05-10-2021

I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac

Ask most Mac users about antivirus for Mac, and they’ll tell you that macOS doesn’t get viruses, so there’s no need to worry about it. Sadly, that’s not quite true. While there’s been no serious outbreak or epidemic of Mac viruses in the wild, macOS has been hit by malware quite a few times. Just recently, Meltdown and Spectre malware exploited flaws in Intel chips and affected Macs.

Think you have a Facebook virus or your account has been hacked? Here are four things you should try: reclaim your account, change your password, remove suspicious apps, and perform a virus scan. If a developer knowingly added a virus to their app and ships an update, Apple will check the code and hackers can be caught. Pro tip: free gigabytes from unused file and photos Keeping your Mac and iPhone in sync is popular, as having the same files, folders, and images across all of your devices just makes life easier. Protect your Mac from malware. MacOS has many features that help protect your Mac and your personal information from malicious software, or malware.One common way malware is distributed is by embedding it in a harmless-looking app. Mac malware is rare, but it does exist. If you thinking that your Mac has a virus and want advice about Mac malware removal you've come to the right place. Here's how to get a free virus scan to.

BitDefender Virus Scanner for Mac – this tool is also free. However, it is just a scanner and won't automatically delete the virus for you. It can, however, point out the file on where you ought to delete the virus. AdwareMedic – this tool both scans and deletes adware files. It's a quick scanner and advisable if you're seeing way too many.

Macro Virus is the new Mac-specific threat that was discovered in 2020. This virus gets on your Mac through an infected Word document.

While malware and viruses aren’t the same things, the steps taken to combat them are similar enough that we’re going to use both terms interchangeably. And the best security software for Mac should deal with both categories equally well.

Technically, a virus is a bit of code that infects your system and can cause all sorts of havoc. Malware is a much wider term used to describe anything malicious that finds its way onto your Mac from apps you download think they were something else and which steal data, to code that arrives on your Mac because you clicked on a link on a website and which shows you adverts or threatens to hack your computer if you don’t pay up.

How do I know if my Mac has a virus?

Viruses display a number of different symptoms, depending on the kind of malware they are. It could be that your Mac starts behaving strangely and displaying odd things on the screen. Or you may see a message telling you that your Mac is infected and that you should call a premium rate number to get rid of it. If you see that, don’t call the number.

Here are a few signs that your Mac has a virus:

  1. Your Mac suddenly starts running very slowly, or applications lag much more than they usually do.
  2. You see adverts pop up on your Mac randomly.
  3. Websites you visit show strange adverts that are unconnected with anything you’ve browsed or searched for.
  4. You find a piece of software, like, say, a browser toolbar that you didn’t install.
  5. Websites that don’t normally show adverts have banners on them.

If your Mac displays one or more of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean it has a virus or has been infected with malware. It’s a sign that it might do, however. And it’s well worth getting to the root of the problem. You can do that by installing an antivirus program and using it to scan your Mac. It will alert you if it detects any known viruses or malware.

What do I do if my Mac gets a virus?

We’ve covered that in detail in a separate article here. In summary, here’s what you should and shouldn’t do.

Don’t google your symptoms, and then download whatever comes at the top of the search listings. One common host for malware is fake antivirus software, and often the websites that house these apps are optimized for the very symptoms they cause. So instead of downloading a solution, you make the problem worse. If you want to scan your Mac for malware, try using CleanMyMac X. It can detect thousands of threats, including adware, worms, spyware, ransomware, and more.

Detect virus on mac

It comes with a malware monitor that works in real-time. If some dubious app attempts to get into your Launch Agents, you'll see an alert and instructions on what to do next. Here's the screenshot of CleanMyMac X detecting a bunch of viruses on a MacBook:

How can I protect my Mac from viruses?

Downloaded

The obvious answer is to do research and install some trusted Mac security software. Our latest research on best antivirus for Mac may be a good starting point.

1. Clear your browser cache

If the malware has come from a website you downloaded, you don’t want any traces of the site or and files it’s deposited left on your Mac. You can quickly and easily clear the browser cache for Safari and Chrome using CleanMyMac X. Unlike many independent antiviruses; this program is notarized by Apple, so check it out.

CleanMyMac X can also remove extensions for those two browsers — extensions are sometimes infected, and if you get a virus, it may have come from one of those.


2. Make sure your Mac’s firewall is switched on

  1. Go to System Preferences and click on the Security & Privacy pane.
  2. Choose the Firewall tab.
  3. If the green light next to the word Firewall is showing, your firewall is on. If it’s not, click Turn On Firewall.
  4. Click on Firewall Options and check the Enable Stealth Mode box.

3. Use ClearVPN

Keeping your firewall on will help protect your Mac, but it won’t keep out every piece of malware. If you regularly use your Mac on a public Wi-Fi network, you should consider using MacPaw's ClearVPN — the first effortless VPN for a personalized and secure online experience. By using ClearVPN, you create a secure tunnel between your Mac and the websites you visit, and your data is encrypted. If the Wi-Fi network is compromised, your data and your Mac will be safe.

4. Don’t click the link

Email messages are a very common distribution medium for malware. Never click a link in an email unless you’re certain you know who the message is from. Phishing, as it’s called, can catch anyone out if you’re not vigilant. We’ve all had emails that look legitimate, and that ask us to click a link to access a form or read an important message. Don’t do it. The easiest strategy and the best malware removal for Mac is simply being vigilant.

I think i downloaded a virus on my mac without

5. Trust in Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper is a built-in security layer of the macOS itself. It's no replacement for antimalware software, but it has a couple of very helpful tools that protect your Mac. One is Quarantine. If you’ve ever downloaded an application from the internet, you’ll have seen it in action. It pops up a dialog box telling you that you’ve downloaded it and where it’s come from — assuming it’s been digitally signed by its developer. Apps that don’t have a signature, supplied by Apple, don’t even get that far. You must then click to approve the app before it can be opened. Please don’t ignore this box when you see it. Check the app you’ve downloaded is the one you expected to download before you agree to open it.

6. Xprotect yourself

The other macOS tool is Xprotect — it scans files you’ve downloaded when you open them and looks for known malware. If it finds anything, it will warn you. If you see it, follow its instructions.

7. Avoid known offenders

Both Flash and Java have been used in the past to spread viruses — usually by hackers who create fake installers that pretend to be updated and lure you into downloading them. But outdated versions of Flash (the MacDownloader malware used a fake Flash update as a host) and Java can leave your Mac vulnerable to malware. The safest approach is to uninstall them altogether. Now that most of the web uses HTML 5 video and Adobe discontinued support for Flash Player, there's no reason to have Flash installed on your Mac.

8. Keep your browser up to date

Safari updates are installed with macOS updates, while other browsers like Firefox and Chrome will alert you when your browser is outdated and a newer version is available. Don’t ignore the warnings. Update your browser immediately. Often, these updates will include security features designed to keep you safe from malware.

9. Backup your Mac regularly

If you back up your Mac, you can restore from that backup if a virus causes real damage to your system. And if you use Time Machine, you can boot your Mac into the recovery partition and restore from a snapshot taken just before your Mac became infected. That makes it very easy to get back up and running again.

10. Secure personal data

You could use macOS FileVault to encrypt every file on your Mac. But it consumes resources and hits your Mac’s performance. For most of us, it’s overkill. But you should make sure that all sensitive or personal data stored on your Mac is encrypted. One way to do that is to use a password manager. As well as passwords, most of these apps encrypt and safely store credit card details, bank accounts, and text notes. You should also use secure, difficult-to-guess passwords for everything, from your Mac user account to your Wi-Fi network.

As you can see, the best virus protection for a Mac is to be alert and to use common sense. If you notice your Mac behaving strangely, take action immediately, even if it’s only launching Activity Monitor, to find out why your Mac is running slowly.

Apple virus protection in macOS, in the form of Gatekeeper and Xprotect will help, but they won’t stop every possible piece of malware. You need to be vigilant, backup your Mac regularly, and minimize the risk by removing Flash and Java.

The chances of your Mac becoming infected with a virus are slim. By employing the advice here, you can reduce that risk even further.

11. Antivirus software

What to look for in antivirus software? Antivirus software is a juicy market that attracts many newcomers. That’s why you should look into the software with a reputable name and at least some years of credibility behind it. So, don’t fall for fancy names. And don’t install more than two antivirus programs because antiviruses often conflict with each other. What else to consider:

Reputable brand: Malwarebytes, CleanMyMac X
Apple notarization: Legit apps are notarized with Apple
Real-time protection
Regular updates: Because new viruses appear every day
We hope this article gave you some valuable insights. Our MacPaw team is on the watch for the latest Mac security updates, so stay tuned.

There are no OS X viruses. If your computer is running slow it's not because of a virus. You might see the following:

I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac


Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance


I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac

For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior. Versions 1.5.1 and later are Intel Mac compatible.


OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.


Virus

OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.


I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.


For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.


When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.


Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):

I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac Video



Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.

Mac Virus Removal Free


Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.

I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac Free


Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.

I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac Computer


I Think I Downloaded A Virus On My Mac Using

Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.

Mar 19, 2012 7:09 PM