In a head-to-head test of several popular free and paid options for Mac, Sophos was the clear cut winner, and one of only two to achieve a perfect 100-percent in catching all malware it was tested against with zero false positives. With the “Live Antivirus” feature, Sophos even updates your software the moment that new threats are found online, and through use of the link scanner, it’s now possible to perform full scans on web pages before you click the link to visit.

The software runs quietly in the background and is surprisingly resource friendly so it doesn’t slow down your system as much as some other options. Sophos Antivirus features an easy to use interface that can be used for custom on-demand scanning, as well as fully automated scans at user-defined intervals. With your Mac protected, it will be safe to download things like the Moosejaw X-ray app. Here are five smart (and free) choices to keep your machine free from viruses and malware. While large scale viruses are still a rarity among Mac users, that doesn’t lessen the need for smart antivirus software in order to help you recognize, and react to possible infections.

If you want to check out other cool apps, read our best software apps guide. If you prefer to stick to your iPhone or iPad, you should also read our review of the WinX MediaTrans iPhone/iPad manager. This security breach led Apple, and Mac users, to understand that they were in no means immune to viruses or malware. In a company marketing web page titled, “Why You’ll Love a Mac” (no longer exists) the language was once quite clear, “Apple’s OS X doesn’t get PC viruses.” Somewhere around 2012, that message changed to “ It’s built to be safe.” The update itself happened shortly after nearly 600,000 Macs were infected with a trojan named “Flashback,” and although this wasn’t the first time Macs were targeted, it was certainly the largest. Once upon a time, Apple even used the lack of viruses as a marketing tool to sell more Macs.

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