Macs need malware protection, too

By Anne Krishnan

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. I think you did a terrific job explaining and providing free tools to clean up the PCs from malware, spyware, etc., and clean up the PCs in general.

What about Macs? Granted, the Macs don’t suffer as much, and there aren’t as many attacks on the Mac computers.

Still it would be nice to know what is available, free and otherwise, and what knowledgeable people recommend.

L.D., Cary, N.C.

A. Indeed, Macs don’t usually need to be cleaned up from malware, spyware or viruses, said Phil Shepard, a consultant with MacVantage, a Raleigh, N.C., technology consulting firm specializing in Macs.

Many people don’t know that Apple includes basic malware protection in every Mac, he said. More important, the vast majority of malware, spyware and viruses can’t harm Macs, he said.

But if a Mac will be networked with PCs or will be exchanging files with PCs, it would be wise to purchase protection, Shepard said.

Note that he said “purchase.” His tests show that free third-party anti-virus/anti-malware programs for Macs are inadequate. He doesn’t suggest any of them.

He contacted AVG, which makes a popular, free anti-virus program for PCs, and was told they are working on software for Macs; AVG already has a free link scanner for Macs. You can download it at http://linkscanner.avg.com/Mac.

But the best paid protection by far is VirusBarrier from Intego, Shepard said. It’s $49.95 for two licenses from http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier/. The company offers a free download for a 30-day trial, but the repair function is disabled.

MacScan is another product worth trying with a free trial, he said. It’s $29.99 for one license from http://macscan.securemac.com/.

Symantec and McAfee both make paid protection for Mac, but they do not protect as well as Intego, and they use too many system resources, Shepard said.

Q. Please tell me how to disable Microsoft Narrator in Windows Vista.

M.T., Apex, N.C.

A. Here’s the process, according to the Microsoft help forum at http://answers.microsoft.com/. I don’t have a machine with Vista, so I couldn’t check the steps.

Go to “Start,” then “Control Panel.” Click on “Ease of Access” and “Optimize Visual Display.”

You may next have to click “Set Up High Contrast.” Uncheck the box next to “Turn On Narrator.” Click “Apply,” and restart your computer.

Narrator might pop up at the log-on screen, but the problem should be solved.

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2010, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)