It also has some remote control features and you can turn on or off the automatic virus protection, web protection and potentially unwanted app detection (PUPs). Your online Sophos account that is accessed using a web browser acts as an overview of the security of all your computers and devices running the Sophos software.
You confirm this by responding to an email, and then you can log in and download the software.
Wouldn’t Sophos Home Security be a better name? To get the free software you are first required to create an account at the Sophos website. Sophos Free Mac AntiVirus has also been updated and renamed, and it is now called Sophos Home. Requirements: Any recent version of OS X, 750MB disk space. Maybe a tiny bit, but nothing to be concerned about.Īn Avast online account provides access to information about Avast installations on your computers and devices, news, and forums. Overall, this is a good security program that is nicely designed and effective. I’ve been running it for a week and the Mac isn’t noticeably slower. However, it is also a slow performer and it affects the speed of your Mac more than other security software. Scans can include Time Machine backups, too.Īccording to AV-Test, a company specialising in testing security software, Avast’s protection is excellent and it detected 100% of the malware samples. Real-time protection is provided, so malware should be detected and dealt with straight away, but you can also perform a complete scan of the system, just removable volumes, or the files or folders you select. The web shield monitors browser activity for security threats from known malicious or infected websites. The mail shield checks incoming emails in apps like Mail (not web-based mail like Gmail) and removes malicious attachments. The file system shield protects against malware in files and apps and it also reports PUPs. Mac Security has a file system shield, a mail shield and a web shield. Once Avast Free Mac Security is installed, it adds an item to the menu bar that can be used to get status information, such as whether the security is enabled or disabled, view recent messages like Mac malware alerts, and open the application window.
It was unnecessary hassle that could have been avoided by pointing out SecureLine was a trial and asking if I wanted to install install it. So then I had to reinstall Avast Free Mac Security again, which involved downloading it again, in order to install it and this time deselect the SecureLine VPN. An uninstaller utility is provided with Avast Free Mac Security, but it uninstalls everything. It is a one-week trial, after which you must pay for the application. When you install the free Avast Free Mac Security, there are two extra items that are preselected, Avast Online security, which is a browser extension to check that websites are OK, and SecureLine.Īfter accepting the defaults and installing all three apps, you find that SecureLine is not free. The software did not get off to a good start and this is because the installation comes with SecureLine, which is a VPN. The name indicates that this is not just antivirus and it is a complete security solution. However, they do get other typs of malware, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and adware. This may reflect the fact that Macs don’t get many, if any, viruses.
Avast Free Mac SecurityĪvast Free Antivirus for Mac has been renamed Avast Free Mac Security. On test are two free security applications from Avast and Sophos. The recent ransomware attack on Apple Macs has brought security to the forefront of the Mac community and you might be thinking it is time to install Mac security software to keep your computer safe from malicious threats.