Malware and viruses threaten any programmable device with a network connection. Apple devices are by no means exempt from this, even if you have certain advantages with them. Instead of virus protection measures, however, it would be better to speak of protection against malware because instead of viruses, trojans, for example, are a more significant problem today. Since the scandal surrounding the Pegasus software, researchers have even accused the Cupertino-based company of not doing enough to ensure the security of their users. Do Apple devices even need antivirus software? It’s a good idea.
With their UNIX foundation, Apple’s devices have a particular advantage in security. Nevertheless, even these security measures can be overcome, which happens continuously. For a long time, Apple devices gave you the benefit of being rare. It was less interesting for malware programmers to write malicious programs for Apple devices. However, the more popular Apple became, the more this advantage disappeared. There is so much malware out there for Apple devices today that you should take care of protection against it. This is also easy to do by installing the Avira software.
How Does Antivirus Software Work On macOS And iOS?
You can use the free version and only purchase the premium products if you are interested. The basic ideas are the same as antivirus software for other systems. The software manufacturers collect as many malware programs as possible and assign them an identifying signature. These signatures are then forwarded to the computers with the appropriate antimalware program installed. The antimalware program then scans files for these signatures.
If the program finds such a signature, it warns the computer owner accordingly. The main difference between macOS and iOS is that you can install any application on a device running macOS. Of course, this details more significant security risks. The iOS system, on the other hand, is closed, and that means that only software from the App Store can be installed. However, it happens repeatedly that programs with malware are also included in Apple’s App Store.
What Additional Protection Does Antivirus Software Usually Offer?
That depends on the provider and is an essential criterion for the choice of antivirus software.
- A VPN or virtual private network that lets you browse more securely.
- A password manager, so you no longer have to remember each website’s passwords.
- A review of websites for the risk of automatic malware downloads.
- The collection of data on the consumption of memory and mass storage. This gives you an overview of the load on your device.
- Many manufacturers of antimalware programs for Apple devices also offer antimalware protection for Windows. While this does not pose any threat to the Apple devices, it is conducive not to forward such malware to contacts with Windows devices.
- Protection against ransomware, i.e. against encrypting your data to extort a ransom.
- Special additional offers are of interest to iOS devices. If lost, they can be located again with such functions. You can also block Siri from recording conversations and monitor WiFi traffic.
Conclusion
Computer criminals always attack the most valuable targets, and Apple device owners are one of them. As Apple has grown in popularity, the malware threat has also steadily increased. It is, therefore, worthwhile to deal with protection against viruses, Trojans and more in good time, all the more so because many protection programs also offer other valuable functions.
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