Even today, there are many people who believe that there are no viruses or malware on Mac, and I’m sorry to tell you that if you are one of those people, unfortunately there are, and it can be just as problematic as on a PC. I don’t want to alarm you like they would on any other blog, like “Your whole life is in DANGER if you don’t use this fantastic, cool, and wonderful antivirus that only I offer you“, yes, that thing you’re thinking of. Well, that’s exactly what I mean, it’s not that big a deal, it has a solution, without having to use super expensive applications or a thousand stories.
To solve it or even avoid it, if you are always a bit careful, you will never see malware or a virus in your life, but even so, if for some reason one ends up on your computer, the KnockKnock application can remove it, and before you run away, it’s free, open source, and super simple to use. But first, I want you to burn a couple of things into your mind that can help you avoid having to use applications of this type.
Most of it is common sense, but sometimes we get overconfident and then we mess up, so here goes “MY SUPER FANTASTIC ANTI-VIRUS AND ANTI-MALWARE GUIDE“:
THING 1
Dude, if a buddy passes you a file, don’t distrust him/her, but rather their ability to do things right, so if you have no other choice and have to take the file for whatever reason, ALWAYS SCAN IT! Yes, ALWAYS!, even though it might seem weird to you, most infections come from another person, so be very careful with this.
THING 2
If you receive an attachment by email, as they say back home, MAN!!, don’t even think about opening, viewing, touching, or smelling thiiisss. If someone you know sends it to you and didn’t warn you they were sending a file, then ALERT!!, ask them first, did you send me something? to see what they say, if they say yes, then go to THING 1, if it turns out they say, nope, I didn’t send you anything, then let them know their computer is infected and delete that bug from your inbox.
THING 3
This thing is pretty much more of the same as the other two things, only now you have to apply it to any type of USB, whether it’s called a memory stick, hard drive, pendrive, thumb drive, or whatever they call it where you live, the point is that with any of those options, every file MUST go through THING 1.
If you memorize and remember these 3 things, the Force will be with you.
This guide applies to Mac, Windows, and anything else that appears in the future. If you don’t know what it is or where it comes from, better… don’t touch it!.
How can I remove malware from my Mac?
Before getting into applications, downloads, or stories, keep this in mind first:
- If you use your Mac while paying attention to what you’re doing, you don’t need an antivirus.
- If a file ever feels sketchy and makes you doubt, a free app is enough to get you out of a specific bind.
- If you prefer not to deal with this hassle and completely forget about the topic, then it would make sense to pay for a more complete tool.
Free option for specific cases
Well, if you already suspect that something smells fishy, or to do a simple routine check, don’t worry because the KnockKnock application is:
- Free
- Open source
- Simple
- Straight to the point
It’s not a complete solution, but it’s more than enough to get you out of a tight spot: download KnockKnock
Using it is easy, once you have the file on your computer, you unzip it with a double click, and drag the App to your applications folder, from there you run it and accept the system warning, and now all you have to do is click “Start Scan“.
See how fast that was? I talked your ear off telling you to NEVER open anything when you don’t know where it comes from, rather than explaining how to use the application itself. Take my word for it, otherwise you’ll have to use the application, and it’s better if you can avoid that.
This application might lack a few things, it’s not flawless, but it saves your ass.
I think it goes without saying, but I recommend this application just because I feel like it and I think it can be useful to you, it’s not like they paid me or anything like that, though if they want to do it for me, that’s cool haha.
The paid option to forget about the issue
Now, if you don’t want to mess around or you’re simply one of those who:
- Prefers not to worry about viruses or hassle.
- Doesn’t download many things.
- Doesn’t test applications every two minutes.
- Or simply prefers to “not think”
Then this application, which is muuuuch more complete, will be worth it for you:
- It has everything in the same application
- You don’t have to make decisions every single time
- And it reduces the chances of messing up.
You can do more things, be safer, and even keep your equipment well maintained. This one IS paid, and although they don’t pay me either, if you buy it through me they give me a commission and it costs you the exact same, so now you know!
Ahh!!!, if you get the SetApp subscription you can use the application for free because it’s included in the subscription along with a bunch of others, it’s like Netflix but for Mac applications.
Download the CleanMyMac application
When NOT to pay for an application like this
I’ll make it clear so you don’t spend money needlessly:
- If people barely pass you files and you barely download anything
- If you genuinely know what you’re opening and what you’re not
- If you don’t mind occasionally taking the time to clean up and check your Mac
Then paying for this type of solution probably won’t bring you much benefit.
And you know what? That is absolutely fine.
Watch out! I’m not recommending these applications to scare you, I recommend them because I know many people stress out over this topic, and by using them you can save yourself a headache later.
If that’s not your case, just use common sense and the free option.
But if you’re going to hesitate and stress yourself out, pay up and get the problem out of your head right now.