Yes, malware threats exist for Apple’s Mac OS X computers. Generally there’s far less risk than for PCs, but knowing how to stay protected remains important. CNET’s MacFixIt recently revisited this topic, in an article, “Popular antivirus tools for OS X tested, again,” citing a researchers’ testing of these top tools (in no particular order):
- avast! Free Antivirus 8.0
- F-Secure Anti-virus for Mac
- VirusBarrier 10.7.8
- Avira Mac Security 2.0.1.105
- ESET Cybersecurity 5.0.115.0
- Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac 9.0.6
- Kaspersky Security 14.0.1.46
- Dr. Web Light 6.0.6
Worthy of note here is that often acclaimed anti-malware tools such as the open source ClamXav, McAfee, and Symantec’s iAntivirus, did not make it into this top tier set. Therefore, if you are looking for an anti-malware package to use, you might consider weighing those which perform well in tests like this, against the additional features they offer and recommendations by those who have used them.