OVERVIEW
Target audience: McGill students, faculty and staff
This article provides guidance on where to find and evaluate antivirus home solutions for both Windows and macOS platforms. While McGill does not support any particular home solution, numerous affordable or free antivirus suites are available to users on both Windows and macOS systems and provide effective protection.
In this article:
Why use an antivirus solution
An antivirus solution, when used in combination with safe computing practices, should provide optimum protection against cyber threats for a personal computer or device. Given the increasing frequency of malware attacks, it is highly recommended to have antivirus protection installed on personal computers.
Options for Windows home antivirus solutions
Recent releases of the Windows operating system include its built-in antivirus software Windows Defender. It is recommended to use an additional antivirus solution for increased protection.
For current Windows antivirus comparisons, please refer to the following websites:
Options for macOS home antivirus solutions
Although recent releases of Mac operating systems provide a base level of protection with built-in security software, it is advisable to use an additional antivirus software suite. A supplementary antivirus solution may offer more complete protection by being able to identify and contain Windows-based malware.
For current macOS antivirus comparisons, please refer to the following websites:
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:
- About: Endpoint protection for work computers - service description
- Secure your devices