Does a Mac Computer Need Antivirus Software?

A common assumption is that a Mac does not need computer antivirus software. The thought goes that its operating system, OS X, is free from attack because there has never been a malicious virus written that came from outside a secure facility. Because it has never occurred, Mac users often falsely presume that it can never happen. Therefore, users might forgo the purchase of antivirus software. The truth is that a virus written in the wild could befall the Mac operating system, but there are other reasons that Mac users should use antivirus software

Antivirus Software Protections

Antivirus software does not just protect against outside attacks from viruses. It protects against adware, spyware and security code-phishing programs that can slow your computer down as you surf. Macs are vulnerable to attack from viruses and other forms of nefarious programming. Although the attack may not come from a virus, you could still lose data if your Mac is unprotected.

Despite the fact that no successful virus has been written for the Mac OS X, it does not mean that it won’t be in the future. That, along with the fact that there are other types of malware on the web should be enough to convince you to install antivirus protection on your Mac no matter how safe you think it is.