These days it's possible to get all sorts of protection for your PC, Mac and smartphone. But where to start? Our list of the best Internet Security software suites in 2018 can help. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac combines security and efficiency and does not have any negative impact on your Mac, so your device keeps performing at its best. Simple to Set up and Easy to Use Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac provides users with simplified security management that saves your time, effort and hassle.
Top 10 Best Internet Security Software 2018 Compare best antivirus software with built-in internet security Internet Security, or lack of, is one of the major reasons why a lot of people hesitate to use their PC for certain tasks, especially ones that involve card transactions. The best Mac antivirus software 2018. And it maintains that reputation with its Internet Security for Mac software, which brings a range of features that put much of its competitors to shame. Get Disc/ Download – Best internet Security software 2018 for Mac OS. Software Product is Available in Pack as 1 User, 3 User- as well for, 1 Device- 3 Device Pack, etc. According to your requirement and budget, you can buy year wise licensed Software Program and more.
Best Mac Antivirus
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac's top-shelf malware detection and barely there system impact make it the best antivirus solution.
Best Free Mac Antivirus
Avast Free Mac Security
Avast Free Mac Security's malware-squashing proficiency, negligible performance impact and included password manager make it the best free option.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers top-shelf malware detection and protects files from ransomware.
After evaluating eight free and paid antivirus products, we've chosen Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac ($40 per year) as the best antivirus for Mac. It had a nearly invisible impact on system performance, and it caught all malware.
Avast Free Mac Security is our favorite free option, as it provided nearly perfect malware protection and an easy-to-use interface with an imperceptible performance hit.
You do need an antivirus program on your Mac. Recent years have seen more Mac malware and adware than ever before, from Trojans to targeted attacks, supply-chain attacks like the XcodeGhost attack and even encrypting ransomware.
MORE: Best Antivirus Software and Apps
Latest Security Alerts and Threats
— Thousands of people don't bother to change passwords they know have been compromised, a Google study found. ADVICE: Use strong, unique passwords for every online account, and use a password manager to keep them straight.
— Whoops — Apple's update of iPhones and iPads to iOS 12.4 re-opened a flaw that led to a successful 'jailbreak.'ADVICE: There's a slight possibility this could be used to hack iPhones from websites or App Store apps, so carefully choose which apps you install and to which sites you browse, and update to iOS 12.5 when it's ready.
— Scammers are gaming search-engine results so that voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant call phony customer-support numbers when owners request it. ADVICE: Look up customer-support numbers on official company websites and have voice assistants call those instead.
How We Tested
To find the best antivirus for Mac desktops and laptops, we evaluate ease of use, interface and performance impact, we installed each AV program on the same Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina Display running macOS 10.12 Sierra. It was powered by a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7 processor and had 8GB of RAM and 70GB of data stored on a 512GB SSD.
We conducted our own tests in July and August 2017 based on how much each antivirus product affected our laptop's performance. To do this, we used our custom OpenOffice benchmark, which matches 20,000 names and addresses in a spreadsheet. We measured how long it took to run a quick scan and a full scan while the laptop crunched numbers in the background.
We assessed how easy each program was to use and the number of useful extra features it offered (including free add-on software). To gauge how effective each package was at stopping malware, we used the results of evaluations conducted in May 2017 by AV-TEST, a well-regarded independent product-testing lab in Germany, and results from other tests conducted in July 2017 by AV-Comparatives, a similarly well-respected firm in Austria.
Best Mac AntivirusKaspersky Internet Security for MacReasons to Buy
Minimal system impact
Reasons to Avoid
Kaspersky Internet Security is the best antivirus for Macs because it offers both the lowest system impact and some of the best malware-detection rates recorded. It even provides extra security features, including parental controls and options to lock down your webcam and stop websites from tracking your browsing activity. If you're willing to pay to protect your Mac from malware, Kaspersky Internet Security is the best option available.
Best Free Mac AntivirusAvast Free Mac SecurityReasons to Buy
Excellent malware protection
Password manager included
Reasons to Avoid
Avast Free Mac Security caught 99.9 percent of all malware, packs in a password manager, barely leaves a smudge on system impact and doesn't charge a dime. If only it caught 100 percent of malware, as Kaspersky did.
Bitdefender Antivirus for MacReasons to Buy
Ransomware protection
Parental controls
Reasons to Avoid
$38.99
Best Internet Security 2018 For Mac
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is one of only a few solutions we tested that offers perfect malware detection. Further, its modern, streamlined interface places on-demand scans front and center. Bitdefender has dropped from first place, though, because its system-impact scores don't match the flawless marks posted by Kaspersky.
Norton 360 DeluxeReasons to BuyInternet Security For Macbook AirReasons to Avoid
Noticeable system impact
Norton 360 Deluxe may offer excellent protection, but it charges more (after the first year) than its competitors do, without offering as many perks. Norton AntiVirus Plus offers similar protection for a single Mac, but with fewer perks. Still, both have always-on-call customer support.
AVG Antivirus for MacReasons to Buy
Free
Reasons to Avoid
Comparatively high background impact
AVG Antivirus for Mac
If you're looking for the best antivirus for Mac without having to pay, AVG AntiVirus for Mac is not too shabby, with its 99.9 percent detection rate and easy-to-use design. Unfortunately, other free competitors provide extras (Sophos with parental controls, Avast's password manager) that AVG does not.
Best for FamiliesSophos HomeReasons to Buy
Remote manageability
Low system impact
Reasons to Avoid
With Sophos Home for Mac's simple interface and low system-performance impact, you'll barely realize the program is shielding you until you need it. Anyone with young children at home will find Sophos' parental controls useful, as they allow for remote scans and checks, and let you block sites by category. Sophos even keeps a log of when users try to reach banned pages. This program's major drawback, though, is its lackluster malware-detection rate.
Avira Free Antivirus for MacReasons to Buy
Solid malware protection
Reasons to Avoid
Once our favorite, Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is no longer the best antivirus for Mac. That's because it is a hair shy of perfection in its malware detection, and fell behind in system-performance testing, earning some of the higher performance impacts recorded.
McAfee Antivirus PlusReasons to Buy
Familiar user interface
Reasons to Avoid
Unproven detection rates
McAfee® AntiVirus Plus
While McAfee's unlimited licenses mean you can support a whole family of Macs (and PCs and Android devices, too), this program's lack of special features (for a paid version) make it hard to recommend. Further, we don't have malware-detection testing scores for McAfee, so its protection powers are unproven.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac does a great job recognizing and protecting against both Mac and Windows malware. It comes with parental controls and enough licenses to secure three computers and laptops.
We spent 300 hours testing Mac internet security solutions using 165 live Mac malware samples.
We watched how each program responded, with some internet security programs only stopping a few downloads while others immediately quarantined the entire folder before each individual threat could start downloading.
After this initial step, we performed deep virus scans to see if the programs could find those threats missed during the download. We compared the threats we knew were released to those found by the Mac protection software and used these findings to determine a protection score.
Our own findings were compared to other test labs to assign an overall malware protection score to each Mac internet security solution.
We feel Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is the best overall program because of its ability to hunt down and eradicate Mac and Windows threats alike.
It comes with several privacy and protection tools, plus three user licenses to protect multiple devices for a good price.
Best Overall
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac does a great job recognizing and protecting against both Mac and Windows malware. It comes with parental controls and enough licenses to secure three computers and laptops.
Best Free Antivirus
Best Internet Security 2018 Consumer ReportsAVG Security for Mac
AVG Security for Mac is the best free Mac security software we tested, receiving the highest malware protection score of the programs at this price point.
Best for Multiple Devices
Norton Security Standard
Norton earned a perfect score for detecting Mac malware in our tests, and it is compatible with both Mac and Windows computers as well as iOS and Android mobile devices.
Best OverallReasons to Buy
Great protection from both Mac and Windows threats
Comes with three user licenses
Reasons to Avoid
Doesn’t include a firewall
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
$38.99
We are impressed with how well Bitdefender recognizes and blocks malware designed to attack Mac computers and laptops. As our test folder began downloading and opening infected files, Bitdefender quickly blocked most of the threats before they could get loose. These were taken care of quickly and permanently without even landing in the quarantine folder.
There were a few viruses that snuck by Bitdefender because they were hidden in files designed to look legitimate. But after a deep scan, the program found them. Overall, this Mac internet security program was 99 percent effective at malware detection and protection in our in-house tests.
Another perk of Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is it comes with a vulnerability scanner and a VPN. The vulnerability scanner looks for weak spots in your system, like outdated programs, and gives you solutions to fix them. This helps keep hackers and ransomware from sneaking in. The VPN makes you invisible online so adware, identity thieves and other snoops can’t see, track or log what you do online. And while most of the time browser history is used to create targeted ads, there are also keyloggers and other malware that can snatch this information to steal your identity. Best Free AntivirusReasons to Buy
Detects both Mac and Windows threats very well
Reasons to Avoid
Vulnerability scanner must be installed separately
AVG Security for Mac was 100 percent accurate at protecting our computer from Mac malware samples in our testing. When we started to download our test file, AVG quarantined the entire folder rather than let each individual file loose before stopping them. Most Mac security programs we tested weren’t this aggressive, so we were really impressed.
It also correctly identified and stopped 95 percent of the Windows malware we used in our testing. This is one of the highest scores we saw, and it’s a good indication you won’t accidentally send on a dangerous threat to your family or friends who use Windows computers.
This free Mac internet security program is one of the easiest to use. It didn’t require us to jump through too many hoops to get it downloaded or set up. Each tool on the AVG dashboard is represented with large icons that are red when they aren’t active. This makes the program easy to work with. AVG Security for Mac comes with spam filters, antiphishing tools and a vulnerability scanner to help secure other parts of your system from hackers. Best for Multiple DevicesReasons to Buy
Compatible with Mac, Windows, Android and iOS devices
Includes more security tools than most Mac programs
Reasons to Avoid
Doesn’t detect Windows threats on Mac devices very well
Norton 360 Standard
$49.99
Norton Security Standard is one of the few programs we reviewed that is compatible with multiple devices and operating systems without requiring a different module for each one. The same program you download to your Mac computer is the exact same program that is downloaded to Windows computers, iPhones and Android cellphones.
This Mac internet security program comes with a personal firewall, a vulnerability scanner, spam filters and a password manager that works on every device. The parental controls can also be used on both computers and mobile devices to block dangerous content from your children and limiting how much time they spend online. On top of blocking internet threats from downloading to your computer, Norton warns you if a site is dangerous. If you enter a website’s URL in the address bar, Norton displays a warning message before letting you continue. When using a search engine, Norton will put an icon next to each result letting you know if the site is safe to visit. The biggest drawback of Norton Security is its price. It costs more for a single license than most other internet security programs, with several competitors offering multiple licenses for cheaper.
Reasons to Buy
Designed specifically for Mac computers and laptops
Reasons to Avoid
Intego is specifically designed to work on Mac computers and works with Mac operating system programs like Finder, Mail and Safari.
Intego Mac Premium is a bundle of programs that includes VirusBarrier, ContentBarrier, NetBarrier and WashingMachine. You don’t have to use each of these programs, but together they provide you with ultimate security with Mac virus protection, parental controls, a personal firewall and a system scrubber. If you plug your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into your computer, Intego scans them and clears any threats so malware can’t be passed on to your computer. It also monitors incoming email messages for any spam or phishing schemes. The only drawback we saw is Intego doesn’t recognize Windows malware that sneak onto Mac computers very well. While these threats won’t affect your computer, they can be accidentally passed on to Windows users.
Reasons to BuyReasons to Avoid
$59.99
One of the best features of Avast Security is it works alongside other antivirus and internet security programs without a problem.
This means if you already have a good Mac security solution, but would like a second layer of protection, or double firewalls, you can use Avast. Avast recognizes when it needs to run in the background, or if it should step up and become the first line of defense without you having to play too much with its controls. Avast Security for Mac Pro also has some extra tools that aren’t found with other security software, like a VPN, system scanner and password manager. So, you can download and use Avast for just those features. Avast does a great job detecting and protecting against Mac malware, but it also does a decent job blocking Windows threats, too, so you don’t accidentally pass them on to PC users.
Why Trust Us
For over 15 years we have been researching and testing internet security software. We devote hundreds of hours each year to physically downloading, using and testing dozens of the most popular Mac internet security programs to learn which are the best.
We know the ins and outs of the industry by forming relationships with leading internet security experts, subscribing to news outlets and blogs that alert us of any new breaches or threats, so we can ensure the products we recommend are safe when you need them.
Before we start testing, we look to industry experts to ensure that our testing methodologies represent true user experiences, are ethical and will provide us with enough data to evaluate each program fairly. Some of these experts are professional hackers that are hired by companies to look for vulnerabilities and understand how malware works and the best defenses against it. Others are the system analysts of companies, including the healthcare industry, where keeping tabs on systems and updating security measures are important to the sensitive information kept on them. We also refer to the standards set by the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization, or AMTSO, and the testing methodologies and results of other testing laboratories, including AV-Test and AV-Comparatives.
How We Tested
We started our testing of Mac internet security software by downloading and opening a folder of 165 malware threats. We watched how each program responded, with some internet security programs only stopping a few downloads while others immediately quarantined the entire folder before each individual threat could start downloading. After this initial step, we performed deep virus scans to see if the programs could find those threats missed during the download. We compared the threats we knew were released to those found by the Mac protection software and used these findings to determine a protection score. Our own findings were compared to other test labs to assign an overall malware protection score to each Mac internet security solution.
We ran another to see how well Mac antivirus programs detect and remove Windows threats. Even though Windows malware doesn’t affect Mac computers, these viruses can accidentally be sent through email, USB drives or other file sharing methods and infect a Windows user when the infected file is opened. This wasn’t given as much weight as Mac malware detection, but it is still an important point to consider.
Our final test was to look at the extra security and privacy tools included with each program. Internet security programs for Mac should include more protections than standard antivirus software. Some tools we specifically looked for were a personal firewall, parental controls, password managers and vulnerability scans. These are the most important tools, beyond malware detection, that you need to stay protected online. Some programs include features designed to shield important information while you bank or shop online, and others look at links and files shared on social media pages and let you know if any of them are dangerous. A handful of programs include a VPN that makes you invisible online so browser history can’t be recorded, tracked or used to create targeted ads.
Do you need virus protection on a Mac?
Most of the virus and ransomware attacks you hear about target Windows machines, but there has been a steady increase in malware designed to attack Mac computers and laptops, too. In fact, we used test files with over 160 threats developed only for Mac devices as part of our evaluation of the best internet security software for Mac.
Even with the great security measures that come standard with Mac computers and laptops, there are several Mac viruses that slip by. And we noticed that even with safe browsing extensions enabled in Safari and Chrome, Mac malware typically wasn’t tagged and stopped before downloading like Windows threats were. Several of the threats were packaged in a way that looked like legitimate add-ons or Mac programs. Often it wasn’t apparent it was malicious until we reached the very last file in the folder and watched the havoc happen.
Even if your Mac is never infected with a virus, you can download files with Windows malware lurking in them without knowing. When passed along in email, USB storage devices or even posted online, Windows users can become infected with these threats. The best Mac internet security programs can detect and remove Windows threats along with Mac viruses keeping you and your friends, family and coworkers safe from malware.
How do I clean viruses from my Mac?
We found the hardest part of manually removing viruses from Mac machines was tracking down the infected file because often it looked like a legitimate folder or program. There are a few websites that list common threats, where they are typically located and how to recognize them. But this can turn into a long, complicated task. Software, like Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, tracks down these threats for you, and will automatically delete them so you don’t have to deal with them at all. In fact, we found that Bitdefender was one of the best at being able to recognize the difference between the threat and a legitimate file while others had to ask us to double check them before permanently deleting them. And other programs left some of the threats alone because they were so well disguised as genuine folders.
Some antivirus software developers offer free virus scans on their websites, including F-Secure. However, most of these simply tell you if your devices are infected and the names of these threats. A few will tell you where they are located, and the majority require you to still manually remove them. Overall, we highly recommend investing in an internet security program compatible with your Mac to help you, first prevent infection in the first place, and with locating and removing threats if they do sneak in.
How much does Mac internet security cost?
Mac Internet Security software costs on average between $60 and $90, with the best programs including multiple user licenses so you can protect between three and 10 devices at once. These solutions often come with mobile protection so both your mobile devices and your home computers and laptops are protected. Internet security software is a step up from basic Mac antivirus programs that cost about $50 for a single license and don’t include the same number of protection tools as Mac internet security software.
What is the best antivirus for Windows 10?
After months of testing antivirus software using live malware samples, we learned that Bitdefender is the best antivirus solution for both Mac and Windows computers. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, the Windows 10 version of the software, also comes with a VPN, file shredder and password manager. One of the best features of Bitdefender in both the Mac and Windows versions of the program is its secure delete. This function scrubs stopped and captured malware from your computer without leaving any trace of the threat behind. This prevents the malware from infecting your computer after it has been quarantined or even deleted.
Best Internet Security 2018 Reviews
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 is also the best value for Windows antivirus software. It comes with more security tools that other antivirus program and with a minimum of five user licenses that let you secure several Windows computers at once for a decent price.
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