are representative, 11% of 11% means that only about 1.2% of security threats affect Macs. Therefore, the risk is tiny compared to Windows.

It’s worth noting that no anti-malware software has a guaranteed detection rate of 100%, having more like 90-98%. Combined with the risk of human error and persuasive scams, you can see how that resulting 1.2% of threats could slip through the net anyway, even with the most eagle-eyed software installed.