ESET Extends Antivirus Protection to Mac Platform

ESET today became the latest security company to extend its antivirus protection to the Macintosh platform, with Mac products for the consumer and for business.

The $49.95 Panda Antivirus for Mac appeared in October while Sophos released the free Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition for Mac earlier this week. In addition to protective software, ESET users will get access to broad and detailed training in security topics.

"The White House has recognized that cybersecurity is essential to the future of the U.S. and global economies," said Anton Zajac, ESET's chief executive. Zajac observed that businesses and individuals don't just need security software. "They must also understand the essential ways cybercriminals attempt to exploit their behavior. ESET has been developing consumer and business training content and we are excited to be creating a new class of product that fuses these two essential elements of cybersecurity into a user-friendly solution."

Aimed at consumers, ESET Cybersecurity for Mac offers cross-platform protection against threats targeting the Macintosh, Windows, and Linux platforms. It can block threats that enter via USB and other removable media, and it automatically avoids disrupting full-screen applications. Like ESET Smart Security 4.0 the Mac product relies on ESET's NOD32 ThreatSense detection engine. The ability to submit suspect files directly to ESET's research lab is built into the product.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus Business Edition for Mac OS X aims squarely at the business market, in particular the requirement that businesses protect all endpoints. Like the home edition, it protects Macintosh, Windows, and Linux systems. In addition it allows an administrator to manage all protected computers, regardless of operating system, from a single management console.

ESET Cybersecurity for Mac can be purchased online at eset.com/mac or through retail outlets, with a suggested retail price of $39.99.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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