82 Macworld • October 2019BUYING GUIDEmalware apps to respond and either quarantine or
delete the malware files, and was enough to test
the extent of each app’s malware database.
If an anti‑malware app didn’t catch a particular
malware sample, we checked the VirusTotal
database for more information. VirusTotal is an
open project intended to act as a freely‑accessible
information repository covering most malware and
anti‑malware apps.
Our goal was to find if the anti‑malware app
claimed to defend against any malware that it
ignored. We found that in most cases it did indeed
claim to do so.
So, what’s going on? Perhaps it’s this: we tested
the Mac version of an anti‑malware app, and there
are likely to be Microsoft Windows, Linux and even
Android versions of that app. The Mac version
might have a weakness in that it can’t spot that
malware, even though it should.
Alternatively, it might be an issue with our
particular sample of that malware – although we
note that some anti‑malware apps we reviewed
got a 100 percent detection and clean‑up score,
so claiming it’s ‘the wrong type of malware’ is
perhaps a weak excuse.- Intego Mac Internet Security X9
Price: £39.99 (inc VAT) from fave.co/2HYox5c
Intego’s Mac Internet Security X9 is our favourite
security package for Mac. It consists of two
components: VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9.82 Macworld • October 2019
BUYING GUIDE
malware apps to respond and either quarantine or
delete the malware files, and was enough to test
theextentofeachapp’smalwaredatabase.
Ifananti‑malware app didn’t catch a particular
malware sample, we checked the VirusTotal
databaseformoreinformation.VirusTotalisan
openprojectintendedtoactasa freely‑accessible
informationrepositorycoveringmost malware and
anti‑malwareapps.
Ourgoalwastofindif theanti‑malware app
claimed to defend against any malware that it
ignored. We found that in most cases it did indeed
claim to do so.
So,what’sgoingon?Perhapsit’sthis:wetested
theMacversionofananti‑malware app, and there
are likely to be Microsoft Windows, Linux and even
Android versions of that app. The Mac version
might have a weakness in that it can’t spot that
malware, even though it should.
Alternatively, it might be an issue with our
particularsampleofthatmalware– althoughwe
notethatsomeanti‑malwareappswereviewed
gota 100percentdetectionandclean‑up score,
so claiming it’s ‘the wrong type of malware’ is
perhaps a weak excuse.- Intego Mac Internet Security X9
Price: £39.99 (inc VAT) from fave.co/2HYox5c
Intego’s Mac Internet Security X9 is our favourite
security package for Mac. It consists of two
components: VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9.