If XProtect detects malware on a file or application, it notifies the user and blocks the download. XProtect scans all applications and files for viruses and malware using a database of threats that Apple updates daily. Since 2009, Apple has included XProtect, Apple’s proprietary antivirus software, on all Macs. Avast Antivirus – Mac is Protected Do Macs Have Built-in Antivirus Software? Is Apple doing anything about that? Do Macs have built-in antivirus software? Do you need a third-party antivirus app for your Mac? We answer all those in this guide. In fact, Malwarebytes, an antivirus company, saw a 400-percent increase in Mac malware in 2019 compared to 2018. Macs have grown in popularity, and cybercriminals saw that as an opportunity to target more people, focusing their efforts in creating malware for Apple computers.

While that may have been true 20 years ago, it no longer applies today.

There’s even a myth that Macs are safe from malware, mainly because most viruses are designed for Windows. A PC malware designed to exploit a Windows vulnerability, for example, does no harm on a Mac computer. Here’s one thing many people don’t know about computer viruses: Many of them only attack specific operating systems.

Does avast remove malware on mac