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Whether you think you might have a virus on your computer or devices, or just want to keep them running smoothly, it’s easy to do a virus scan. How to check for viruses depends on the software and device you have, so we’ll go through everything you need to know to run a scan effectively and keep your computers, phones and tablets in tip-top shape.
First, let’s cover a few of the telltale signs your device might have a virus. Is your computer or device acting sluggish or having a hard time booting up? Have you noticed missing files or a lack of storage space? Have you noticed emails or messages sent from your account that you did not write? Perhaps you’ve noticed changes to your browser homepage or settings? Or maybe, you’re seeing unexpected pop-up windows, or experiencing crashes and other program errors. These are all examples of signs that you may have a virus, but don’t get too worried yet, because many of these issues can be resolved with a virus scan.
Each antivirus program works a little differently, but in general the software will look for known malware that meets a specific set of characteristics. It may also look for variants of these known threats that have a similar code base. Some antivirus software even checks for suspicious behavior. If the software comes across a dangerous program or piece of code, it removes it. In some cases, a dangerous program can be replaced with a clean one from the manufacturer.
The process of checking for viruses depends on the device type and its operating system. Check out these tips to help you scan your computers, phones and tablets.
If you use Windows 10, go into “Settings” and look for the “Updates & Security” tab. From there you can locate a “Scan Now” button.
Of course, many people have invested in more robust antivirus software that has a high accuracy rate and causes less drain on their system resources, such as McAfee Total Protection. To learn how to run a virus scan using your particular antivirus software, search the software’s help menu or look online for instructions.
Mac computers don’t have a built-in antivirus program, so you will have to download security software to do a virus scan. There are some free antivirus applications available online, but we recommend investing in trusted software that can protect you from a variety of threats. Downloading free software and free online virus scans can be risky, since cybercriminals know that this is a good way to spread malware.
Whichever program you choose, follow their step-by-step instructions on how to perform a virus scan, either by searching under “help” or looking it up on their website.
Yes, you can get a virus on your phone or tablet, although they are less common than on computers. However, the wider category of mobile malware is on the rise and your device can get infected if you download a risky app, click on an attachment in a text message, visit a dangerous webpage, or connect to another device that has malware on it.
Fortunately, you can protect your devices with mobile security software. It doesn’t usually come installed, so you will have to download an application and follow the instructions.
Because the Android platform is an open operating system, there are a number of antivirus products for Android devices, that allows you to do a virus scan.
Apple devices are a little different because they have a closed operating system that doesn’t allow third parties to see their code. Although Apple has taken other security precautions to reduce malware risks, such as only allowing the installation of apps from Apple’s official app store, these measures aren’t the same as an antivirus program.
For more robust protection on your Apple devices, you can install mobile security software to protect the private data you have stored on your phone or tablet, such as contacts, photos and messages.
If safeguarding all your computers and devices individually sounds overwhelming, you can opt for a comprehensive security product that protects computers, smartphones and tablets from a central control center, making virus prevention a breeze.
New online threats emerge every day, putting our personal information, money and devices at risk. In the first quarter of 2019 alone McAfee detected 504 new threats per minute, as cybercriminals employed new tactics. That’s why it is essential to stay ahead of these threats by using security software that is constantly monitoring and checking for new known threats, while safeguarding all of your sensitive information. Virus scans are an essential part of this process when it comes to identifying and removing dangerous code.
Most antivirus products are regularly scanning your computer or device in the background, so you will only need to start a manual scan if you notice something suspicious, like crashes or excessive pop-ups. You can also program regular scans on your schedule.
Of course, the best protection is to avoid getting infected in the first place. Here are a few smart tips to sidestep viruses and other malware:
The post How To Do A Virus Scan appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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It’s a long-standing question. Can Apple Macs get viruses?
While Apple does go to great lengths to keep all its devices safe, this doesn’t mean your Mac is immune to all computer viruses. So what does Apple provide in terms of antivirus protection? Let’s take a look along with some signs that your Mac may be hacked and how you can protect yourself from further threats beyond viruses, like identity theft.
Whether hackers physically sneak it onto your device or by tricking you into installing it via a phony app, a sketchy website, or a phishing attack, viruses and malware can create problems for you in a few ways:
Some possible signs of hacking software on your Mac include:
Is your device operating more slowly, are web pages and apps harder to load, or does your battery never seem to keep a charge? These are all signs that you could have malware running in the background, zapping your device’s resources.
Like the performance issues above, malware or mining apps running in the background can burn extra computing power (and data). Aside from sapping performance, malware and mining apps can cause your computer to run hot or even overheat.
If you find apps you haven’t downloaded, along with messages and emails that you didn’t send, that’s a red flag. A hacker may have hijacked your computer to send messages or to spread malware to your contacts. Similarly, if you see spikes in your data usage, that could be a sign of a hack as well.
Malware can also be behind spammy pop-ups, changes to your home screen, or bookmarks to suspicious websites. In fact, if you see any configuration changes you didn’t personally make, this is another big clue that your computer may have been hacked.
Macs contain several built-in features that help protect them from viruses:
Similarly, all apps that wish to be sold on the Apple App Store must go through Apple’s App Review. While not strictly a review for malware, security matters are considered in the process. Per Apple, “We review all apps and app updates submitted to the App Store in an effort to determine whether they are reliable, perform as expected, respect user privacy, and are free of objectionable content.”
There are a couple reasons why Mac users may want to consider additional protection in addition to the antivirus protection that Mac provides out of the box:
In all, Macs are like any other connected device. They’re susceptible to threats and vulnerabilities as well. Looking more broadly, there’s the wider world of threats on the internet, such as phishing attacks, malicious links and downloads, prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, data breaches, identity theft, and so on. It’s for this reason Mac users may think about bolstering their defenses further with online protection software.
Staying safer online follows a simple recipe:
Reading between the lines, that recipe can take a bit of work. However, comprehensive online protection can take care of it for you. In particular, McAfee Total Protection includes an exclusive Protection Score, which checks to see how safe you are online, identifies gaps, and then offers personalized guidance, and helping you know exactly how safe you are.
An important part of this score is privacy and security, which is backed by a VPN that turns on automatically when you’re on an unsecure network and personal information monitoring to help protect you from identity theft—good examples that illustrate how staying safe online requires more than just antivirus.
So, Macs can get viruses and are subject to threats just like any other computer. While Macs have strong protections built into them, they may not offer the full breadth of protection you want, particularly in terms of online identity theft and the ability to protect you from the latest malware threats. Consider the threats you want to keep clear of and then take a look at your options that’ll help keep you safe.
The post Can Apple Macs get Viruses? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
In 2018, Macs accounted for 10% of all active personal computers. Since then, popularity has skyrocketed. In the first quarter of 2021, Macs experienced 115% growth when compared to Q1 2020, putting Apple in fourth place in the global PC market share. It is safe to say that Macs are well-loved and trusted devices by a significant portion of the population — but just how safe are they from a security perspective?
Many users have historically believed that Macs are untouchable by hackers, giving Apple devices a reputation for being more “secure” than other PCs. However, recent attacks show that this is not the case. According to TechCrunch, a new malware called XCSSET was recently found exploiting a vulnerability that allowed it to access parts of macOS, including the microphone, webcam, and screen recorder — all without consent from the user.
Let’s dive deeper into how XCSSET works.
Researchers first discovered XCSSET in 2020. The malware targeted Apple developers and the projects they use to build and code apps. By targeting app development projects, hackers infiltrated apps early in their production, causing developers to unknowingly distribute the malware to their users.
Once the malware is running on a user’s device, it uses multiple zero-day attacks to alter the machine and spy on the user. These attacks allow the hacker to:
While macOS is supposed to ask users for permission before allowing any app to record the screen, access the microphone or webcam, or open the user’s storage, XCSSET can bypass all of these permissions. This allows the malware to sneak in under the radar and inject malicious code into legitimate apps that commonly ask for screen-sharing permissions such as Zoom, WhatsApp, and Slack. By disguising itself among these legitimate apps, XCSSET inherits their permissions across the computer and avoids getting flagged by macOS’s built-in security defenses. As a result, the bug could allow hackers to access the victim’s microphone, webcam, or capture their keystrokes for login credentials or credit card information.
It is unclear how many devices were affected by XCSSET. Regardless, it is crucial for consumers to understand that Mac’s historical security reputation does not replace the need for users to take online safety precautions. The following tips can help macOS users protect themselves from malware:
Software developers are continuously working to identify and address security issues. Frequently updating your devices’ operating systems, browsers, and apps is the easiest way to have the latest fixes and security protections. For example, Apple confirmed that it addressed the bug exploited by XCSSET in macOS 11.4, which was made available on May 24th, 2021.
Hackers often use phishing emails or text messages as a means to distribute malware by disguising their malicious code in links and attachments. Do not open suspicious or irrelevant messages, as this can result in malware infection. If the message claims to be from a business or someone you know, reach out to the source directly instead of responding to the message. This will allow you to confirm the sender’s legitimacy.
Use a solution like McAfee Total Protection, which can help protect devices against malware, phishing attacks, and other threats. It also includes McAfee WebAdvisor — a tool to help identify malicious websites.
Regardless of whether you are Team PC or Team Mac, it is important to realize that both platforms are susceptible to cyberthreats that are constantly changing. Doing your research on prevalent threats and software bugs puts you in a better position to protect your online safety.
To stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, subscribe to our newsletter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
The post Apple Users: This macOS Malware Could Be Spying on You appeared first on McAfee Blogs.
In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced Trend Micro Cleaner One Pro, a one-stop shop to help you speed up your Mac, highlighting the Quick Optimizer, the Main Console, and the Cleaning Tools. In Part 2, we resume the discussion of how to make your Mac run faster with the remaining Cleaner One Pro features: System and Application Management, Privacy Protection, and Other Options.
Your Mac may get sluggish after a year or two of usage and you may find that booting up takes a lot longer. Doing a Startup Manager scan can help you reduce slowdown due to unwanted startup programs and services, to help your Mac boot faster.
Upon completing the scan, Startup Manager will identify apps under two categories: Login Items and Launch Agents.
Login Items are apps that run automatically upon login. You can manage these apps by enabling them to run automatically or disabling them to make your Mac more efficient. If you don’t need autorun, you can remove the apps from the list.
Launch Agents are background services that run automatically on System startup for the extension features of apps. You can manage these services by letting them run automatically or by disabling them to make your Mac boot faster. Similarly, you can remove these agents if you don’t need them or they’re broken.
When a user installs an app that doesn’t meet their expectations, they’ll never use it again. In many cases, they remove the app by simply dragging it into the trash, assuming the action completely removes the app, but this is not always true. When you uninstall an app, there are often associated files left on your Mac, even after you have emptied the Trash. They’re known as leftovers.
Leftovers are an app’s associated files and folders that can include different languages, log files, agents, or processes that might try to start an application. App Manager aims to resolve this and helps you clean up your Mac by completely removing app leftovers. App Manager detects all app leftovers automatically so you can remove them with just one click.
Data security and privacy are especially important and managing these applies to anyone collecting and keeping data. Data that has reached its retention limit needs to be permanently removed from your file system and to be sure it can’t be recovered you need to overwrite the file with random series of binary data multiple times. This process is often referred to as shredding. With File Shredder, you can remove sensitive files from your hard disk without worrying that they can be recovered.
Preferences allows you to manage how the Cleaner One Pro app performs. In Preferences, you’ll see General, Notifications, Memory, Duplicates, Whitelists and Auto Select.
On the General tab, you can choose Auto start at login and other options according to how you would like Cleaner One Pro to behave during startup.
On the Notifications tab, you can disable the notification about smart memory optimization.
Cleaner One Pro is also equipped with a Smart Memory Optimization feature on the Memory tab. This feature uses artificial intelligence. You can set auto clean when your available memory is low or when an app is closed.
The Duplicates, Whitelists and Auto Select tabs work when you use the Duplicate Files feature on the main console. When there are too many duplicate files on your Mac, you can set the rules on the minimum file size, as well as which files to exempt or prioritize during deletion.
If you need technical assistance about Cleaner One Pro, click the robot icon either in the Apple Menu window or on the Main Console.
A chat support person will attend to your concerns or suggestions when using Cleaner One Pro. In case there is no available support engineer, you can send an email by clicking Send Email. Make sure to provide the correct email address.
Aside from Cleaner One Pro for Mac, we offer Antivirus One for Mac—as well as Cleaner One for iPhone, which you can download by scanning the QR Code. You can also submit your ideas for Other Tools by clicking the panel.
As you use your Mac over time, you need to maintain it to keep it running smoothly. Trend Micro Cleaner One Pro can clean up your disk space, help boost performance, and solve other Mac issues you might encounter during your daily work. As you consider it for your Mac, you may have remaining questions:
What’s the difference between the Free version and the Paid version? The Free version of Cleaner One Pro includes the Memory Optimizer, basic CPU and Network Monitoring, a Junk Files Cleaner, a Big Files Scanner, a Disk Map, and the Startup Manager. The Paid upgrade of Cleaner One Pro unlocks more features, including more Advanced CPU/Network Monitoring, a Duplicate Finder, a Similar Photos Scanner, an App Manager, and a File Shredder.
Is it safe to use Cleaner One Pro? Cleaner One Pro is notarized by Apple, which assures its users both security and privacy.
How can I download Cleaner One Pro? Cleaner One Pro is distributed via the official Trend Micro website and other authorized channels. Note that Cleaner One Pro is also available for Windows. To make it easy for the readers of this blog series, we’ve provided the download links here: Download Mac Version – Download Windows Version
Go to Cleaner One Windows or to Cleaner One Mac for more information or to purchase the apps.
The post Cleaner One Pro Speeds Up Your Mac: Part 2 appeared first on .
The Mac has always been pretty easy to use, but even the most ardent Mac supporters know there comes a time when their Mac is no longer new and they notice slowdowns in its performance, particularly after intensive use. They’d like a handy one-stop tool to help them optimize memory and CPU performance, free up disk space, and generally speed up their Mac, since they don’t want to dig around in the MacOS for buried utilities they don’t know how to use. Fortunately, Trend Micro has a solution for that.
Trend Micro Cleaner One Pro is an easy-to-use, all-in-one disk cleaning and optimization utility that can help you boost your Mac’s performance. Cleaner One Pro includes a number of Mac housecleaning tools such as a Memory Optimizer, a Junk Files cleaner, a Big Files scanner, a Duplicate Files finder, an App Manager, a File Shredder, and a Disk Map. These functions are all rolled into an easy-to-use interface that helps you visualize your Mac’s usage, while freeing up memory and storage on your Mac.
In this two-part blog, we will show you how you can use Cleaner One Pro to make your Mac run faster, walking you through its features. In Part 1, we focus on Quick Optimizer, the Main Console, and the Cleaning Tools. In Part 2, we’ll focus on System and Application Management, Privacy Protection, and some Other Options.
Once you’ve installed Cleaner One Pro, its Quick Optimizer appears in the Apple Menu, with handy tools to speed up your Mac. Click the icon and it displays a Console that monitors your Memory, Junk Files, CPU, and Network Usage, while letting you Optimize your Memory Usage and Clean your Junk Files with just one click. System Optimizer opens a Window onto the contents of your Mac for more detailed management.
Memory Optimizer
There are applications running in the background of your Mac that take up physical memory and affect its performance. The Memory Optimizer gives you control over how your computer consumes its memory resources—and you can free up your Mac’s memory in seconds with just one click on the Optimize button. If you want to see which apps are taking up significant memory, you can click the three-dot icon next to Memory Usage. It will show your Mac’s memory usage by app, in descending order. Click the Information (i) icon in the Memory Usage window for a breakdown of the types of memory being used.
Junk files, temporary files, system files and other non-essential items will accumulate on your Mac over time. These files take up a lot of space on your hard drive and may degrade the performance of your Mac as you reach higher disk usage. Click the Clean button and the Junk Files cleaner quickly removes application cache, system log files, update files, temporary files and hidden leftover files. You can also see the details of the identified Junk Files by clicking the three-dot icon next to Junk Files.
When your computer starts to run slowly it’s helpful to have a snapshot of its CPU usage. With this feature, you can see which apps are using significant CPU resources and how much percentage they’re using. It also let you know how long your computer has been up and running, since system reliability can degrade if it’s been awhile since you restarted your Mac.
If you want to keep an eye on your bandwidth consumption and avoid exceeding data caps, it’s useful to know the real-time download and upload speeds on your Mac. The Network Usage Monitor also provides a view of other network related information such as your Wi-Fi signal quality.
The Main Console is the core workplace in Trend Micro Cleaner One Pro and provides the following features, which are presented here grouped by purpose:
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To access the Main Console, click System Optimizer in the Cleaner One Pro Apple Menu. The first time you do, you’ll need to authorize full access to your disk, so Cleaner One Pro can access more junk files. Simply click Grant Access in the System Optimizer window and watch the video or follow the written instructions. Complete the steps by closing Cleaner One Pro, then reload it. You’re now ready to begin optimizing.
The hard drive on your Mac holds the entire Mac operating system and important files including your data. As you use your Mac, over time its hard drive will accumulate junk files. These junk files are generated by the system and other programs. Cleaner One Pro is equipped with advanced and efficient algorithms that scan and remove junk files within seconds. Click Scan to scan for Junk Files and when the scan is done, either check a whole category or individual items in the category, then click Remove.
You may have a lot of clutter on your Mac in the form of big or old files that you probably no longer need and may have just forgotten about. Removing big unused files can recover a lot of disk space, but it could be time-consuming to delete them if done manually. Also, it is hard to select files for deletion if you don’t know the proper context— where the files are stored or how important they may be.
Big Files scanner provides a big file collector where you can easily spot and remove these files if you don’t need them anymore. Additionally, if you hover your mouse on a file, you’ll see a magnifier and a lock icon. Once you click the magnifier icon, you’ll locate the actual file. If you click the lock icon, the file will be added to the Ignore List, which will be locked.
Disk Map is a significant tool that helps you analyze the usage of your storage in a visual and interactive map. It quickly scans your drive and builds a visualization of files on the target folder of your Mac, allowing you to easily navigate the system. With Disk Map, you can find out the date when the file/folder was created, modified, and last opened. Furthermore, hovering your mouse on a folder then clicking the magnifier icon will direct you to the file’s location.
Another practice that you are probably comfortable doing is backing-up important files, photos, program installation files and apps on your hard drive. While this is a good practice, it creates duplicate files on your Mac that eventually add clutter and consume disk space. It’s also hard to find files in name searches when you have too many of them.
The Duplicate Files function lets you select a source folder where it will inspect and identify duplicate files on your Mac. In the scan results, an option called “Auto Select” helps you automatically select duplicate files. The information provided by “Auto Select” is listed below:
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You can choose Remove to Trash or Delete Permanently on the confirmation page.
Often, you organize pictures of travels and life events, and also keep a copy to ensure you don’t lose those captured moments. But as digital photos pile up, often similar to others on your drive, they take up a lot of space. To assist you cleaning these up, use Similar Photos, and then choose your photo library to scan the photos on your Mac.
The result will display similar photos and you can choose the ones you don’t need, and the files will be added in the selected list. Click the Remove button to completely delete them from your hard drive.
That’s it for now! The second part of this blog will take up the remaining toolsets of Trend Micro Cleaner One Pro.
Go to Cleaner One Mac for more information or to purchase the app.
The post Cleaner One Pro Speeds Up Your Mac: Part 1 appeared first on .
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