Bitdefender Virus Scanner finds Mac malware as well as Windows viruses with ease. Scan running apps, scan critical locations, scan a specific location or scan the entire system, the award-winning Bitdefender engines will find that malware. Don't put your friends and family at risk by unknowingly passing malware along. Here’s how to scan your Mac for malware: Download CleanMyMac X ( free download) and launch the app. Click on the Malware Removal tab. Click Remove. Kaspersky virus scanner for mac is no longer available. GET ALL ITS FEATURES & MORE IN KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY FOR MAC. This app works best with JavaScript enabled. Bitdefender Virus Scanner finds Mac malware as well as Windows viruses with ease. Scan running apps, scan critical locations, scan a specific location or scan the entire system, the award-winning Bitdefender engines will find that malware. Don't put your friends and family at risk by unknowingly passing malware along. Checking your Mac for viruses. OS X does a pretty good job of stopping viruses and malware from attacking your computer. But there are steps you can take to further protect yourself.
Computer viruses hold a sweet spot between boring, everyday occurrences, dating back to the 70s, and dramatic, science fiction fueled monsters that will haunt us in our new information-driven world.
One may ask, “Do you need antivirus to protect your Mac?” The reality is, all computers, even Macs, are vulnerable to malware (short for malicious software). While Apple takes a lot of security precautions, how secure your Mac is depends on your knowledge of how to check for viruses and how to remove them.
Whether you want to know how to remove virus from MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac, learning to keep your information safe first is necessary and easy, with a few tips from the professionals.
How to scan your Mac for a virus
Why checking your Mac for viruses is important? If a computer virus was the only thing to watch out for, this world would be a simpler place. Malware, adware, spyware, malicious files, worms, trojans, phishing software, you name it, you should check for it. The old way of thinking was that because there are more PCs than Macs in the world, the “virus people” would focus on them instead of Macs. But, we’re not in the 2000s anymore. In fact, in 2018, Apple moved to the fourth position in global laptop shipments. This means, Macs are no longer shiny white boxes that are meant for fun and entertainment.
Not only do we run our businesses off Apple devices and different versions of macOS but we also store family photographs, send out sensitive info — and, thanks to cloud computing, each device is synchronized. Unfortunately, this means your Mac could be a far juicier target than the PC sitting in some corner cubicle.
Know what a Mac virus is
Most of us are familiar with recognizing what a virus looks like thanks to its atrocious design and alarming vocabulary. However, not all viruses take the shock-and-scare approach to getting on your Mac. The latest adware could look like an Adobe Flash Player installer, but is, of course, fake. Not only does it trick you into thinking it's something as normal as Flash, but the installed adware then pretends to be a virus scanner. It shows you bogus problems and encourages you to fix them by giving over sensitive information.
Other forms of viruses could look like Microsoft Office files (e.g. Excel sheets, Word documents), Adobe Photoshop add-ons, as well as music and movie files that you get from BitTorrent or other file sharing programs. But the most common file format that a virus takes is a .dmg file, because it was created by Apple itself to help install good software on your computer. Your task in securing your Mac is to look out for .dmg files showing up when you’re trying to install something. If you’re ever trying to download something you know is supposed to be an image, music, movie, or document, but you get a .dmg file instead — that is as red as a red flag gets in terms of viruses. Do yourself a favor and delete that file immediately.
Keep Mac virus sources in mind
When it comes to having your Mac infected by a virus, we probably expect the attack to come from a stranger. Truth be told, a lot of viruses come from our friends, family, and colleagues, who unfortunately became the primary victim and are now unintentionally passing their viruses to you.
![Scan Scan](/uploads/1/3/3/2/133279015/860318842.png)
A popular malware virus of 2017 was embedded into a Word document — a Mac Word file, not a PC one. In 2018, Apple discovered flaws in their Intel processor chips that could lead to two kinds of very ambitious strains of Mac viruses too. It’s wild to think that even iPads and iPhones can contract malware.
Virus Scanner For Mac
Prevent your Mac from getting viruses
Use Setapp tools to scan Mac for viruses. It's a necessary measure to keep your computer healthy.
How to check for malware
In an ideal world, scanning for viruses and the other methods for malware removal should be automatic and happen nearly continuously. In reality, you can consider yourself reasonably safe if you scan your Mac close to once a week. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to make sure you are as protected as possible.
A good start to scan your Mac for viruses is to see whether you have applications installed that you don’t recognize: Slideshow applications for mac.
- Go to the Applications folder via Go > Applications in Finder or using the shortcut Shift + Command + A.
- Scroll through the list and delete any unknown applications.
- Then empty the trash.
The second step you should do is check for browser hijackers and adware extensions:
- Go to Safari > Preferences. See what the Homepage URL is currently set to and correct if needed.
- Then proceed to the Extensions tab and uninstall any you don’t recognize, as they could spy on you, save your private data, and redirect you to their malicious websites.
How to run a Mac virus scanner and stop viruses from stealing your information
It’s a common misconception that viruses only happen to people who are gullible, ignorant, or technologically illiterate. The stigma is that hackers prey on people, when in reality, they prey on behavior.
Our basic assumption with Macs is that we expect Apple and our applications to have done all the security work for us. In truth, every user has to adjust their own behavior when using their Mac.
Do you use public WiFi? Consider getting a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt the connection between your laptop and the external network. Shimo is a great VPN manager app that will help you here. While using it, raw information (whether sensitive or not) can’t be fed to any malicious programs lurking on your Mac, and hackers on the same network won’t be able to decode anything you’re working on.
Speaking of encryption, Macs using OS X Lion or later come with the option to encrypt their hard drives using FileVault 2. Although encryption won’t prevent viruses from entering your computer (for that, you’ll need a scanner), it would still be very helpful in stopping viruses from stealing your information. To turn on FileVault:
- Go to System Preferences
- Select Security & Privacy
- Navigate to the FileVault tab
- Choose Turn On FileVault
Keep your Mac secure and virus-free
Trademark signs of something being wrong with your Mac: slow processing memory, a bloated disk space, intense CPU usage, and network speed lag. Unfortunately, viruses don’t live in an easy-to-find location like your computer’s desktop. They can be embedded within an application, most notably, your favorite web browser, where it’s easier for them to view what you’re viewing and track what you’re typing. If you kept on seeing weird websites taking over your search bar, it's a sign that your browser has been hijacked. Other applications can get corrupted or infected too, especially if they have particularly weak security systems. Another example could be an email app you use or an open-source application that is behind on their patch upgrades.
If you think one of your applications is infected, a typical knee-jerk reaction would be to delete the whole thing and redownload it. Often, this will do the trick, but there are simpler solutions available. Clearing the application's cache should always be your first step, and, if there are optional hidden files, consider removing them as well.
To remove any application’s cache and get rid of Mac malware from the Library folder:
- Use the shortcut Shift + Command + G to Go to Folder
- Type ~/Library/Caches and choose Go
- Delete any particular files inside the folder
If you are unsure about deleting cache files manually, use an app like CleanMyMac X:
- Launch CleanMyMac
- Go to System Junk and click Scan
- When the scan is complete, choose Review Details
- Select User Cache Files and pick the caches you’d like to delete
- Click Clean
In addition, CleanMyMac now features a Malware Removal function, using which should become your weekly habit.
- In CleanMyMac, choose the Malware Removal tab
- Click Scan
- Follow the instructions given. Hopefully it should say your Mac is clean most of the time.
Unfortunately, not all viruses are easy-to-understand files that just sit on your computer. Sometimes they are root certificates that intercept your passwords and messages, and send a copy to hackers. To effectively secure yourself from this, only download apps with valid developer certificates. Which ones are those? It’s hard to know but Apple built a feature that could help you here.
- Go to System Preferences
- Select Security & Privacy
- In the Allow apps downloaded from: select App Store and identified developers
You are well on your way to being protected from malware now. But, the truth is, simply avoiding viruses is not enough. You need to be proactive — it’s time to get a virus scanner.
Check viruses like a pro
If you want complete Mac security, there is no better tool than CleanMyMac X, which can effortlessly scan for all the latest viruses, malware, spyware, and more. Just launch the app on the regular basis and click the Smart Scan option to inspect your Mac for any suspicious activity, besides other suggested features for optimization and cleaning out old files.
Remove viruses from Mac completely
Using a tool like CleanMyMac makes getting rid of viruses, of all shapes and formats, very easy. After the scan, it tells you what it’s found and gives you the option to remove it completely right then and there. Additionally, it will give you all kinds of other great options on how to optimize your Mac’s performance.
Scan For Virus On Macbook
As mentioned above, hackers who want to steal your information don’t target you specifically, they target your behavior. So, with this in mind, change your behavior when it comes to using your Mac in potentially unsafe ways. Recognize that viruses come and go, all the time, and across many different file formats. If you get a virus, you’re not ruined.
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Use Setapp tools to scan Mac for viruses. It's a necessary measure to keep your computer healthy.
Arm your computer with encryption tools (like FileVault and a VPN), so that your information can’t be stolen. Practice a healthy dose of skepticism when downloading files. But, most importantly, get professional apps that bring you the most results, like CleanMyMac or Shimo — all of which are available on Setapp for your to try free. So get a scan now and see what it says.
How to remove 'apple.com-scan[.]live' from Mac?
Free Mac Virus Scan
What is 'apple.com-scan[.]live'?
apple.com-scan[.]live is a scam website designed to trick people into downloading a potentially unwanted application (PUA) called Cleanup-My Mac. The site displays a fake virus alert stating that the Mac computer is infected with some viruses that should be removed immediately. This website (or apps promoted though it) should not be trusted. Typically, apple.com-scan[.]live is visited when people are redirected to it by PUAs already installed on their systems. These apps usually feed users with advertisements and gather information relating to their browsing habits.
apple.com-scan[.]live first displays a pop-up window stating that it has detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) and urges visitors to begin the repair process immediately. When this pop-up is closed, the website itself encourages visitors to scan their systems by clicking the 'Scan Now' button. It then states that the system is infected with three viruses that it has detected: two malware infections and one phishing/spyware computer infection that can cause data and financial loss. To avoid any possible damage, users are encouraged to scan their systems within five minutes. When the 'Scan Now' button is clicked, it starts to run a fake virus scan. When finished, it displays scan results stating that it has detected the Tapsnake, CronDNS, and Dubfishicv viruses. The apple.com-scan[.]live website encourages people to download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application by clicking the 'REMOVE VIRUSES NOW' button, however, this actually leads to download of Cleanup-My Mac. Note that apple.com-scan[.]live and apps promoted should not be trusted.
Generally, installed PUAs also serve users with various intrusive advertisements such as pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, and others. Once clicked, these ads open dubious, potentially malicious websites or run scripts designed to download and install other unwanted applications. In summary, clicking ads displayed by PUAs (or on dubious pages) can lead to unwanted installations or even computer infections. PUAs can also perform data tracking when installed. They gather information relating to browsing habits such as IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, ULRs of visited sites, and so on. Developers share the details with other parties - potentially, cyber criminals. These misuse the data to generate revenue. If installed, PUAs cause problems with privacy, browsing safety, and can even lead to identity theft.
Name | 'Apple.com-scan.live' virus |
Threat Type | Mac malware, Mac virus. |
Serving IP Address | 94.237.87.169 |
Sibling Domains | mail.com-scan[.]live |
Symptoms | Your Mac became slower than normal, you notice the presence of dubious/unwanted applications, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications, spam email campaigns. |
Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information, possible malware infections. |
Removal | To eliminate Apple.com-scan.live virus our malware researchers recommend scanning your computer with Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner. |
There are many untrustworthy, scam websites similar to apple.com-scan[.]live that are designed to trick people into downloading and installing unwanted applications. Some examples are 'Apple.com-repair[.]live', 'Your Mac is heavily damaged! (33.2%)', and 'Mac OS X Is Infected (4) By Viruses'. Do not to trust these pages or to download the software that they are designed to promote.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
PUAs can be installed through clicked intrusive ads (that are capable of executing particular scripts), however, they are also downloaded and installed together with other, regular software. This happens when developers use a deceptive marketing method called 'bundling'. They do not disclose information about bundled/additionally-included programs and hide them in 'Custom', 'Advanced', or other similar settings of the download or installation set-ups. Furthermore, people often cause unwanted installations and downloads when they leave available setup settings unchanged.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Avoid downloading software (especially if it is free) from unofficial or untrustworthy websites, using torrents, eMule or other Peer-to-Peer networks, or third party downloaders. Download using official sources (websites) and direct links. Do not leave available 'Custom', 'Advanced', and other similar options of the download/installation setup unchecked. Avoid clicking ads displayed on dubious pages, since they often lead to adult dating, pornography, gambling, and other, similar untrustworthy websites. If redirects happen without clicking ads, or ads appear continually, check all extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins installed on the browser and programs on the computer. Remove any unwanted/suspicious applications immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan withCombo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Screenshot of apple.com-scan[.]live website pop-up error:
Text presented in apple.com-scan[.]live pop-up window:
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
We have detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) on your Mac.
Press OK to begin the repair process.
We have detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) on your Mac.
Press OK to begin the repair process.
Screenshot of the apple.com-scan[.]live website encouraging users to download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application. https://resumerenew345.weebly.com/blog/pdf-printer-for-mac. In fact, the 'REMOVE VIRUSES NOW' button leads to download of the Cleanup-My Mac app:
Text presented in this page:
DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Your Mac is heavily damaged! (33.2%)
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove 3 Viruses from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Virus Name: Tapsnake; CronDNS; Dubfishicv
Risk: HIGH
Infected Files: /os/apps/hidden/os-component/X/snake.icv; /os/local/conf/keyboard/retype.icv..
REMOVE VIRUSES NOW
VIRUS REMOVAL
Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free
Your Mac is heavily damaged! (33.2%)
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove 3 Viruses from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Virus Name: Tapsnake; CronDNS; Dubfishicv
Risk: HIGH
Infected Files: /os/apps/hidden/os-component/X/snake.icv; /os/local/conf/keyboard/retype.icv..
REMOVE VIRUSES NOW
VIRUS REMOVAL
Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free
Screenshot of Cleanup-My Mac unwanted application:
Quick menu:
- STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted applications promoted using 'apple.com-scan[.]live' pop-up scam:
Potentially unwanted applications removal:
Remove potentially unwanted applications from your 'Applications' folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select 'Applications'. In the applications folder, look for 'MPlayerX', 'NicePlayer', or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.
Remove 'apple.com-scan.live' virus related files and folders:
Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder..
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder.. bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
In the Go to Folder.. bar, type: /Library/Application Support
In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.
Check for adware-generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
In the Go to Folder.. bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons
In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, 'com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it's virus definition database and click 'Start Combo Scan' button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays 'no threats found' - this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
'Apple.com-scan.live' virus removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove 'apple.com-scan.live' virus related Safari extensions:
Open Safari browser, from the menu bar, select 'Safari' and click 'Preferences..'.
In the preferences window, select 'Extensions' and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the 'Uninstall' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Google calendar for mac. Remove 'apple.com-scan.live' virus related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the 'Open Menu' (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose 'Add-ons'.
Choose the 'Extensions' tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Remove' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove 'apple.com-scan.live' virus related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the 'Chrome menu' (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose 'More Tools' and select 'Extensions'.
In the 'Extensions' window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Trash' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.