Question

Viruses: How to Protect Your Mac

Answer 1

Activate the firewall
1st step:
2nd step:
3rd step:
4th step:
5th step:
6th step:
Activate gatekeeper function
1st step:
2nd step:
3rd step:
4th step:
5th step:
Antivirus software for your Mac
General tips for more security for your Mac:

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The best way to protect your Mac against viruses is explained in our tips + tricks article..

A Mac is far less affected by viruses than Windows PCs. But even Mac users are no longer safe from malware attacks; the number of Mac viruses has risen rapidly lately. It is for this reason that you should definitely protect your Mac! In the following we will show you which measures you should take:

• Activate the firewall
• Check gatekeeper function
• Install anti-virus software
• General tips for more security

Activate the firewall

To protect your Mac from unwanted network access, you should activate the integrated firewall:

1st step:

Open the system settings via the dock.

2nd step:

Select " Security " there with a click.

3rd step:

Click on " Firewall " in the menu bar at the top . Then click on the small lock at the bottom left to identify yourself.

4th step:

You then identify yourself with your login data .

5th step:

Now you can activate the firewall by clicking on " Activate firewall ".

6th step:

The firewall is now activated on your Mac.

Activate gatekeeper function

The gatekeeper function protects your Mac from apps that could harm it. In System Preferences, you can specify that only secure apps from Apple and verified developers can be downloaded to your Mac:

1st step:

Open the system settings via the dock.

2nd step:

Select the item " Security " in the menu .

3rd step:

Select " General " in the bar at the top and then click the small lock symbol in the lower left to identify yourself.

4th step:

Enter your login details to identify yourself. Then click on " Unprotect ".

5th step:

You can then choose from which sources apps can be downloaded to your Mac. As of Mac OS 10.12, only the two secure options " App Store " and " App Store and Verified Developers " are available. If you have an older version of Mac OS and the No Restrictions option is selected, you should choose one of the other two options.

Antivirus software for your Mac

To really protect your Mac from viruses, you shouldn't be without antivirus software. Most virus protection programs are now also available for Mac. The most popular free programs include:

1. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac: Avira protects your Mac against viruses, Trojans, adware and spyware and also
   prevents PC viruses from spreading.
2. Avast Free Mac Security: Avast is real-time anti-malware software with three shields: data, web and mail scanners.

General tips for more security for your Mac:

There are a few additional things you can consider in your everyday use of the Internet in order to protect your Mac from malware:

1. You should only ever download downloads onto your Mac from safe sites . Above all, make sure that no automatic downloads are loaded onto your computer if you click on a dubious website.
   
2. Your browser and operating system should always be up to date . The developers close security holes that occur in every version, against which you can easily protect yourself with an update. The most recent version of the programs installed on your Mac should also be downloaded.
   
3. Especially in dealing with e-mails , you should always be careful. If you are not sure where the mail came from, do not open any links or attachments! These could be infected with a virus. Even if you think you know the sender, you should always remain skeptical because it could be a so-called phishing email . In this case, fraudsters use deceptively real-looking forgeries of company or bank logos to gain access to your data. So with apparently official emails, always make sure that the sender is actually trustworthy and uses an official company email address.
   
4. To surf the Internet safely, you can still visit our download page for security add-ons for your browser under macOS.

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