Protecting Your Mac: Apple Admits Macs
Are Vulnerable to Viruses, Malware

Apple's official OS X page used to say "A Mac isn't susceptible to the thousands of viruses plaguing Windows-based computers. That's thanks to built-in defenses in Mac OS X that keep you safe, without any work on your part." Recently, Apple has changed that statement, and many others, to reflect the growing threat of viruses and malware that Macs now encounter, including the famous Flashback trojan software that infected hundreds of thousands of Macs earlier this year.

Now Apple's OS X page says things like "It's built to be safe" and "Built-in defenses in OS X keep you safe from unknowingly downloading malicious software on your Mac." Is Apple publicly announcing that their Mac products are now more vulnerable? Not in so many words, but the changing of their marketing copy for their OS X page definitely signals their realization that Macs are not as indestructible as they used to be.

The good news: Apple is making an effort to increase the defenses of their Mac products so they can help ward off unwanted viruses and malware. The bad news: As Apple's popularity grows, so will the amount of viruses and malware that are specifically targeting Mac users.

So how do you protect yourself? Luckily, there are now a wide range of security software suites that cater specifically to Mac users. We've recently tested and reviewed the best of those security suites to find which ones work the best at protecting your Mac. Here's a quick breakdown of the top software that we recommend:

• Norton: The top security software suite for the Mac that we reviewed. Full of great features, including software that tracks new viruses/malware and shares the information with other Norton users to help block new threats to your computer.
• Eset: Solid protection for your Mac that runs quietly in the background and doesn't slow performance.
• McAfee: Offers standard, reliable security for your Mac with a simple, easy interface. It's a bit expensive since it offers so few features.

To check out the full reviews of these and other Mac security software options, and to compare each of them side by side, check out our Mac Internet Security Software compare page here.

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