>In 2017, is it recommended to use some kind of antivirus on a Mac?I've always been told it's unnecessary AV-Comparatives[1] puts out a pretty comprehensive, q

>In 2017, is it recommended to use some kind of antivirus on a Mac?I've always been told it's unnecessary AV-Comparatives[1] puts out a pretty comprehensive, quantifiedm real world benchmark of antivirus comparisons that they update every month for Windows (a more dynamic threat environment) and once a year for Mac[2]. Let's take a best case scenario (which isn't likely) that there are _no_ security vulnerabilities in any software on macOS. You still have the issue of being an accessory to spread malware to Windows machines if you aren't screening for them. "Oh hey boss, include this file in the Windows deployment of our software". A biological equivalent would be, even if you are an asymptomatic carrier[3] (macOS claim) you can still transmit the disease to someone else, therefore should limit transmission through condom use, gloves, general precautions (run an antivirus) A final point to add is one regarding risk engineering. The decision to increase the robustness of a design is not governed by the probability of the event (Mac's hardly ever get infected!), it is governed by the magnitude of the effect of the event. Even if the probability of malware on a Mac is low[4] if the effect of the infection is catastrophic (your entire business is destroyed) you should be increase the systems robustness to threats. [1] https://www.av-comparatives.org/about-us/ https://www.av-comparatives.org/about-us/ AV-Comparatives is an independent organization offering systematic testing that checks whether security software, such as PC/Mac-based antivirus products and mobile security solutions, lives up to its promises. Using one of the largest sample collections worldwide, it creates a real-world environment for truly accurate testing. AV-Comparatives offers freely accessible results to individuals, news organizations and scientific institutions. Certification by AV-Comparatives provides an official seal of approval for software performance which is globally recognized. Currently, AV-Comparatives' Real-World Protection Test is the most comprehensive and complex test available when it comes to evaluating the real-life protection capabilities of antivirus software. Put simply, the test framework replicates the scenario of an everyday user in an everyday online environment – the typical situation that most of us experience when using a computer with an Internet connection. AV-Comparatives works closely with several academic institutions, especially the University of Innsbruck’s Department of Computer Science, to provide scientific testing methods. [2] https://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/avc_mac_2016_en.pdf https://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/a... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymptomatic_carrier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymptomatic_carrier [4] http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg-catalog/ http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg-catalog/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS_malware https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS_malware