#Mac os virus protection software how to
#Mac os virus protection software for mac os x
#Mac os virus protection software for mac
#Mac os virus protection software mac os x

Set the Quarantine folder for the suspicious items identified by ClamXav via the program's Preferences dialog. ClamXav will only quarantine the items after you have selected the option under Quarantine in the Preferences dialog. The 27 suspicious items ClamXav identified on my test Mac were all from Gmail's spam folder, which I had inadvertently imported to the Mac mail app. The ClamXav scanner shows detected items in the main window, a scan summary in the bottom window, and the scanned items in the left pane. The scan progress is shown in the bottom pane, and detected items are listed in the top window. Click the Start Scan button in the top-left corner of the window. (The program's Preferences options let you update the definition database automatically when the app opens.)Ĭlick the plus button at the bottom of the source pane on the left and choose the item you want to scan, or simply drag the file or folder you want to scan into the source pane. Before your first scan, choose the Updated Definitions button. To start ClamXav, click its icon in the menu bar. They can be set to quarantine or remove the threats they detect, and they add a scan-this-file option to the Mac's contextual menu.Įither of the two antivirus apps will provide all the malware protection a Mac user needs, although Sophos Anti-Virus' clean and polished interface gives it an edge over ClamXav.

#Mac os virus protection software for mac

Two popular antivirus programs for OS X are Mark Allan's ClamXav donationware and the free Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition.īoth programs feature automatic updates of their malware definitions, real-time virus protection, and scheduled scans. The silver lining of the Flashback outbreak is the realization, finally, that Macs need real-time virus protection, too. Prepare for the next Mac malware attack by installing free AV software Click Disable under the entry for the Java plug-in. To do the same in Chrome, enter chrome://plugins in the browser's address bar and press Enter. In Firefox, disable Java by going to Tools > Add-ons > Plug-ins and choosing the Disable button for the Java plug-in. Disable Java in the Safari browser by opening the Preferences dialog and unchecking Enable Java under the Security tab.

To disable Java in the Safari browser, go to Safari > Preferences > Security and uncheck Enable Java. Since Java isn't installed by default with OS X Lion, you may be prompted to install the Java runtime when you attempt to open Java Preferences in the Applications/Utilities folder.

#Mac os virus protection software how to

Topher Kessler explains on the MacFixIt blog how to disable Java on a Mac. F-Secure's Flashback Removal Tool gives you the all-clear after it scans your Mac for the Flashback Trojan.

#Mac os virus protection software mac os x

Alternatively, F-Secure's free Flashback Removal Tool works with earlier versions of Mac OS X and alerts you to the results of its scan Apple's tool does nothing unless its scan finds Flashback.

#Mac os virus protection software for mac os x

Tools for detecting and removing FlashbackĪpple's Flashback malware removal tool is recommended for Mac OS X Lion without the Java runtime environment installed.

Likewise, the company's decision to release its own Java patches rather than rely on Oracle's public release may have helped spread the later Java-based version of Flashback: by last February Oracle had patched the Java vulnerability leveraged by Flashback, but Apple didn't get around to plugging the hole until this month. The initial release of Flashback mimicked Adobe's Flash installer. Apple refuses to preinstall Adobe's Flash player, so Mac users are prompted to download and install the plug-in when they encounter a Web site that uses Flash. The FAQ explains that Flashback's creators may have exploited Apple's go-it-alone strategy. Flashback malware infections drop to 30,000 Macs.Kaspersky: Mac security is 10 years behind Microsoft'.One in five Macs infected with malware is inaccurate.