Mac antivirus software isn’t nearly as essential as its Windows counterpart, but there are still good reasons for investing in solid Mac security with a product like Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac. Kaspersky has one of the best Windows antivirus scanners in the industry, and their antivirus for Mac doesn’t disappoint. As one of the best antivirus for Macs, Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac is flexible and powerful, yet easy to use.
Apple computers are known for their security and the lack of any serious viruses. Still, Macs are not immune, and there is malware out there. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac is completely equipped to remove any malware from your computer, including viruses, Trojan horses, worms, hacker tools, spyware and more. The Mac antivirus software can even locate riskware that, while not technically illegal, can still pose a threat to your privacy.
Kaspersky also checks for Windows viruses, which may be dormant on your box, but can easily cause problems if you accidentally pass them on to friends or family members with Windows PCs. And more than just locating and deleting dangerous files already on your computer (including archives), Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac is equipped to protect you from downloading any new threats. Kaspersky’s Mac antivirus software scans email attachments and downloaded files from the internet. In fact, every file that is opened on your computer is scanned in real time.
The Mac antivirus software is completely compatible with OS X version 10.4 or higher (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard or Lion). Unfortunately, it is only available for Intel-based Mac computers, and not PowerPCs.
There’s no question that Kaspersky’s scanning engine is comprehensive and effective. Professional testers like AV Comparatives and the Virus Bulletin have seen great results from the manufacturer for years. Our tests with Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac were also positive and attest to the overall effectiveness of the Mac antivirus software.
One of the elements that supports a high level of security is appropriate updates. With new threats constantly emerging, it’s important to have signature updates delivered quickly. Kaspersky Labs sends out updates frequently, and they occur often enough that they’re kept small and easy to implement. Updates are actually scheduled to run automatically in the background, so your Mac antivirus software is always up to date and protected from new threats. The initial update after installation might take a little while, but subsequent updates are quick and unobtrusive.
Compared to its feature-filled Windows counterpart, Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac seems a bit sparse. To be fair, the Mac security software doesn’t need as many tools and added functions to assure maximum security. Still, we would have liked to see more comprehensive web protection and heuristic detection, which are available in the best Mac antivirus software.
The features that are included in Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac are practical, usable and effective. For example, the Mac antivirus software includes iSwift technology for optimized scanning. iSwift effectively reduces scan times by only scanning files that have changed since the last scan. So while our first quick scan took 43 minutes (and 16 hours for a full scan) to check everything, subsequent scans were much, much faster.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac is actually quite flexible, and lets you take control of your protection (or simply sit back and let it keep you secure without much intervention). You can adjust the level of security depending on your use, and the OS X antivirus software can run automatically as soon as you startup. Pop-up notifications can be adjusted, and you can customize the software to deal with detected threats automatically however you choose (auto remove, notify, attempt to fix).
One unique feature of the OS X antivirus software is that you can back up a copy of the original files before you disinfect or delete them. This allows you to keep an inoculated copy of the dangerous file just in case you actually need to restore them later, but not run the risk of being infected by it. The stored files are saved in a format that renders them inactive.
Another uncommon function is the ability to rollback updates. In the rare case that the most recent update causes a problem, you can revert to the previous update. You can also update via proxy.
The one function that was noticeably missing was the ability to schedule a scan. While you can run a quick, full or custom scan manually at any time, you can’t schedule them to run automatically. Luckily, the Mac antivirus software is designed to protect you from threats all the time, so routine manual scans should be sufficient.
Kaspersky’s antivirus software for Mac is direct and pretty straightforward. The recognizable Mac-style user interface facilitates simple use and fairly intuitive navigation. Setting your preferences and tweaking settings is easy. More importantly, the Mac antivirus software pretty much runs unobtrusively in the background without requiring constant supervision or interaction. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac is designed to have minimal system impact on performance. As we mentioned earlier, the first scans take quite a while, but you can run them in the background, and the next scans run quicker.
Context-sensitive help is integrated into the program and available throughout. For additional support, you can refer to the product-specific support provided online. The full user manual is also available online, or you can check out the forum (again, there’s one specifically devoted to Mac security). For personal assistance, you can get in touch with technical support via email, phone or online live chat.
Overall, Kaspersky’s Mac security software is powerful and compelling, and certainly one of the best Mac antivirus options available. While there are a few missing features and the software could improve on performance, the provided level of security is very good. And unlike some manufacturers that charge more for their OS X antivirus products than for Windows, Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac costs the same.
