I don’t know where this widespread myth originated from. The myth that Macs do not get viruses. Macs are computers, and like any computer, they can have vulnerabilities, and there are always people who want to get into your computer and steal your data. And they will always find ways to infect devices, including Macs, with malicious software.

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However, it is true that the quantity of malware programsfor Macs created every year is significantly lower than the same amount forPCs.

Open the Avast Security user interface using one of the following methods: Click the Avast Security. Like Airo Antivirus for Mac and Vipre Advanced Security for Mac, Avast supports macOS versions back to 10.11 (El Capitan). If you have an antique Mac that for some reason can't even run El Capitan. Avast Premium Security (for Mac) doesn't get you the wealth of features found in the Windows version, but if you have sufficient licenses, you may as well install it. I've reviewed the macOS.

Mac versions of these programs haven't had an issue with malware concealed in macros because since when Apple released Office for Mac 2008 it removed macro support. However, the 2011 version of Office reintroduced macros, and there has now been malware discovered in a Word macro, in a Word doc about Trump.

Every day, the AV-TEST Institute registers over 350,000 new malicious programs (malware) and potentially unwanted applications (PUA).

In 2019, there were 89.68 mln malware programs developed for Windows and 3.17mln for Android. For comparison, there were only 60K malware programs for macOS: about 1500 times less than for Windows and 52 times less than for Android.

So, while macOS is much safer (because it is being targeted less), there are still 60K programs being created to harm Macs every year.

My point is Macs do get viruses, and the question is, what should you do to protect them?

There is a significant list of antimalware solutions available for macOS. Among them, ClamXAV, Bitdefender, Intego, Norton, Malwarebytes, and Avast. If you don’t know how to choose from a such variety check my post on how to do it properly.

In this post, we will do a full review of Avast Security forMac, both free and paid versions.

But before we move forward, let’s address the safety and trust questions.

Is Avast Security for Mac Safe?

According to multiple antivirus testing labs (AV-Test,AV-Comparatives), Avast for Mac is considered as a legitimate antimalwareprogram. So, it is safe to install either free or paid versions. However, therewere reports that Avast was selling user data to various organizations.

Does Avast Sell Your Data?

Avast was selling the data about user’s behavior on the internet (including Google searches) since 2013 when they acquired the company called Jumpshot.

They claimed that the data was anonymized before being sold to interested parties, but the damage to the reputation was already done. Some tools even decided to label Avast as spyware. Mozilla and Opera browsers removed the software from their bundles.

After the data collection practices were discovered, the company decided to shutdown Jumpshot. However, it is not clear if they stopped collecting user data or not.

So, at this time, the company is not selling data, but nobody knows what can happen in the future. And it’s up to users to decide whether Avast can be trusted or not. To learn more, read the Privacy policy on their site.

Is Avast for Mac any Good?

To answer this question, let’s check the testing reportsfrom two independent research labs. I could’ve read user reviews, or base theresearch on articles from bloggers (Avast affiliates), but I only trustcompanies which perform AV testing professionally.

There are multiple AV testing labs, but only two providetests for Macs.

Is It Good According to AV-Test?

AV-TEST GmbH is an independent IT security research institute from Germany. They do not recommend any products but produce the test results free of charge, and it’s a job of a consumer to decide which AV is the best.

The latest Avast product review can be found here: Avast Home User Products.

AV-Test tests security programs in three categories:Protection, Performance, and Usability. The highest score in each category is6.

In the latest test, Avast was given the highest score in protection against malware infections (viruses, worms, and/or Trojans). It was able to detect 100% of threats in the test samples, higher than the industry average of 99%.

In the Performance test, which gauges the impact of the product on the system, Avast was also awarded the perfect score of 6.

The effect of the antivirus on the speed of downloads, installing and launching apps, and copying files, was between 1-4%, which is lower than the industry average.

And finally, Avast excelled in the Usability test, whichmeasures false positives (false detection of legit software as malware, ordisplaying unnecessary warnings).

However, it is helpful to see things in perspective. Whilethe last results were impressive, over the years Avast did not consistently getgood marks in some of the tests:

Is It Good According to AV-Comparatives?

AV-Comparatives is an antimalware testing lab based in Austria, and the certifications it awards are globally recognized.

According to the AV-Comparatives, in the latest tests, Avast received an Approved Security Product award along with products such as Avira, Bitdefender, CrowdStrike, F-Secure, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro.

In the lab’s main test, Real-World Protection Test, Avastwas able to achieve Advanced level, which is higher than Standard, but lowerthan Advanced+.

I have to note that Avast Security program performance inAV-Comparatives tests has also fluctuated over the years.

So, if you read this article two-three years after its publication, I suggest checking the latest results from both labs, so that you have freshest data.

Did someone else test Avast?

Well, I did. I was lucky to find a place with hundreds of malware targeting Mac users. And I was dumb enough to download all of them on my MacBook and test 13 antimalware products.

What did I find? I found that Avast is not the best in the class. It missed a few malware samples.

I also found two (or strictly speaking only one) antivirus programs which detected and removed all viruses, including trojans, worms, adware and ransomware.

Image resizer for mac os. A link to the post with the results of my test and the name of the winners is down below in Conclusion.

Avast Security for Mac Review

Installation

The free download of Avast Security for Mac is availablefrom the company web site avast.com.

On Mac, the install media will be saved as a DMG file in the Downloads folder.
Just run the installer from there.
Double click on Install Avast Security.pkg file and keep clicking on the Continue button where appropriate.
Agree to terms of the software license.
Hit the Install button. The software will download the latest virus definitions.
Enter the password when the installer tries to install new software.
At the end of install Mac’s System Security will pop up a message if you want to install System Extension.
Open System Preferences, click on the padlock icon and then click Allow.
While you are in System Preferences app, click on the Privacy tab, select Full Disk Access on the left pane, then find Avast in the right pane and check the box next to the app name.

What’s interesting about the installation is that it didn’task for my email or any other information like almost all other free apps.

Scanning

Once the antivirus is installed, you should run the scan.

If you didn’t give Full Disk Access during installation, theapp would ask it again during the scan. This is expected from any antimalwareprogram.

How long does it take to finish the initial scan depends onthe size of the disk. Just minimize the app and keep doing what you were doing.Avast does take some CPU resources, but do not slow d

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