After years of jabbing Microsoft for the seeming need to run antivirus software on Windows, Apple has quietly posted its own recommendation for similar security with its own operating system.
When one Mac is compromised, all are compromised, regardless of whether you run an antivirus. Still, if it makes you feel more comfortable to have an antivirus on your Mac, that's just fine, and there are a few we recommend. For a basic malware removal tool, try Malwarebytes. We like both the Windows and Mac versions. Protect your Mac from malware. MacOS has many features that help protect your Mac and your personal information from malicious software, or malware.One common way malware is distributed is by embedding it in a harmless-looking app. Feb 13, 2020 Apple has made a lot of good decisions when it comes to security and privacy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use antivirus on your Mac (you should), nor does it mean your Apple computer.
The knowledge base article, posted roughly a week and a half ago, doesn't go so far as to say the software is necessary but still advocates 'widespread use' of more than one antivirus package to minimize security risks.
By using more than one piece of security software, virus writers can't assume that there will be a particular security suite to bypass, Apple says. In Windows, more advanced viruses already know to look for certain defense suites and will mask themselves or even disable the protection to make their tasks easier.
Apple currently recommends Intego's VirusBarrier X5, McAfee's VirusScan for Mac, and Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus 11.
The posting isn't necessarily a reversal of opinions for Apple, though it does reflect an overall softening of its opinions. While one of the first 'Get a Mac' TV spots in 2006 made fun of Windows' susceptibility to viruses and portrayed the Mac as near-immune, the current campaign doesn't mention this point. The company's current FAQ for curious switchers also simply says that Mac OS X 'resists most viruses' and doesn't make any blanket statements.
At present, there isn't any immediate cause for a change in Apple strategy. Outside of proofs of concept, few instances exist of widely propagated viruses or other malicious code for the Mac.
AppleInsider has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
-->Important
The improved Microsoft 365 security center is now available in public preview. This new experience brings Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Microsoft 365 Defender, and more into the Microsoft 365 security center. Learn what's new. This topic might apply to both Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft 365 Defender. Refer to the Applies To section and look for specific call outs in this article where there might be differences.
Applies to:
Want to experience Microsoft Defender for Endpoint? Sign up for a free trial.
Video suite software. This topic describes how to install, configure, update, and use Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
Caution
Running other third-party endpoint protection products alongside Defender for Endpoint 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
Does Apple Recommend Antivirus For Mac Windows 10
If you have any feedback that you would like to share, submit it by opening Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac on your device and navigating to Help > Send feedback.
Apple currently recommends Intego's VirusBarrier X5, McAfee's VirusScan for Mac, and Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus 11.
The posting isn't necessarily a reversal of opinions for Apple, though it does reflect an overall softening of its opinions. While one of the first 'Get a Mac' TV spots in 2006 made fun of Windows' susceptibility to viruses and portrayed the Mac as near-immune, the current campaign doesn't mention this point. The company's current FAQ for curious switchers also simply says that Mac OS X 'resists most viruses' and doesn't make any blanket statements.
At present, there isn't any immediate cause for a change in Apple strategy. Outside of proofs of concept, few instances exist of widely propagated viruses or other malicious code for the Mac.
AppleInsider has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
-->Important
The improved Microsoft 365 security center is now available in public preview. This new experience brings Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Microsoft 365 Defender, and more into the Microsoft 365 security center. Learn what's new. This topic might apply to both Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft 365 Defender. Refer to the Applies To section and look for specific call outs in this article where there might be differences.
Applies to:
Want to experience Microsoft Defender for Endpoint? Sign up for a free trial.
Video suite software. This topic describes how to install, configure, update, and use Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
Caution
Running other third-party endpoint protection products alongside Defender for Endpoint 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
Does Apple Recommend Antivirus For Mac Windows 10
If you have any feedback that you would like to share, submit it by opening Microsoft Defender for Endpoint 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 for Endpoint to be an 'Insider' device.
How to install Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac
Prerequisites
- A Defender for Endpoint 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 Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
Third-party management tools:
Command-line tool:
System requirements
What Antivirus Does Apple Recommend For Mac
The three most recent major releases of macOS are supported.
Important Samsung mac sync software.
On macOS 11 (Big Sur), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint requires additional configuration profiles. If you are an existing customer upgrading from earlier versions of macOS, make sure to deploy the additional configuration profiles listed on New configuration profiles for macOS Catalina and newer versions of macOS.
Important
Support for macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) will be discontinued on February 15th, 2021.
- 11 (Big Sur), 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14 (Mojave), 10.13 (High Sierra)
- Disk space: 1GB
Beta versions of macOS are not supported.
After you've enabled the service, you may need to configure your network or firewall to allow outbound connections between it and your endpoints.
Licensing requirements
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint 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 for Endpoint on up to five concurrent devices.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint 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 list | Description |
|---|---|
| Spreadsheet of specific DNS records for service locations, geographic locations, and OS. Download the spreadsheet here: mdatp-urls.xlsx. |
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can discover a proxy server by using the following discovery methods:
- Proxy autoconfig (PAC)
- Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol (WPAD)
- Manual static proxy configuration
If a proxy or firewall is blocking anonymous traffic, make sure that anonymous traffic is permitted in the previously listed URLs.
Warning
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 for Endpoint 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.
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.
Virtual machine software free download. Once Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is installed, connectivity can be validated by running the following command in Terminal:
How to update Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac
Microsoft regularly publishes software updates to improve performance, security, and to deliver new features. To update Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac, a program named Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) is used. To learn more, see Deploy updates for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
How to configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac
Guidance for how to configure the product in enterprise environments is available in Set preferences for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
macOS kernel and system extensions
In alignment with macOS evolution, we are preparing a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac update that leverages system extensions instead of kernel extensions. For relevant details, see What's new in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
Resources
For more information about logging, uninstalling, or other topics, see Resources for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
Privacy for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Mac.
