Mac Protection



And on Mac systems with an Apple T2 Security Chip, FileVault 2 keys are created and protected by the Secure Enclave for even more security. Safer browsing with Safari. Designed to protect your privacy. The most secure browser for your Mac is the one that comes with your Mac. Built-in privacy features in Safari, like Intelligent Tracking. Feb 11, 2020. Your Mac also needs protection, and our Antivirus for Mac blocks thousands of threats each day. Real-time protection means that your Mac is secure against malicious attack. Put up strong a defense against ransomware that encrypts your private data, spyware that steals your information, and adware that spams you with unwanted ads. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac is one of the few programs to earn a perfect, 100% score for malware detection and protection for Mac computers. And since it has secure delete, threats are permanently scrubbed from computers, so there isn't any chance of.

We design Mac hardware and software with advanced technologies that work together to run apps more securely, protect your data, and help keep you safe on the web. And with macOS Catalina available as a free upgrade, it’s easy to get the most secure version of macOS for your Mac.*

Apple T2 chip.
The next generation of security.

The Apple T2 Security Chip — included with many newer Mac models — keeps your Mac safer than ever. The Secure Enclave coprocessor in the Apple T2 chip provides the foundation for Touch ID, secure boot, and encrypted storage capabilities. Touch ID gives you a seamless way to use your fingerprint to unlock your Mac, fill passwords in Safari, and make purchases with Apple Pay. Secure boot helps ensure that you are running trusted operating system software from Apple, while the Apple T2 chip automatically encrypts the data on your Mac. So you can be confident knowing that security has been designed right into the architecture of your Mac, from the ground up.

Apple helps you keep your Mac secure with software updates.

The best way to keep your Mac secure is to run the latest software. When new updates are available, macOS sends you a notification — or you can opt in to have updates installed automatically when your Mac is not in use. macOS checks for new updates every day, so it’s easy to always have the latest and safest version.

Protection starts at the core.

The technically sophisticated runtime protections in macOS work at the very core of your Mac to keep your system safe from malware. This starts with state-of-the-art antivirus software built in to block and remove malware. Technologies like XD (execute disable), ASLR (address space layout randomization), and SIP (system integrity protection) make it difficult for malware to do harm, and they ensure that processes with root permission cannot change critical system files.

Download apps safely from the Mac App Store. And the internet.

Now apps from both the App Store and the internet can be installed worry-free. App Review makes sure each app in the App Store is reviewed before it’s accepted. Gatekeeper on your Mac ensures that all apps from the internet have already been checked by Apple for known malicious code — before you run them the first time. If there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly stop new installations and even block the app from launching again.

Stay in control of what data apps can access.

Apps need your permission to access files in your Documents, Downloads, and Desktop folders as well as in iCloud Drive and external volumes. And you’ll be prompted before any app can access the camera or mic, capture keyboard activity, or take a photo or video of your screen.

FileVault 2 encrypts your data.

With FileVault 2, your data is safe and secure — even if your Mac falls into the wrong hands. FileVault 2 encrypts the entire drive on your Mac, protecting your data with XTS-AES 128 encryption. And on Mac systems with an Apple T2 Security Chip, FileVault 2 keys are created and protected by the Secure Enclave for even more security.

Designed to protect your privacy.

The most secure browser for your Mac is the one that comes with your Mac. Built-in privacy features in Safari, like Intelligent Tracking Prevention, help keep your browsing your business. Automatic strong passwords make it easy to create and use unique passwords for all the sites you visit. And iCloud Keychain syncs those passwords securely across all your devices, so you don’t have to remember them. You can also easily find and upgrade any weak passwords you’ve previously used (and reused and reused and reused).

Automatic protections from harmful sites.

Mac Protection Virus

Safari also helps safeguard you against fraudulent websites and those that harbor malware — before you visit them. If a website seems suspicious, Safari prevents it from loading and notifies you. And when connecting to unencrypted sites, Safari will warn you. So everything you need to browse without worry is right at your fingertips.

Find your missing Mac with Find My.

The Find My app combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into a single, easy-to-use app on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Find My can help you locate a missing Mac — even if it’s offline or sleeping — by sending out Bluetooth signals that can be detected by nearby Apple devices. These devices then relay the detected location of your Mac to iCloud so you can locate it in the Find My app. It’s all anonymous and encrypted end-to-end so no one — including Apple — knows the identity of any reporting device or the location of your Mac. And it all happens silently using tiny bits of data that piggyback on existing network traffic. So there’s no need to worry about your battery life, your data usage, or your privacy being compromised.

Keep your Mac safe.
Even if it’s in the wrong hands.

All Mac models with the Apple T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock — just like your iPhone or iPad. So if your Mac is ever misplaced or lost, the only person who can erase and reactivate it is you.

Mac protection software

macOS Security

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Important

Welcome to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, the new name for Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection. Read more about this and other updates here. We'll be updating names in products and in the docs in the near future.

This topic describes how to install, configure, update, and use Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.

Caution

Running other third-party endpoint protection products alongside Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac is likely to lead to performance problems and unpredictable side effects. If non-Microsoft endpoint protection is an absolute requirement in your environment, you can still safely take advantage of MDATP for Mac EDR functionality after configuring MDATP for Mac antivirus functionality to run in Passive mode.

What’s new in the latest release

Tip

If you have any feedback that you would like to share, submit it by opening Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac on your device and navigating to Help > Send feedback.

To get the latest features, including preview capabilities (such as endpoint detection and response for your Mac devices), configure your macOS device running Microsoft Defender ATP to be an 'Insider' device. See Enable Microsoft Defender ATP Insider Device.

How to install Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac

Prerequisites

  • A Microsoft Defender ATP subscription and access to the Microsoft Defender Security Center portal
  • Beginner-level experience in macOS and BASH scripting
  • Administrative privileges on the device (in case of manual deployment)

Installation instructions

There are several methods and deployment tools that you can use to install and configure Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.

  • Third-party management tools:

  • Command-line tool:

System requirements

The three most recent major releases of macOS are supported.

  • 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14 (Mojave), 10.13 (High Sierra)
  • Disk space: 1GB

Beta versions of macOS are not supported. macOS Sierra (10.12) support ended on January 1, 2020.

After you've enabled the service, you may need to configure your network or firewall to allow outbound connections between it and your endpoints.

Best Mac Security Software

Licensing requirements

Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection for Mac requires one of the following Microsoft Volume Licensing offers:

  • Microsoft 365 E5 (M365 E5)
  • Microsoft 365 E5 Security
  • Microsoft 365 A5 (M365 A5)

Note

Eligible licensed users may use Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection on up to five concurrent devices.Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection is also available for purchase from a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). When purchased via a CSP, it does not require Microsoft Volume Licensing offers listed.

Network connections

The following downloadable spreadsheet lists the services and their associated URLs that your network must be able to connect to. You should ensure that there are no firewall or network filtering rules that would deny access to these URLs, or you may need to create an allow rule specifically for them.

Spreadsheet of domains listDescription

Spreadsheet of specific DNS records for service locations, geographic locations, and OS.
Download the spreadsheet here.

Microsoft Defender ATP can discover a proxy server by using the following discovery methods:

  • Proxy autoconfig (PAC)
  • Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol (WPAD)
  • Manual static proxy configuration

Apple Virus Protection

If a proxy or firewall is blocking anonymous traffic, make sure that anonymous traffic is permitted in the previously listed URLs.

Warning

Mac Protection Plan

Authenticated proxies are not supported. Ensure that only PAC, WPAD, or a static proxy is being used.

SSL inspection and intercepting proxies are also not supported for security reasons. Configure an exception for SSL inspection and your proxy server to directly pass through data from Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac to the relevant URLs without interception. Adding your interception certificate to the global store will not allow for interception.

To test that a connection is not blocked, open https://x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/api/report and https://cdn.x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/ping in a browser.

Mac Protection

If you prefer the command line, you can also check the connection by running the following command in Terminal:

The output from this command should be similar to the following:

OK https://x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/api/report

OK https://cdn.x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/ping

Caution

We recommend that you keep System Integrity Protection (SIP) enabled on client devices. SIP is a built-in macOS security feature that prevents low-level tampering with the OS, and is enabled by default.

Once Microsoft Defender ATP is installed, connectivity can be validated by running the following command in Terminal:

How to update Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac

Microsoft regularly publishes software updates to improve performance, security, and to deliver new features. To update Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac, a program named Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) is used. To learn more, see Deploy updates for Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac

How to configure Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac

Guidance for how to configure the product in enterprise environments is available in Set preferences for Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.

macOS kernel and system extensions

In alignment with macOS evolution, we are preparing a Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac update that leverages system extensions instead of kernel extensions. Visit What's new in Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection for Mac for relevant details.

Free Mac Antivirus

Resources

  • For more information about logging, uninstalling, or other topics, see the Resources page.