Is Avast Effective For Mac

Is it worthy? For these, you need to pay for the premium version which costs $59.99 per year. /avast-security-v133-activation-code-for-mac.html. This helps you to keep hackers/ neighbors out of your network. • Ransomware Shield – Ransomware shields keep your personal data from being encrypted without your permission. We would say yes as ransomware on Mac is on the rise and Avast offers solid protection against it.

• Avast Download For Mac
• Avast Security For Mac Download
• Is Avast Good For Mac

Sep 08, 2009  Question: Q: is avast for mac any good More Less Apple Footer This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Free Antivirus for Mac is the Mac version of our current favorite for Windows, and for good reason. Avast Mac Security is a decent antivirus program that detects both Mac and Windows threats and extends this protection to other devices, such as cellphones and tablets, with its free mobile protection programs.

Is Avast for Mac free? Well, yes and no. There is a free version. There is also a paid version. What’s the difference? Most digital products today come with a free doppelganger to show customers the value in the paid-for product. Bloggers offer a free e-book to get people to subscribe to their email list. Subscription services offer a free week or month so people can try the services (if you’re a music lover, don’t try Spotify’s three-month free trial. You will be helpless to resist continuing your subscription afterward.)

The point is, these sales methods can be very effective. Free is hard to resist. But free can also be expensive. It all comes down to the simple question – “is it worth it?” Of course, the answer varies depending on your needs and wants. Avast for Mac is no different.

What is Avast for Mac?

Image: Public Domain, Avast Software, via Wikimedia

Avast Antivirus for Mac is a “free” software program that protects your Mac from viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware. The free version doesn’t do much more than allow you to scan for malware that has already made its way into your system. And you can only scan so often – once a day is typical. Scanning more often than once a day can be cumbersome, especially if you are working on your Mac throughout the day. Malware scanning apps take a lot of processing power and so the rest of your computer will work much slower while a scan is taking place. More complex programs might even grind to a halt.

The paid-for version can do much more than just scan. One of the most significant differences between the free and paid-for versions of Avast for Mac is a feature called real-time protection.

Real-time protection is a proactive method of protecting your Mac. Instead of finding malware and removing it after the fact (which allows enough time for malware to make its way back to a third-party with your information or otherwise accomplish its malicious purpose), real-time protection scans for malicious software in real-time. This way, you’re constantly protected by most threats, so long as you keep the threat database of Avast for Mac updated.

Add-ons for Avast for Mac

So, the free version doesn’t cut it for those who need around-the-clock protection and are constantly using their devices. Avast for Mac is not free if you’re looking for real-time protection. The paid version comes with this feature first and foremost. But it’s not the only option available once you upgrade.

There’s not just one paid-for version – there are multiple different kinds of add-ons. Each addon gives Avast for Mac additional functionality. Let’s see what some of these can do.

Avast Secure line VPN

A virtual-private-network (VPN) provides an encrypted tunnel for all of your web traffic to travel through. This gives you an additional layer of security and privacy.

A VPN can also mask your IP address, making it look like your device is located in another city, state, or country. The farther away the VPN server is from your general location, however, the slower the connection tends to be. All of your traffic has to first arrive at the server before going out to its final destination.

Obviously, Avast is not the only VPN provider in the world. There are dozens of VPNs available, and many reviews for them have been written. We’ll leave it up to you whether or not to choose the VPN offered by Avast for Mac.

Avast File Shield

Avast File Shield is one of the simplest features of Avast for Mac. It simply allows you to permanently delete files forever. You may think simply hitting “delete” on something in the Trash accomplishes this, but it does not. There are ways for erased files to be recovered even years later. But Avast promises to get rid of any trace of sensitive data. Obviously, the average person doesn’t have much use for this.

Avast Wireless Defender

Image: CC0 Creative Commons, 3844328, via Pixabay

Scanning your wireless network for open ports is important. If there is an open port in your wireless access point (home router), this is like an open door for hackers. If you don’t know you have open ports, you could already have someone snooping around on your network without you knowing anything about it.

Avast Security Pro comes with a Wi-Fi scanner to let you know about open ports or any other potential problems. It scans all devices on your network in addition to the wireless access point. Like most everything else, there are free apps for this. But they’re not usually as comprehensive as Avast.

Avast Wireless Defender also lets you see when someone joins your network. This is great but can also get annoying. For example, every time someone walks into your home with a smartphone that is on, you will be notified.

The same thing will happen when someone turns on a tablet or laptop and connects to your Wi-Fi network. You can turn off these notifications for trusted devices, but then there’s not much point in having it in the first place. This feature is made for the most highly security-conscious individuals.

Avast Driver Updater

This software add-on will allow Avast for Mac to automatically update the drivers your computer needs as they become available. Drivers are files that tell your system how a particular piece of hardware should work. Without the proper drivers, you can’t use your video card, sound card, USB devices, or printer. Driver issues can be a source of much frustration for novice and veteran technology users alike.

Although it is possible to download and install the drivers you need on your own, Avast promises to make the process easy and automated. Do you really need this service? Maybe. If you’re a professional in an office setting, it might be worth it just to make sure you never have a problem with printers or Internet of Things (IoT) devices. And if you’re a gamer, your video and sound cards need to always be up-to-date in order to keep video games running smoothly.

Then again, those in office settings probably have IT teams to take care of this. And the average gamer is likely to have the requisite tech know-how to do this on his or her own (interesting and irrelevant side note – at least 30% of all gamers are female!)

Avast Clean up

Avast for Mac can go through your system and help you delete unnecessary files and programs. After identifying anything that might be slowing down your system, it will give you options for dealing with them.

To a certain extent, you can do this yourself by clicking the Apple icon in the upper-left of your screen and choosing “About This Mac.” Select the “Storage” tab and click “Manage.” You will then be given options for reducing the amount of storage space used on your hard drive.

As you can see, many of these add-ons serve functions that can be accomplished by the individual user. Some people might see them as unnecessary. But if you’re less than tech-savvy, don’t want to learn how to do these things on your own, and have a little extra cash, then maybe these products are for you.

Another thing to note is that if you want to have all of these features bundled together in one convenient place, Avast for Mac accomplishes this purpose well. Instead of having a VPN provider, a wireless network scanning app, and updating your drivers by yourself, you can have all of that in one central location. Some things can even be automated, like the updates for your drivers.

Avast for Mac is Both Free and Expensive

In the end, Avast for Mac is not really free. Yes, there is a free version, but all it does is scan for viruses.
For many users, the malware scanning feature of Avast for Mac might be all they really need. But for real-time protection and all the bells and whistles like file shield, driver updater, and more, you will have to pay a price.

Avast Security Pro (for Mac)

• Pros

  Certified by one independent testing lab. Speedy full scan. Useful bonus features. Ransomware protection. Wi-Fi intruder detection.

• Cons

  Doesn't add much to free edition's features. Expensive. Poor scores in phishing protection test. Password manager includes only basic features.

• Bottom Line

  Avast Security Pro (for Mac) adds ransomware protection and Wi-Fi intruder detection to the features found in Avast's free antivirus, but these additions don't merit its high price.

The myth that Macs can't suffer viruses, Trojans, or other types of malware attack is busted. Oh, the situation isn't nearly as bad as on Windows or Android, but Macs really do need antivirus protection. There are free options available, including Avast Security (for Mac), but commercial antivirus utilities offer more features and do better in testing. Looking at what this product adds beyond the features in the free edition, it's really hard to justify the price.

This product's main window looks exactly like that of the free edition, except for the absence of the upgrade offer. Plenty of white space surrounds a simple security status indicator. The left-rail menu is also the same as in the free edition. The difference is that clicking Ransomware Shield or Wi-Fi Inspector brings up the component, rather than displaying an upgrade invitation. The look is very different from that of Avast Pro Antivirus, which uses a dark gray background with occasional elements in purple and green.

Pricing and OS Support

Like Bitdefender and Kaspersky, Avast supports macOS versions back to 10.9 (Mavericks). If you have an antique Mac that for some reason can't even run Mavericks, consider ESET, ProtectWorks, or ClamXav—all of which support versions of macOS from 10.6 (Snow Leopard) on. At the other end of the spectrum, Avira, Trend Micro, and Symantec Norton Security Deluxe (for Mac) require macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) or better.

The most common pricing plan for Mac antivirus runs $39.99 per year for one license or $59.99 for three. Bitdefender, ESET Cyber Security (for Mac), Kaspersky, and Malwarebytes all fit this profile. Price-wise, Avast is on the high end, at $59.99 per year or $69.99 for three licenses. That's expensive, considering that the free edition has all the same features except for Ransomware Shield and Wi-Fi Inspector, which I'll detail below.

Shared Features

This utility shares all the features of the free Avast Security (for Mac), and that's saying a lot. I'll briefly summarize those shared features here, and you can should read my review of the free product for more details.

AV-Comparatives certified Avast's Mac malware protection as effective. In testing, it protected against 99.9 percent of Mac malware and 100 percent of Windows malware. AV-Test Institute, the other major lab that tests Mac antivirus, did not include Avast in testing. Note, though, that Bitdefender and Kaspersky earned 100 percent in both tests, and received certification from both labs.

I don't have the same kind of resources for antivirus testing under macOS as I do for Windows. I did try scanning a folder containing my current collection of Windows malware. Avast detected and quarantined 85 percent of the samples, which is quite good. Only Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus (for Mac), with 86 percent, and Sophos, with 100 percent, have done better. At the low end, McAfee caught 25 percent and Intego just 18 percent.

Avast's full scan finished in 14.5 minutes, which is quite a bit faster than the current average of 24 minutes. The impressive Home Network Security Scanner took less than three minutes to take note of all devices on my network. It found 36 devices and flagged legitimate security problems on two of them.

Phishing websites masquerade as secure sites in the hopes of fooling you into giving away your login credentials. It doesn't matter which browser you use, or which operating system. Avast's scores in my hands-on phishing protection test were extremely poor. The phishing protection systems built into Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer all outperformed Avast, by a long shot.

I learned from my company contacts that phishing protection is fully functional in Chrome and Firefox, but only partly in Safari. The developers are working up a browser-independent version. In a new test using Chrome, Avast scored better than any Mac product except Bitdefender. It tied with Norton and beat out all three browsers. If you're relying on Avast for phishing protection, make sure you use Chrome or Firefox.

The Online Security browser extension marks up search results to flag dangerous links. It also displays a list of all ad trackers and other trackers on the current page, with an option to actively block these. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac includes a similar active Do Not Track feature.

Avast comes with a basic password manager that installs as a separate application. It handles basic functions like password capture and replay, saving secure notes, and generating strong passwords. The app stores passwords locally, but you can set up syncing between all your macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android devices. However, you won't find any advanced features like secure password sharing, two-factor authentication, or password inheritance.

Ransomware Shield

Everything I've described to this point is also available in the free edition. The premium-only Ransomware Shield component simply prevents unauthorized access to files in sensitive folders. By default, it protects the Documents and Pictures folders for the current user. Naturally, you can add other folders if needed. A similar feature in Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac also protects your Time Machine backups.

To test this kind of access control on Windows, I use a small text editor that I wrote myself, something that would never show up on a list of trusted applications. I don't have such a program for macOS, so I had to disable the feature that automatically trusts Apple and App Store applications.

Operation is very simple. When an untrusted program tries to modify a protected app, Avast pops up a warning. If you've just installed and launched a new photo editor, click Allow. If you don't recognize the program, click Block. Note that clicking Allow only makes the program trusted temporarily. To ensure that new photo editor doesn't get blocked, you must manually add it to the list of Allowed Apps.

This type of access control is an effective tool for ransomware protection, one used by many security tools both on Windows and macOS. However, it does require vigilance on your part. When you see the Ransomware Shield popup, examine it carefully, and only click Allow if you're absolutely sure the program is legitimate.

Wi-Fi Inspector

As noted, you get the Home Network Security Scan even in the free edition. The premium edition adds a component called Wi-Fi Inspector. Despite the name, the main function of this component is to alert you when new devices join the network. It maintains its own simple list of devices. If you click Deep Scan, it launches the Home Network Security Scan.

Wi-Fi Inspector's device list doesn't identify security issues the way the security scan does. On the plus side, it lists the MAC address and IP address for each device, along with the name. For many devices, the name is a clear identification, like neils-ipad or all-in-one-pc, but some come out with names like unknown6542990b6483. If you have basic network skills, you can use those addresses to figure out which device corresponds to a weird name. Bitdefender Home Scanner (a Windows utility) lets you edit such entries to give them a friendly name, and even remembers the name on subsequent scans. With Avast, you'll just have to keep a list of which device matches which weird name.

I did encounter a serious problem with the device list. It found 36 devices on my network, but I couldn't scroll down to see more than the first bunch of devices. My Avast contact confirmed this as a bug. It's not such a big problem, as you can see all your connected devices in network scanner.

The real point of Wi-Fi Inspector is to alert you when a new device connects. Just after installation, you'll probably see quite a few of these, as devices that were turned off during the initial scan wake up. Once you get past that shakeout period, you should pay close attention to the new-device notifications. If you don't recognize the device, it could be a neighbor mooching your Wi-Fi, or even a hack attempt.

If you determine that the new connection isn't legitimate, there's not a lot you can do about it. Wi-Fi Inspector offers notification, but no direct way to act on that information. Your best bet is to snap a screenshot of the notification and then find a friend who's a network whiz. Your buddy can use the info from the screenshot to log into your router's settings and ban the device from the network.

Doesn't Add Enough

Avast Download For Mac

Avast Security Pro offers certified Mac malware protection, a network security scanner, and a password manager, but those features also come with the free Avast Security. The Pro edition adds ransomware protection that works by banning untrusted applications from modifying your files. It also adds real-time notification of new connections to your network, but offers no way to do anything if you determine the new connection is perfidious. That's not much for $59.99 per year. The only reason to buy this product is if you want to protect your Macs in a business setting, but in that case, you can get better protection for less.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac has certification from two labs, excellent phishing protection, an anti-ransomware feature much like Avast's, and more. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac also has two certifications, and it comes with a full parental control system, excellent anti-phishing, protection against webcam peepers, and more. These are our Editors' Choice products for macOS antivirus, and they both costs $20 less than Avast.

Avast Security For Mac Download

Avast Security Pro (for Mac)

Is Avast Good For Mac

Bottom Line: Avast Security Pro (for Mac) adds ransomware protection and Wi-Fi intruder detection to the features found in Avast's free antivirus, but these additions don't merit its high price.