Do I need anti virus?

I consider myself to have some common sense. I had an older iMac and switched to a PC when it died, solely for economic reasons. Hated Windows after using Safari for so many years. After my affair with the Dark Side, I regretted my decision and came back to the new iMac a few months ago. My Norton 360 is due to renew shortly. Should I lose the subscription and save $150. I guess my ultimate question is: do I need 3rd party security software, and if so, what do you, my fellow Apple fans, recommend?

iMac 24″, macOS 15.3

Posted on Mar 29, 2025 1:48 PM

Reply
4 replies
Sort By: 

Mar 29, 2025 2:07 PM in response to BlownItem

To help emphasize what's already been said here's my 2¢ worth:


First, there is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus, VPN or security apps on your Mac.  This documents describe what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community and Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support.  


There are no known viruses, i.e. self propagating, for Macs.  There are, however, adware and malware which require the user to install although unwittingly most of the time thru sneaky links, etc.   


Anti Virus developers try to group all types as viruses into their ad campaigns of fear.  They do a poor job of the detecting and isolating the adware and malware.  Since there are no viruses these apps use up a lot of system resources searching for what is non-existent and adversely affect system and app performance.


There is one app, Malwarebytes, which was developed by a long time contributor to these forums and a highly respected member of the computer security community, that is designed solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  


Unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's, school's or bank's servers, they provide false security from a privacy standpoint. 


Just some food for thought.




Reply

Do I need anti virus?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.