This guide is available to download as a free PDF. Feel free to copy and share this with your friends and family. Personal security should be high on everyone’s checklist, and Chrome came joint top in on the most popular browsers. However, there’s always space for further precautions. Here are 13 security extensions you should consider adding to Chrome. Are Chrome Extensions Safe? Let’s get this out of the way right now: extensions aren’t always safe.
Kaspersky Add On Chrome,5 / 5 ( 1votes ). Kaspersky addon firefox 57| firefox support forum 842 x 632 png 107kB, First Looks: Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac (Beta browser extensions kaspersky, To add remove kaspersky url advisor extension safari, google chrome, mozilla firefox. How do I enable the Kaspersky extension on my Google Chrome browser? By dionte » Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:01 pm. Is it better to disable or remove a google chrome extension to make my laptop's performance faster? By waren51 » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:54 pm.
They’re all created by third-parties in order to solve a potential issue, or improve productivity. Equally, you have to remember that these add-ons sit in your browser and have access to everything. Your personal information, your browsing history, all the stuff you want to keep to yourself: that’s a lot of data. Image Credit: MoSsH/. That’s not to say extensions are uniformly bad. In fact, quite the opposite.
Google’s screening program assesses extensions before they are added to the Chrome App Store, so anything malicious is filtered out of the market. Sometimes, Google messes up. Sometimes, open-source code can change into something nasty. We’re only linking to the extensions that are safe at the time of writing. These are the ones that have gained traction, earned dedicated userbases, and are worthy of our support. You have to limit what you’re adding to your browsing experience, and abide by basic safety precautions, including McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, Norton, Panda - all big names in online security.
But how do you decide which to choose? Here are some questions you need to ask yourself when purchasing anti-virus software. HTTPS Everywhere. We talk about this a lot, but that’s because it’s excellent at what it does. Most people use encryption, although in limited capacities: your iMessages, for instance, are encrypted, as are WhatsApp recently announced that they would be enabling end-to-end encryption in their service. But what does this mean for you? Here's what you need to know about WhatsApp encryption.
It means information sent from one party to another is scrambled; anyone who intercepts can see randomized data, rendered unreadable. This is essential for e-commerce. Everyone needs encryption, particularly when visiting sites that require personal information. Don’t trust a page that asks for passwords but isn’t encrypted. But how can you tell? Just check out the address bar: if the beginning reads “HTTPS”, that’s a sign of encryption.
Indeed, the Security concerns are spreading far and wide and have reached the forefront of most everybody's mind. Terms like antivirus or firewall are no longer strange vocabulary and are not only understood, but also used. It all depends on the site using an SSL/ TSL certificate to ensure authenticity. HTTPS Everywhere automatically switches thousands of sites from their “HTTP” copies to their securer “HTTPS” versions. It doesn’t work on everything, however. For smaller sites without SSL certificates, you’ll see a privacy error—in which case you’ll need to disable the extension for that site only. You risk your security by doing so, but just because a page doesn’t have an encrypted alternative doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dodgy.
Yet we shouldn’t trust them completely. Encryption is utterly pointless if your password is then communicated to administrators as Clean Text.
There are various means of With regular online security breaches reported, you're doubtless concerned about how websites look after your password. In fact, for peace of mind, this is something everyone needs to know, but Clean Text literally means that your password is readable. There’s no subsequent encryption; no hashing; and no cryptographic nonce involved. If your password is “password123” (and we really hope it isn’t), it’s stored on servers as “password123”. The site’s system could get hacked and your details could be read as easily as a book.
That’s worrying, but it’s even more concerning if it does the same with payment information! It’s not done maliciously. Mostly, it’s through ignorance. Credit Card Nanny detects forms that send your private data in Clear Text form. If you visit a suspect site, a warning will come up and advise you to contact the owners to tell them they need better security measures. Of course, you can bypass the message and continue if you don’t think the information is important enough to warrant a solid level of privacy. At least you’re aware it’s a concern.
Download: Credit Card Nanny 3. Webutation For a while, Web of Trust (WOT) was the go-to add-on for reputability scores. Icons appear to show you which sites are secure. However, in late 2017, users realized the You should consider uninstalling WOT right now.
Because Web of Trust has been caught collecting and selling user data. Even worse, this data hasn't always been successfully anonymized., and began uninstalling.
The Web of Trust browser extension has been silently and forcibly removed by Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Did the popular privacy and security extension collecting and sell your data to third-parties?, but until then, Webutation will see you right. In the top right-hand corner, a shield will appear, rating the page out of 100. This shield is also color-coded, so you can easily avoid sites rated in red; be wary of those in yellow; and happily continue as intended when you see green. Anything that’s especially dangerous will flag up a special message that will let you proceed regardless or safely return to your search.
You can also block access to adult websites, and any deemed “bad” by the system. Is this a and? Use Webutation! (@EduRonen) Webutation’s ratings factor in a number of sources in its algorithm, but as an open community, it relies on its userbase. Click on the icon and you can find out more about the site on webutation.net, which also allows you to leave your own rating.
Obviously, you might not know whether a site really is a malware risk. That’s why Webutation Browsing the Internet can be scary when personal information is involved., and scours other tools, including Google Safe Browsing, Norton Antivirus, and phishing blacklists.
It also takes social reputation into consideration—if the site has an extensive, properly cited Wikipedia page, that’s taken into account. What makes this the natural successor to WOT? The fact that its algorithm also bases its ratings on the WOT Ratings Community! You get all the best stuff from that other popular extension, plus additional safety checks. Download: Webutation 4.
Netcraft Extension Netcraft Extension is a similar tool to Webutation, so choose one or the other. Webutation certainly looks sleeker, while Netcraft appears a product of the early 2000s, at least visually. Nonetheless, they’re both effective software. Whereas Webutation gives you easy-to-see rating scores at the top of the page, you have to click on the Netcraft logo (located in the same place) to learn more. The available information, though, is excellent. This is a community-supported add-on, so it warns of any phishing threats, and allows you to report a site as suspicious.
You’ll be able to see the flag for the country where the site is hosted; the actual host; and a numerical ranking to advise whether it’s safe enough to visit. There’s also a site ranking, based on Netcraft users, and, most helpfully, full Site Reports.
These list a whole host of interesting data, Want to see the IP address of your computer? Perhaps you want to discover where another computer is situated?
Various free tools are available that tell you more about a computer an its IP address. And any known web trackers operating through widgets and JavaScript. An extra bonus is its support of Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS), which tells you if your personal data is secure in the event of an encryption key being compromised. Netcraft works well, whether you’re tech-obsessed or not. If a site is dubious, a warning will appear regardless.
Again, you can ignore it, or return to safety. Click&Clean This is simply one of the best Chrome security add-ons of all time. That’s because it’s quick, easy, and thorough, making your browsing sessions secure and private.
Click&Clean lets you delete all your private data with a single click. This can either be done en masse, or by selecting individual items. You can even choose the timescale that you wish to delete. You just select the icon in the toolbar and its menu will pop open: this has a so is eye-catching and colourful. All it takes to close your browser and delete browsing history is one click. In an emergency, this is essential.
We have just released new Click&Clean v8.9.7 Fixed several issues related to the Cache Viewer and History, Thank you for using Click&Clean! — Click&Clean (@clickclean) Your options are extensive, meaning you can get rid of your download history, cache, saved passwords and form data via cookies, and lots more.
That’s just from the Main tab; by switching, you can access information stored by other add-ons! There are two added options that make Click&Clean extra special: password generation, which creates alphanumerical digits for any specified lengths; and clearing Incognito Mode (or private browsing in general) may not be as safe as you think it is. Here are some important things to keep in mind before the next time you do. You read that right: in-private browsing Private browsing is private in 99% of cases, but there are many ways in which it can be circumvented, thanks to browser extensions and hacks. Some of them don't even need all that much work. Of course, ISPs can still track you, and there’s nothing you can do about that.
But Click&Clean at least allows you to clear temporary files left on your PC by the sites you visit in order to recover data should a fault occur. Panic Button The easier you can browse securely, the better. That’s why one-click extensions are so popular.
Panic Button takes this principle and applies it to your tabs. Just press a keyboard shortcut (thankfully customizable) and your tabs disappear. They then reset to a “safe page”, i.e. Whatever page you want displayed in emergencies. Fortunately, you’ve not lost those tabs! They’re stored in a list, which you can protect from prying eyes behind a password.
Obviously, this is designed for anyone viewing private stuff on their PC, Got some security- and privacy-conscious friends or relatives you need to buy a gift for? These seven ideas will suit all budgets.
Or something more scandalous. It has a security purpose too. Popups can be annoying, right? But without an ad-blocker ( Ad-blocking has changed our browsing experience.
The fightback by web publishers is changing it further. But if they defeat ad-blocking, what does it mean for the future of our Internet experience?), there’s little you can do to prevent them? Well, sort of. Panic Button’s list of tabs will include additional ads that have popped up in the background.
Instead of restoring the full list, you can solely reopen the ones you actually mean to. Simple Blocker There’s a whole host of add-ons out there promising to lock individual tabs or your entire browser behind passwords. They’re a neat idea, yet 9 times out of 10, they let you down.
Take a look at the reviews, and those extensions prove troublesome. “Doesn’t work,” some will complain. “Makes Chrome crash,” others will add. Here’s one that’s designed as a productivity tool that doubles as a security measure. And it’s brilliant at what it does, which is to simply lock you out of websites or subdomains. Nearly 78,000 users trust it to block access to Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and other distractions. Its initial As a student, you have to use every tool at your disposal to go from student to sudious.
Here are the Chrome extensions that will keep you focused, productive, and organized., hence the inclusion of a timer that lets you back into a site once you’ve finished studying. However, it may also be used to prevent users from accessing suspicious sites. If you’ve young children, you can stop them viewing adult material. If you’ve found a page family members are likely to frequent but is now riddled with malware (which often happens when transferring ownership), this will stop that risk. With Simple Blocker you have an unlimited blacklist, so block to your heart’s content! Blur Despite all the warnings, the majority of us use one or two passwords for everything.
It’s madness, of course: if it’s leaked, hackers can easily find their way into your other accounts. It’s even more concerning if you rely on “qwerty123” or “abcdefg”. Blur, however, requires you to remember one password. And that’s it. You need one code to access Blur, and Passwords that are hard to crack are also hard to remember.
Want to be safe? You need a password manager. Here's how they work and how they keep you safe.: namely, it masks your email address and password, filling in forms with anonymous data. If a data breach occurs, you’ve got no worries because your information isn’t even held by the company! Let’s say you’re PayPal offers a lot of services that you might not be aware of - here's a guide to understanding some of the lesser-known options. You click on the email address field; Blur opens and generates a random one for you. The same goes for passwords.
(Don’t worry: emails from PayPal, or wherever, sent to this temporary address are automatically forwarded to your normal inbox. You can turn that function off if the company starts spamming you.) There are two versions of Blur: your standard free one, and a Premium variant with annual or lifetime payment options.
The former does a solid job, so there’s no great need to upgrade; however, Premium further lets you mask credit card numbers. It adds a fantastic layer of added protection.
Blur’s available on numerous devices and browsers, so Premium users can sync with their smartphones or tablets. This is a seriously genius add-on. LastPass Or maybe you’d prefer to use the most available. You might recall the name, even if you’re not au fait with the software. That’s because it’s hit the headlines a couple of times in the past few years, causing some to abandon ship. But right now, nearly 7 million users still trust it. There were fears over CPU exploits, Meltdown and Spectre are major security threats that affect billions of devices.
Find out whether your Windows computer is affected and what you can do., which affect LastPass; further back, After having survived one security scare a couple of weeks ago, LastPass is now in the middle of another one. And this one looks a whole lot trickier to fix. In the password manager. Realistically, all software has vulnerabilities. What matters is how swiftly the companies react to them; typically, if an update is offered, you should install it.
LastPass has rolled with the punches, so we don’t see any reason you should avoid it. It basically does the same stuff Blur does, except offers an extra layer of customization in its vault.
Yes, there are concerns. As the most popular manager, it attracts a lot of hackers. Its security, though, is top-notch. Brute force attacks are rendered virtually pointless, as LastPass doesn’t store your password. Instead, it verifies your identity using a one-way salted hash, then allows access to your vault using your decryption key (always stored on your device).
Further encryption methods are used to when data is in transit. Due to its swollen userbase, you’ll hear about any potential (and comparatively rare) problems sharpish and then be notified by LastPass about what to do. In most cases, it’ll involve updating and changing your master password. Download: 10. Unshorten.link Shortened links were all the rage a little while ago. Now, you don’t see them so often. But they’re deceptive: you’ll still find them on social media, and affiliate schemes (Amazon, for instance).
Pages use them either as a quick way to redirect readers without including a lengthy URL or to hide the endpoint of a link. It’s the latter you should be worried about. You could end up on a suspicious website, downloading malicious software. Unshorten.link does exactly what it says on the tin. Whenever you click on a condensed URL, you’ll be sent to a “filter page” that shows you the full address.
This might mean nothing to you, which is why you can choose to see a full screenshot of the destination. Most importantly, it checks the link and warns you if it detects malware.
You can choose not to see the filter page if Unshorten.link deems it safe too. It might not be used all that frequently, but you may be surprised. And when it is used, you’ll be thankful for it. Download: 11. No Script Suite Lite that forms the foundations for much of the internet in its current form.
It’s an important part in our browsing experiences, and also forms the backbone of apps and online infrastructure. You can see why would-be programmers continue to learn it, and why many.
But sometimes, it’s a bad thing. JavaScript is a good thing for the most part, but it just happens to be so flexible and so powerful that keeping it in check can be difficult. Here's what you need to know., including snooping and ransomware. You could simply disable JavaScript, but functionality will decrease. Facebook won’t look right (if it shows up at all); comments sections won’t load ( Should you allow comments on your site or blog?
On the one hand, you can argue that quality content will encourage quality comments; on the other, there's always someone out there with something negative to.); most seriously, YouTube and Netflix won’t work. It really is a catch-22. Much of the web won’t function properly without it; but by enabling it, you leave yourself open to all sorts of issues, most notably malware. No Script Suite Lite is a solution to this problem.
It limits the sites that run JavaScript solely to the ones you trust. Just add them into your whitelist and you can carry on surfing. If you’re worried you’re not experiencing a site to its fullest but you’re not certain enough to add it to your trusted list, you can also toggle the extension on and off in the toolbar. No Script Suite Lite is best when running in conjunction with Webutation, Netcraft Extension, or a similar security add-on. Download: 12. Vanilla Cookie Manager This actually works in a similar way to No Script Suite Lite. The idea behind Vanilla Cookie Manager is to limit a specific function when browsing without inhibiting performance.
Just like JavaScript, cookies can be a force for good. They’re files stored on your PC, recording contractual agreements (ironically, including the use of cookies) and information you might type into forms. Autofill is a direct result of cookies. They speed up your interface by saving preferences. Anyone who uses Incognito Mode knows what a pain it can be to re-tread the same ground repeatedly.
However, they do track you. That’s their direct function. How do you feel about businesses storing private data about you? It’s a personal thing, and doesn’t mean you’re a privacy freak decked out in tin foil if you don’t want. In fact, it’s very healthy to be privacy-conscious.
That’s why Vanilla Cookie Manager clears cookies, except on sites in your whitelist. Whenever you visit a site, go to the toolbar, and, if you trust it, add it to your whitelist. This means cookies will be saved. Any site you don’t trust will be blacklisted.
Download: 13. TunnelBear VPN You’ve probably heard a lot about (VPN). In case you’re unfamiliar with them, picture a tunnel between your device and the website you’re visiting. This tunnel is a form of encryption, meaning any personal information sent between the two is scrambled.
Without it, you might be victim of intrusion, including If you've heard of 'man-in-the-middle' attacks but aren't quite sure what that means, this is the article for you. Chrome is already one of the safest browsers available, but it’s somewhat inferior to Opera because the latter boasts Opera is doing a lot to lure users back, and its latest feature is a doozy.
Opera now comes with unlimited, free VPN for life! TunnelBear bolts on this extra level of privacy. Search for “VPNs” in the Chrome store and you’ll see vast amounts of them. It’s very easy to fall in love with though.
Over 20 million users across multiple platforms agree. Its creators appear to have good morals on their side, so don’t log any data and publish security audits carried out independently by third parties. Three months later and TunnelBear is still the only VPN in the world that has published an independent security audit — TunnelBear (@theTunnelBear) Due to its fun graphics, you can use it to introduce the concept of encryption to children. Why not instill an interest in secure browsing at a young age? Oh, and users can subsequently download, a neat password manager by the same makers.
This is quickly becoming a brand you can count on for quality software suitable for all ages. Download: What Else Have We Missed? With the number of Chrome extensions constantly swelling, it’s impossible to note down all the handy add-ons that sharpen up your security and privacy.
It’s also a very unpredictable thing: a popular extension can suddenly vanish from the store and you’re back to stage one. Explore more about:,.
★ Our Ranking 1 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict Intego is uniquely positioned as one of the only companies focusing solely on security for Macs since its founding in 1997. Intego’s latest Mac Premium Bundle X9 is an exceptional security software bundle that delivers everything you would expect from the Mac security experts. It is a full-featured Mac antivirus solution, and includes five different programs: VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, ContentBarrier, Personal Backup, and Mac Washing Machine. Intego’s Mac Premium Bundle is exactly as the name implies - a premium bundle of Internet security apps that each provide a different layer of protection. With antivirus to identify and stop malware, a two-way firewall to prevent suspicious applications from accessing your Mac, parental controls to filter inappropriate content and monitor your child’s online activity, a backup utility to backup essential files, and a Mac cleaner used to increase your Mac’s disc space and boost speed and efficiency, Mac Premium Bundle has all the bells and whistles expected from a robust security suite.
It has everything we look for in the best antivirus for Mac. Feature ● Antivirus ● Firewall ● Parental Controls ● Backup ● Mac Cleaner Pros Mac Premium Bundle X9 is an awesome security suite that comes bundled with the multiple applications: VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, ContentBarrier, Personal Backup, and Mac Washing Machine.
Each application is designed to provide a different layer or layers of protection for your Mac: VirusBarrier Mac antivirus provides real-time scans and protection against security threats targeting Macs. Intego VirusBarrier scans files when accessed and will automatically check for antivirus updates to ensure your Mac is always protected against the latest Mac-based threats. It features anti-virus and anti-phishing protection to guard your computer from a wide range of Internet threats. NetBarrier Two-way firewall protects both incoming and outbound connections to and from your Mac for home and hotspot networks. What's cool about Intego NetBarrier is that it will automatically switch to the best level of firewall protection depending on the type of Wi-Fi network you connect your Mac to, and includes anti-spyware measures to keep your data and online activities safe. When using NetBarrier, you can even keep your Mac's built-in firewall turned on and simply use NetBarrier as your first line of defense.
(Your Mac's built-in firewall does not include two-way firewall protection.) ContentBarrier Parental control software to keep your family's digital world safe and appropriate. Intego ContentBarrier offers the most robust parental controls of any Mac antivirus software we've ever reviewed. It will help parents keep kids' Internet experience appropriate by letting you block objectionable Internet sites, schedule Internet access time, and set up a specific list of sites that you approve of. Perhaps the best parental control feature in ContentBarrier is its anti-predator chat filtering, which prevents unwanted or inappropriate messages from being sent and received by instant messaging software; you can either allow all chats, block suspicious phrases with AntiPredator, or block all chats. Other interesting features include 'Recording,' which allows you to have snapshots of your child's computer screen periodically taken and even record keystrokes if desired; you can also opt not to record certain applications.
ContentBarrier includes a wide range of advanced features too, including email content monitoring and filtering inappropriate email using AntiPredator, ability to block connections to game servers, block dangerous peer-to-peer sites, and more. Mac Washing Machine is a Mac cleaner used to reduce disk space clutter and speed up your Mac. One of the niftiest features of Intego's Mac Washing Machine is its ability to seek out and help you remove duplicate files and other unneeded files, which ultimately frees up hard disk space to speed up the operating system. You can even use it to help you organize your Mac's Dock and desktop and create 'Smart Folders' for easier access to your most used files. Personal Backup is a utility that backs up your essential files to protect them in case of hard disk failure or other disasters. This backups software is designed to work with an external or portable hard drive where you can create bootable clones of all your important files, so you can boot from the backup and access your files.
If you've got multiple Macs, Personal Backup allows you to synchronize folders between your computers so that each device has the most current version of every file. Cons None noted. Malware Detection Rate In a March 2017 malware detection test conducted by, Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9 scored a perfect 100% detection rate. Platforms Covered Mac OS 10.8 or higher Cross-platform multi-device.
★ Our Ranking 2 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict Norton Security Premium offers cloud based management for devices, users, subscription and billing. The product also includes a configurable firewall and scan options.
What really sets Norton Security Premium apart are robust parental control options accessible from anywhere. If your family needs extensive parental controls for multiple devices, this will be your product. This price does not include a cleaning utility or backup feature. Mostly known for Windows and not for OS X, Norton does offer security solutions for the Macintosh platform. We chose to review Norton Security Premium because it is their most comprehensive antivirus software for Mac. Feature.
Antivirus. Firewall. Parental Controls Pros Norton Security Premium includes a client app for use on the Mac, as well as a cloud-based web portal for account administrators to easily manage subscriptions, devices, family members, and settings preferences from any device so long as there is an Internet connection. What's great about its cloud web portal is you can secure multiple computers, including OS X and macOS, Windows, smartphones and tablets all with a single subscription, and manage protection for all your devices through the web portal.
While there is limited ability to control antivirus or firewall settings from the web portal, what stands out most is the Family tab, Norton's version of parental controls for parents who wish to manage their children's online activities. With its robust parental controls features, you can manage your children's web access by content categories, by blacklist or whitelist, and lets parents allow, block, or monitor web activity. It even includes activity-reporting features to help busy parents stay informed of their children's online behavior. Notifications parents can elect to receive include when a child visits blocked websites, creates new social media accounts, uses incorrect language, sends personal information, or installs an app to block Norton Family. Norton's antivirus for Mac offers protection against all types of malware: viruses, spyware, phishing, and other online threats, but sets itself apart from other antiviruses by including vulnerability protection. Norton's client app can be used on your Mac once installed.
Upon launching the security tab, you can know whether your computer is at risk from hackers and intrusion attempts by an alert. These issues can be fixed with a simple click of a button. Here it will address issues such as connection blocking and vulnerability protection. Norton's client app offers real-time malware protection which scans files in real time to protect you as you work, but also lets you run quick scans, full scans, or simple file scans to scan for threats in any file or folder you choose.
In the Scans tab, it even gives the option to scan files in compressed archives. (Use of this feature simply weighs system resource use during scans vs. Better security.) Norton Security Premium includes email protection and helps ensure that email or links actually came from a trusted source. Norton's advanced features are where you can dive into more particular settings to protect your Mac. Here you can enable or disable automatic scans (to scan files in real time), schedule scans, and update virus definitions. It also offers firewall protection. The Advanced tab lets you adjust settings for application blocking (to control which applications can access the Internet), connection blocking (to prevent unauthorized access to your Mac), vulnerability protection (to monitor your Internet connection for attempts to access your Mac and its information), location awareness (to specify different Connection Blocking settings for every network to which your portable Mac connects), and a Norton feature called DeepInsight™ (which blocks attackers that have been reported to Symantec).
Other cool Advanced features include File Guard, which guards specified files and prevents them from being opened or modified without permission. It also includes very detailed activity logs, providing details on connections into your Mac and out of your Mac. Cons No utility to optimize your Mac by cleaning the hard drive of unnecessary files. Backup utility option at extra cost. This version of Norton Security Premium only runs on current and previous two versions of Mac OS X (10.10, 10.11, and 10.12). Malware Detection Rate In a December 2016 malware detection test conducted by AV-Test.org, Symantec Norton scored a 99.17% detection rate.
Platforms Covered This version of Norton Security Premium runs on:. macOS 10.12 (Sierra). Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan).
Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) Multi-platform multi-device. ★ Our Ranking 3 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict ESET Cyber Security Pro offers a simple to understand, well-designed interface and makes it an appropriate solution for savvy Mac users and people who understand security.
It offers an extensive toolkit that allows insights into running processes, statistics, and log files as well as a cyber security training section for deeper insights. Feature. Antivirus. Firewall.
Parental Controls Pros ESET Cyber Security Pro is a multi-layered antivirus for Mac, offered as an all-in-one security suite that includes a personal firewall and parental controls. It can protect all of your home computers with cross-platform protection that helps block ransomware attempts, keeps malware from spreading between your Mac and Windows computers, and even secures your removable media. In addition to basic Mac antivirus protection, ESET also offers anti-spyware and anti-phishing modules to guard against attempts to steal your personal information. ESET's antivirus for Mac includes real-time file system protection. You can also run a computer scan in three modes: smart scan (quick scan), in-depth scan (full computer scan), and context menu scan.
Running a scan will tell you whether any threats were found, the number of scanned objects, number of infected objects, and the number of cleaned objects if threats were discovered. Additional antivirus setup features include managing the firewall, web and email settings, and parental control. Here you can enable or disable certain security features to the level of your liking, though for the strongest protection these features are enabled by default. Additional options included with ESET Cyber Security Pro are located in the Tools sidebar where you can view things such as log files and threat statistics and even add, restore or delete quarantined files. What's also interesting is ESET's 'Running processes' feature, which allows you to view reputation information of the things running on your system. Cyber Security Pro still supports back to OS 10.6 so those older operating systems can still utilize the product.
Cons No backup software to ensure your data can be recovered or restored after a system crash or other catastrophic issues. No Mac cleaning software to optimize your Mac, remove duplicate files, or otherwise speed up your hard drive by removing unnecessary clutter. Malware Detection Rate In a July 2016 malware detection test conducted by av-comparatives.org, ESET Cyber Security Pro scored a perfect 100% detection rate. Platforms Covered This version of ESET Cyber Security Pro runs on:. Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra). Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra).
Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). Mac OS X 10.9.x (Mavericks). Mac OS X 10.8.x (Mountain Lion).
Mac OS X 10.7.x (Lion). Mac OS X 10.6.x (Snow Leopard). ★ Our Ranking 4 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is a straightforward, simple to use cloud-based application that offers excellent malware protection. Designed with novice Mac users in mind, it's a set it and forget it antivirus solution that allows very little settings customization once installed. Where it lacks in additional features to protect data from corruption, as well as lacking a utility to optimize the computer's hard disk, the software will offer peace of mind with automatic malware definition updates and the ability to manage computers from the cloud, from anywhere with an Internet connection. Designed to run in tune with OS X, Bitdefender's low priority scanning ensures little to no impact on system performance.
Even when running malware scans, you will barely know it's there, protecting you in the background. Because Bitdefender connects to cloud-based technologies, all the heavy computing is done in the cloud, so there's no drag on system resources during malware library updates. Feature. Antivirus. Parental Controls Pros Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac connects to Bitdefender's cloud-based technologies for easy management and instant virus updates to detect and block the latest threats.
You can remotely manage security for all of your registered devices when you log in to 'Bitdefender Central' (cloud-based dashboard) from anywhere, using any browser. There's very little to be confused about when using Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac. Bitdefender's Autopilot™ feature is automatically turned on upon installation, and while turned on it applies an optimal security configuration and makes all security-related decisions for you, so you won't see any pop-ups or alerts, and will not have to configure any settings.
Malware definitions are instantly updated to the latest versions for the best protection possible. However, if your Mac is already infected with malware, you will need to run a manual scan to locate and quarantine the file. Bitdefender's Autopilot™ feature provides real-time protection against Mac and PC malware.
With Autopilot turned on, the software will automatically and continuously monitor changes to your Mac's files and system. Bitdefender offers web protection for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers. You can install the TrafficLight extensions to be safe when browsing the web. The TrafficLight extension watches your web traffic and blocks any malicious content. Bitdefender's Parental Advisor feature gives parents insight into their child's digital life. Once a child profile is set up, it notifies a parent via email when certain events occur on a child's device, such as attempts to visit blocked websites, use blocked apps, or even if they receive an SMS from blocked content.
Their child's interests, time spent online, sites visited, and social behavior are just a few insights parents can gain about their child's online behavior with Bitdefender's Parental Advisor. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers anti-phishing protection that scans the webpages you browse and warns you when you come across fraudulent attempts. It also blocks and removes intrusive adware programs picked up from the Internet, as well as malicious hijacker programs, unwanted toolbars and other browser add-ons installed with or without your consent. Cons No backup software to ensure your data can be recovered or restored after a system crash or other catastrophic issues. No Mac cleaning software to optimize your Mac, remove duplicate files, or otherwise speed up your hard drive by removing unnecessary clutter. No firewall to protect your data while connected to Wi-Fi hotspots, such as a local cafe or university.
This lack of network protection means your incoming and outgoing data connections are unprotected, and unused open ports remain accessible, which can put your computer at risk from spyware or other malicious applications and potential hackers. Malware Detection Rate In a December 2016 malware detection test by av-test.org, Bitdefender scored a perfect 100% detection rate. Platforms Covered This version of Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac runs on:. Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra). MacOS 10.12 (Sierra). Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan).
Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). Mac OS X 10.9.5 (Mavericks) Its TrafficLight browser extension is available for Safari, Firefox and Google Chrome. Multi-platform multi-device. ★ Our Ranking 5 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac offers a crisp, modern design that makes important antivirus features and information easy to work with. With this program, Mac users will easily find their way around and utilize helpful features that provide basic security.
At this price point you get basic security but this product misses other protection offered via firewall, a Mac cleaner and data backup. Feature. Antivirus. Parental Controls Pros Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac packs a powerful punch with privacy protection features, money and identity protection. It also offers the parental controls to keep your family safe against computer threats.
This solution detects viruses, worms, Trojans and malicious tools, and offers options to detect adware, auto-dialers, and other applications. Kaspersky's Mac antivirus software delivers real-time antivirus protection. By default it regularly checks for updates and automatically downloads and installs updates in the background to keep your system guarded against Mac threats.
Kaspersky's Mac antivirus software offers four protection settings:. General antivirus protection: Basic Mac antivirus. File antivirus protection: Ability to disinfect or delete malicious software automatically.
Web antivirus protection: Allows you to block dangerous web traffic automatically. Network Attack Blocker: Option to automatically block IP addresses if dangerous network activity is detected from them. Security preferences inside the Mac antivirus software include options to enhance security when using your web browsers. Kaspersky supports Safari, Chrome, and Firefox on the Mac platform. A nifty security feature you can get is Kaspersky's Onscreen Keyboard extension, which offers a safe way to enter passwords and sensitive information when browsing the web. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac also includes 'Safe Money' technology designed to protect your money and credentials when you're banking or shopping online. This feature is used by downloading Kaspersky's 'Secure URL' advisor browser extension.
Once installed and enabled, Safe Money protects you when you visit known online payment systems and banking websites by verifying the website identity from Kaspersky's database. Kaspersky calls its database list the 'Kaspersky Security Network,' an infrastructure of online services that speeds up reaction to recent threats and reduces the risk of false-positive detections. You can also add your own websites to the Safe Money protection list to enable protection on them.
Kaspersky's browser extensions are free, but not installed by default. You must manually install them to your preferred browser. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac has good reporting capabilities in addition to its vast number of security features. Within the Reports tab, you can enable logging of non-critical events in addition to error reporting and other logs. Furthermore, the antivirus for Mac includes parental control features, which allow controlling and monitoring of actions of different users on the Internet (such as your children). This feature is not enabled by default, but can easily be enabled. When Kaspersky's Parental Control is enabled, there are four primary things parents can control: Web Control: Controls the website visits and file downloads.
Time Control: Controls time spent online. Personal Data: Controls sharing of personal data.
Social Networks: Controls use of social networks. Cons No backups software to ensure your data can be recovered or restored after a system crash or other catastrophic issues. No Mac cleaning software to optimize your Mac, remove duplicate files, or otherwise speed up your hard drive by removing unnecessary clutter. No firewall to protect your data while connected to Wi-Fi hotspots such as a local cafe or university. This lack of network protection means your incoming and outgoing data connections are unprotected, and unused open ports remain accessible, which can put your computer at risk from spyware or other malicious applications and potential hackers. Malware Detection Rate In a July 2016 malware detection test conducted by av-comparatives.org, Kaspersky scored a perfect 100% detection rate. Platforms Covered This version of Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac runs on:.
MacOS 10.12 (Sierra). Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks). ★ Our Ranking 6 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict We find this to be a really good Mac utility product, but without any independent malware tests and with some other important security features missing, we can not recommend this for users who want strong utility/cleaning features. Feature. Antivirus.
Mac Cleaner Pros MacKeeper, developed by Kromtech, is a full-featured Mac antivirus and offers quite a few tools not seen in other security software. Its Internet Security features are built to make the web a safer place by blocking all threats and vulnerabilities automatically. MacKeeper's primary antivirus features include real-time scanning for malware and other Mac threats, a real-time Safe Browsing feature to help you surf the Internet safely - blocking malicious websites automatically - and giving you the ability to manually create lists of potentially dangerous websites that will also be auto-blocked. (Likewise, you can create lists of your most trusted websites that won't be blocked.) The Safe Browsing feature is compatible with Safari, Firefox and Chrome web browsers.
The antivirus and Safe Browsing features in MacKeeper provide protection against identity theft, spyware, malware, and other online threats. MacKeeper is sure to please users with all the bells and whistles desired in comprehensive Mac antivirus software. MacKeeper also includes Anti-Theft technology, which lets you track and lock your missing Mac with a 'Track My Mac' app (or by logging into your Kromtech account), in case of theft or should you misplace your machine. While Apple already offers its users with a 'Find My Mac' feature to locate lost or stolen devices, MacKeeper takes things a step further with a feature called 'iSight,' used to take a snapshot of a thief if someone steals your computer. If all else fails, you can use the screen locker options to lock or unlock your Mac remotely by using your iPhone. When you use the Anti-Theft feature, it will generate a detailed report about the location of your Mac, include an iSight snapshot, and log the IP location of your computer. MacKeeper's Advanced Tools are aplenty - it offers all the bells and whistles not found in most other antivirus solutions for Mac, beginning with the Memory Cleaner.
MacKeeper's Memory Cleaner tool cleans and optimizes your Mac's memory, which is where all the data of current sessions is stored on your Mac. However, even if you close applications, your computer still stores the apps or files you used for quick access should you reopen them. Over time, this can cause an overload of RAM (remote access memory) and can affect your Mac. Memory Cleaner is designed to clean these files from your computer to help optimize it. Additional optimization tools include a Duplicates Finder to help find and remove duplicate files. Duplicate Finder is designed to detect file copies that take up space on your hard drive, and if found, it groups such identical files (even if they were renamed), so you can remove any unnecessary ones.
MacKeeeper even provides users with a Smart Uninstaller to ensure you completely delete applications, widgets, preference panes and plugins no longer needed or wanted. Normally, to remove files you simply drag an application to the Trash. However, its preferences, caches, and logs still remain on your hard drive. With this feature, you can safely remove these items without manually searching for them buried in your machine. Have you accidentally removed files from your Mac?
With MacKeeper's Files Recovery option, you can recover your lost files by scanning your hard drive for files that can still be recovered. When the scan is finished, you can use Quick Look to preview all found files and recover those you need with just one click. This feature supports the recovery of documents, video, music, photos, raw photos, and archives, in addition to files for HFS, HFS+, FAT and NTFS. You can even restore files from USB drives, SD cards and external hard drives.
Another benefit to your Mac security is MacKeeper's Data Encryptor feature. This feature allows you to encrypt your files with AES-128/256 encryption, designed to make your personal data 'invisible' on the hard drive.
It uses two levels of passwords to ensure the data cannot be retrieved through the Finder or Terminal - the first one for the Data Encryptor page and the second one for each file. This feature is simple to use and adds an extra layer of security to protect your Mac and your data. With numerous other features included in MacKeeper - such as a Files Finder, ability to boost your login time by customizing your Login Items, Fast Cleanup options to remove junk files, and a Backup utility to create duplicate copies of your files - this software is jam packed with most everything you need to protect your Mac. Because there is a lot in MacKeeper, which can confuse some customers, Kromtech makes using its Mac antivirus incredibly easy too, with video tutorials in each section of the application to help guide new users. Unique Features: Also unique to MacKeeper is its 'Geek on Demand' feature, which gets users in touch with a support representative who can help with any immediate issues you might have related to your Mac. When launched, it opens a support chat within the software where you can get technical assistance from one of MacKeeper's agents within 48 hours.
Cons Not easily uninstalled from Macs. When we were researching this we found a lot of complaints on various forums about the difficulties uninstalling MacKeeper - our experience was no different. Others have also described MacKeeper as 'adware,' due to skeptical marketing campaigns. No firewall to protect your data while connected to Wi-Fi hotspots, such as a local cafe or university.
This lack of network protection means your incoming and outgoing data connections are unprotected, and unused open ports remain accessible, which can put your computer at risk from spyware or other malicious applications and potential hackers. MacKeeper does not have any type of parental controls for parents who share devices with their children and want to protect their devices and manage what their children can access or see online. Malware Detection Rate It's unclear how well MacKeeper performs at actually protecting Macs from malware and other Mac-specific threats. MacKeeper did not participate in malware detection tests performed by av-test.org or av-comparatives.org. Platforms Covered This version of MacKeeper runs on:.
macOS 10.12 (Sierra). Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). Mac OS X 10.9.x (Mavericks). Mac OS X 10.8.x (Mountain Lion). Mac OS X 10.7.x (Lion). Mac OS X 10.6.x (Snow Leopard).
★ Our Ranking 7 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict McAfee is the most expensive product based on the features it provides. For a program that provides basic antivirus protection, along with features already included with Apple's Safari web browser, the value of this product per seat for its price is limited. Easy to install and use, McAfee Internet Security for Mac has many of the important features expected from antivirus software, with information that's easy to find and help protect your Mac.
Feature. Antivirus Pros McAfee Internet Security for Mac offers comprehensive protection against hackers, identity theft, phishing scams and malware, and protects you from dangerous websites, among other Mac threats. McAfee's antivirus for Mac protects against harmful programs that monitor, collect, and sell your personal information. When you first launch McAfee software, you'll find the features are easy to navigate and information is largely easy to understand.
One of the interesting features is the McAfee SiteAdvisor, which can be downloaded as a free Safari extension, and will indicate website safety ratings before you click on links. It also recognizes phishing sites and blocks them. With McAfee Internet Security for Mac, its identity protection, anti-phishing and SiteAdvisor software all help keep you safe during financial transactions so you can shop, bank, and trade online more securely. One of McAfee's unique features is the ability to securely save sensitive information for use in AutoFill web forms, such as info from your Contacts card, usernames and passwords, credit cards, and other information. While this feature is also available in Safari itself or can be saved in your Mac OS Keychain, it's nice to know McAfee is looking out for your identify information. Cons No firewall to protect your data while connected to Wi-Fi hotspots, such as a local cafe or university.
No backup software to ensure your data can be recovered or restored after a system crash or other catastrophic issues. No Mac cleaning software to optimize your Mac, remove duplicate files, or otherwise speed up your hard drive by removing unnecessary clutter. No parental controls to keep your kids safe while they surf online. Malware Detection Rate McAfee did not participate in the June 2016 malware detection test. In a July 2016 malware detection test conducted by av-comparatives.org, McAfee Internet Security for Mac scored a perfect 100% detection rate. Platforms Covered This version of McAfee Antivirus for Mac runs on:.
macOS 10.12 (Sierra). Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). Mac OS X 10.9.x (Mavericks). Mac OS X 10.8.x (Mountain Lion). ★ Our Ranking 8 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict Many of the features offered in Trend Micro for Mac may be helpful for the basic user who may not know where to find certain settings that already exist in the Mac or browser such as default browser and cookie blocking. It also offers basic security against malware and ransomware, has a real-time scanning, category blocking for parental controls, and social media security settings to protect your privacy.
Feature. Antivirus. Parental Controls Pros Trend Micro antivirus for Mac offers real-time antivirus protection from Mac-based threats, dangerous websites and identity thieves. It protects your Mac against unsafe websites and malicious software, and also prevents the spread of malware infection to other computers. A unique feature within Trend Micro is that it includes social media security features that protect your privacy on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
This feature, called Privacy Scanner, is installed with the Trend Micro browser extension, which installs the Trend Micro Toolbar and checks your privacy when you share information on social media accounts. It protects against viruses by identifying and blocking dangerous links on websites and in social networks, emails, and instant messages. It will also identify privacy settings on social media sites that may expose your sensitive information and lead to identity theft. Trend Micro antivirus also includes parental controls for Mac that enable parents to block unwanted websites by address or category to help keep kids from opening websites inappropriate for children.
The Parental Control feature also lets parents control desktop application access and restrict online access for your kids, protecting them from inappropriate websites. Cons No backup software to ensure your data can be recovered or restored after a system crash or other catastrophic issues. No Mac cleaning software to optimize your Mac, remove duplicate files, or otherwise speed up your hard drive by removing unnecessary clutter.
Malware Detection Rate Trend Micro did not participate in av-comparatives.org malware detections tests in 2016. Platforms Covered This version of Trend Micro for Mac runs on:. Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra). Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra). Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) Other requirements (for the browser extension toolbar): Apple Safari 8.0 or higher Mozilla Firefox (the newest version and the most recent previous version of Mozilla Firefox) Google Chrome (the newest version and the most recent version of Google Chrome). ★ Our Ranking 9 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict Avast Free Mac Security is a bare bones antivirus security program and is fairly simple to use.
Mac users will surely like the informative and persistent malware alerts if your machine gets infected. For a free Mac antivirus product, Avast's value can be seen in its high rate of malware detection. With a 99.17% detection rate in June 2016, you'll certainly find the virus protection needed to keep your Mac safe against malware. On the flip side, additional security tools like its VPN solution are not actually 'free,' although you do get a 7-day trial. Performance degradation issues can also become burdensome, while the lack of additional security features, such as a firewall and backup utility, can mean your Mac will not have layered defenses. Antivirus is one layer of security that Avast covers for free, but Avast Free Mac Security lacks the additional layers of protection needed to defend your Mac in today's highly complex threat landscape.
Feature. Antivirus Pros Avast Free Mac Security is Avast's free Mac antivirus solution designed to secure machines against Mac-specific threats. Upon installation, Avast downloads its latest virus definitions so your machine is protected on first launch of the application. Avast Mac Security offers some interesting tools to boost Internet security allowing users to activate a few different security enhancing features including: Security browser plugin called 'Avast Online Security' which protects you from phishing sites and provides you with access to Avast's website reputation system.
When activated, this plugin will also automatically redirect you to a legitimate site when you mistype a URL. The Avast SecureLine VPN increases your privacy via a secure way to access the Internet. When activated, this plugin will protect what you do online and hide it from others, block others from seeing your identity, and help you get past country-specific restrictions. (Available in a 7-day trial.) Avast SecureLine VPN for iOS, which secures your iPhone and iPad connection and protects your communications and data. (Available in a 7-day trial.) Avast Mac Security provides several options to scan your computer for Mac-specific viruses. You can perform a full system scan, scan any mounted removable volumes, perform a custom scan of any selected folders or files, or perform a home network security scan.
Cons No firewall to protect your data while connected to Wi-Fi hotspots, such as a local cafe or university. No backup software to ensure your data can be recovered or restored after a system crash or other catastrophic issues. No Mac cleaning software to optimize your Mac, remove duplicate files, or otherwise speed up your hard drive by removing unnecessary clutter. No parental controls to keep your kids safe while they surf online. Malware Detection Rate In a July 2016 malware detection test conducted by av-comparatives.org, Avast Free Mac Security scored a perfect 99.17% detection rate. Platforms Covered This version of Avast Free Mac Security runs on:. macOS 10.12 (Sierra).
Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). ★ Our Ranking 10 out of 10 programs reviewed Our Verdict F-Secure SAFE offers some basic security for Mac although it is not highly customizable. Features such as backup and mac cleaner are missing, and included features such as firewall and parental controls are limited. Also, detection rates are not clear as since F-Secure SAFE no longer participates in independent reviews.
Feature. Antivirus. Firewall. Parental Controls Pros F-Secure SAFE is a multi-platform Internet security solution for PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.
It includes virus protection to keep your devices safe from viruses, trojans, and spyware, in addition to firewall software and parental controls. F-Secure offers a cloud dashboard that integrates all antivirus features into one user interface.
It also comes with a simple client app allowing you to tinker with the antivirus and web protection features: F-Secure's antivirus for Mac provides real-time scanning that automatically scans all files and applications. If malware is found, it will remove the harmful files from your computer by moving them to the trash. Other features include browsing and banking protection, which ensure your security and privacy by keeping you away from web pages that spread malicious content or collect personal information.
Furthermore, F-Secure SAFE will alert you when you enter a safe banking site and secure the connection to the site, keeping your sensitive information and your money safe. No matter what device you use to connect to the Internet, once you're online your computer is at risk from the many threats targeting vulnerable machines. F-Secure's antivirus for Mac includes network protection, a fancy name for firewall software, which runs silently in the background and keeps checking the safety of any network you connect to verifying if the network configuration is safe. It protects you whether you are at home or using a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
F-Secure SAFE also includes parental controls to help you look after your family when they go online. With F-Secure SAFE, you can set boundaries to protect your children from inappropriate content and block access to web sites based on the site content - whether it be adult, violence, shopping, gambling, social media, and more. The parental controls block restricted content for your kids and allow you to manage their screen time by setting limits for using their devices. What's unique about F-Secure SAFE compared to other antivirus for Mac products is the finder functionality.
Once you log in to your account in 'My F-Secure,' you can see where your managed devices are. On Android, you can even lock a lost device or delete all your information to prevent other people from accessing your personal files such as photos and emails. Another nifty feature in F-Secure is a 'Game Mode' so you can play games without the antivirus software slowing down your computer. Game Mode ensures you get consistent performance without having to turn off the security features. Cons No backup utility to protect data in case of corruption or other disasters.
No Mac Cleaner to optimize system performance. Firewall cannot be customized - it can only be enabled or disabled. No quick scan to easily scan your Mac for viruses and malware. When malware is discovered, infected files are moved to trash and not immediately terminated. Instead, the user must manually empty the trash in order to remove infected files permanently. Malware Detection Rate In a December 2016 malware detection test by av-test.org, F-Secure scored just over a 60% detection rate.
Platforms Covered This version of F-Secure SAFE for Mac runs on:. macOS 10.12 (Sierra).
Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite).
Mac OS X 10.9.x (Mavericks) SAFE can be installed on computers, smartphones, and tablets on the Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android platforms that meet the minimum requirements.