Whether we like it or not, malware is a problem even on a Mac. And that’s why you need to find effective ways of cleaning your Mac adequately. It’s not a walk in the park, sure, but once you start cleaning up your Mac of any malware, it will be much better. Since there are so many malware cleaners out there, you do want to figure out how to pick the best one. Here’s what you want to focus on!
Do you need more than built-in protection?
What you have to realize is that your Mac already has some built-in protection, like Gatekeeper, XProtect and so on. Those will block malware before it starts to run. So yes, before you try to use the best Mac malware cleaners, identify your use case. A dedicated malware solution might add a better layer or removal and early detection, so that’s certainly something you want to keep in mind. Yet at the same time, you also have to focus on protecting your device adequately, if possible, and a malware cleaner does come in handy.
Check the developer’s reputation
Assessing the reputation of the developer and also the average reviews for that tool will help a lot. That’s because it will help you ensure the protection is excellent, and that the devs are doing a good job. Of course, that might not always be the case, so doing your due diligence never fails. Once you start doing that, you will notice which are the better apps.
How does the app work?
The best malware solutions out there will detect malware in real-time, and they will also update their database very often to catch the latest types of threats. And that’s what you want, real-time scanning along with frequent updates, weekly or daily, where possible.
Scan options
Another thing you want to focus on is the type of scan that you can do. Most of the time, a quick scan will be fine, if you already have the tool running in real time and removing malware as it goes along. But you also want the option to have a full or deep scan, where possible. That way, you are scanning everything, and thus you don’t have to worry about any issues. Both options are great, and trying both out from time to time will be handy. After all, you want to deal with malware properly, without any issues.
What kind of malware can they handle?
Ideally, you want a tool that can remove any type of malware, no matter the situation. PUPs, trojans, adware, keyloggers, rootkits and viruses should be at the top of your list. A strong behavioral detection is also very important, as it will help identify suspicious behavior. And once you know that, it will make things a whole lot better and easier to manage.
System impact
You need to know how much is the system going to be impacted by this new malware tool. The truth is that a lot of the time, it makes sense to go for apps that have low memory and CPU usage. Fast scans are also better, and selective scanning will also keep resource consumption at a minimum.
Accuracy is also crucial as well. You want to have a clear explanation of what the app detected, to see if this is a false positive or not. And there are also PUPs, which are potentially dangerous, but not 100% proven to be like that, so addressing those problems is super important here.
Aside from that, you want to check the overall compatibility with your device. You want the app to support your Mac version, and also to have updates without a problem. Then, a proper UI and a clear one that’s super easy to use, it will help more than you might expect. Meaningful notification systems are also very important, because you want to know when there are issues and how you can solve those problems adequately, where you can.
Even a simple onboarding process for newer people will come in handy. The truth is that you will need to think of all the different pros and cons, as it will help streamline stuff more effective. And in the end, all of these ideas will help you find the best anti-malware solution, along with a good reputation and transparency from the developer.
Conclusion
Clearly, it’s just as important to avoid any rush, and to implement these ideas when you find a good malware cleaner. There are tons of apps out there, such as Clean My Mac, Norton 360 or Avira that could help you identify and remove malware fast. It’s a good idea to assess all of them, as you find the rightful app to fit your use case. And once you install such an anti-malware tool, use it often.
