If you're a proud owner of a Mac system, you must have installed some of the most essential applications for completing day-to-day tasks. These applications include a web browser, email clients, office suite, image editing software and much more. But, what about installing antivirus solution for your Mac system? It is one of the most essential applications for any computer system connected to the internet and your Mac system is no different. Nowadays different types of worms, trojan, and viruses lurking on the internet that targets almost every platform including Mac systems. Before it's too late, you must install a powerful and reliable antivirus system for your Mac. Here's a list of over dozen popular antivirus solutions for a Mac OS X system.
iAntivirus: This is a free and powerful antivirus solution for Mac systems. It has an advanced virus scanning engine which leaves a very small footprint on system resources. This virus engine is specifically tailored for OS X and takes advantage of native routines for enhanced performance. It has a clean interface with user-friendly wizards to configure the system as per your preferences. You can turn it off and on temporarily with different time limits and can also initiate mandatory boot time scan.
avast! Antivirus: This is one of the most popular antivirus systems available for different platforms including a Mac. It's free and installs in seconds. It has a nice interface and includes a good number of custom settings to adjust the virus scanning engine as per your requirement. You can also block specific sites very easily on your Mac through this robust antivirus software. You can also enable or disable automatic virus database updating.
ClamXav: This is yet another popular and free antivirus system for Mac platform. It supports both active and passive scanning that may govern your protection policy. You can also schedule different types of scans at different intervals for enhanced protection. Power users can also use regular expressions while configuring custom scanning for targeted searches. It has a simple interface which is ideal both for experts as well as for beginners.
Kaspersky Antivirus: This antivirus solution is loaded with tons of features that include custom settings for scheduled boot and regular scans. It has an intuitive interface and includes a handy alert system that lets you take the appropriate system-assisted decision once the virus is caught by the engine. It also has a strong support forum to assist you in disinfecting your Mac in a correct way. Automatic updates ensure that your system is free from latest threats lurking on the internet.
MacKeeper: This is a comprehensive security suite with lots of utilities in a single package for Mac systems. It not only contains an antivirus solution but also includes system cleaning utility, internet security module, file management system, encryption and secure deletion utilities and much more. It also has an optimization module that keeps your Mac system running fast without any glitch. It has a soothing interface for each module for easy management of different utilities.
SOPHOS Antivirus: This reliable antivirus system also includes a firewall and web security module for enhanced protection of your Mac. Like other popular solutions, SOPHOS also includes on-demand or scheduled scanning for maximum security. You can also set custom alerts and can create custom policies (for firewall) to implement your very own solution that suits your needs. Its unified interface reduces any confusion to get things done in no time.
Intego VirusBarrier: This is an all-in-one security solution for Mac systems. Apart from regular antivirus engine, it also includes advanced firewall, anti-spyware and anti-phishing modules for complete protection from web-based threats. It has a gorgeous interface with lot of customization options. You can backup your vital data on the local hard disk through this security solution. Its powerful firewall is capable of filtering traffic data based of custom rules specified by you.
ProtectMac: This highly configurable antivirus system is capable of detecting all types of modern viruses on your Mac as well as from any removable media attached to your system. This excellent solution also keeps a detailed log of its activity for easy analysis. You can also specify a directory or drive in the safe list of files that can be excluded from regular scanning by the system. You can also create custom scanning shortcuts for directories and drives for quickly initiating scans whenever required.
Norton AntiVirus: This powerful antivirus solution is a must-have application for professional users. It not only protects your Mac system from regular threats but also keeps your data safe on various web-based services from Apple like iTunes and iCloud. It also incorporates a powerful spyware engine which safeguards your system from identity thefts and various kinds of phishing attempts. This antivirus system has an excellent user interface with helpful wizards to configure various types of settings.
McAfee VirusScan: This solution is ideal for Mac systems deployed in a distributed environment along with PCs and Unix servers. It has a powerful custom policy creation module that is ideal for creating advanced scanning schedules in a network environment. Its integrated internet security module prevents various kinds of hacking attempts from anonymous sources. This solution is ideal for small businesses and freelancers who are looking for a robust and powerful security system.
ESET Cybersecurity: I've used ESET security solutions for my Windows machine for long time. Its Mac variant is equally powerful and is capable of blocking even the most sophisticated virus attacks. It has a very fast virus scanning engine that can traverse and disinfect tons of data in no time. It also supports scanning of different types of external media and storage devices attached to your Mac system.
Dr.Web Antivirus: This handy antivirus solution is packed with useful features to keep your Mac system safe from common virus threats. It has an intuitive interface and gives you several options to configure custom scans for drives and removable media. This powerful virus engine can also scan the network and logical drives very easily. You can also password protect all your custom settings to prevent any inadvertent change from an intruder.
Bitdefender: I found its virus scanning engine extremely fast and effective. Its interface is one of the best among all other solutions and even a layman can create custom-scheduled scans very easily. It also prevents identity theft while you shop online with your credit card. It's lightweight and doesn't make your system sluggish even while deep scan for a large amount of data is going on. It destroys both Mac and Windows viruses at the same time while scanning every file.
Comodo Antivirus: This antivirus system is ideal for Mac laptops as well as for desktops running OS X. It has a powerful virus scanning module that continuously monitors your files and directories for various kinds of online and offline threats. You can program different kinds of custom scans to keep your system safe and secure. You can also scan single or multiple files on your desktop very quickly by dragging them to the CAV icon.
F-Secure Antivirus: This unique antivirus solution has a panic button to completely freeze your internet traffic with a click of a button. It has a pleasing interface and includes all the features of a modern antivirus system like automated updates, scan scheduling and configurable custom actions for different conditions. This solution is also very fast and is light on system resources. It has several modules to monitor different parts of your Mac system simultaneously.
Panda Antivirus: If you have an iMac, Macbook Pro, iPad, iPhone and iPod, then this antivirus system is made for you. Panda antivirus system works on almost every Apple device which makes it quite unique in its category. Since it is designed to work on different devices, it consumes very less system resources and keeps your Mac system running fast in all conditions. Its central administration console lets you configure various custom settings very easily.
