Apple Macs are not cheap laptops which is why it’s essential to look after your device and protect it from potential malware. If you are using your laptop safely, then a malware attack is unlikely, however, one can slip through every now and then. Malware can present itself in many forms – it could be attached to an application, it could be within a file you downloaded on the web, or alternatively, it could be stored within your bookmarks.
If you do suspect you have been a target of malware, do not panic. Malware can easily be removed from your device using anti-virus software or if you know your way around a laptop, done manually. More solutions include a factory reset although we would suggest this be the last resort as you would lose your files on your device unless you back them up.
What is malware?
So what is malware? In simple terms, malware is a file or software that installs itself onto your Apple Mac to steal your data. It can track what you are doing on the web, spy on your cookies, and in worse cases, copy your passwords, getting access to private information like your banks or social media channels. The easiest way to avoid a potential malware attack is to research more information about malware and educate yourself on how you could be targeted – for example through your emails or within a downloaded file.
How to remove malware from your Apple Mac
Remove malware from your Mac using anti-virus software.
One of the easiest ways to remove malware from your Apple Mac is to use anti-virus software. What an anti-virus software does is scan deep into your mac’s files and flag up any potential issues. When scanning it will check your browsers, emails, files, applications and other areas of your laptop. If anything is to appear, it will present more information on the intrusion and give you the option to remove it. When searching for anti-virus software, browse the app store and order by star rating. Before installing, make sure you check out the reviews as this comes from real-life users.
Delete suspicious browser extensions
As mentioned above, malware can take shape in many ways, from your applications to your browser extensions. If you suspect you have malware on your Mac, take a moment to look over your browser extensions. Delete any extensions which you don’t use anymore – clearing up space – as well as any extensions that you don’t recognise. Make sure that any extensions you do have are from a recognisable source that is trustworthy.
Remove malware manually
If you don’t want to remove malware using anti-virus software and removing your extensions doesn’t work, you could choose to do it manually. Doing it manually involves more skill and good knowledge of how malware affects your Apple Mac. If you want to go down this route, we recommended doing plenty of research in order to be sure you can do it successfully. If you try to remove malware from your mac manually and it goes wrong, you could potentially damage your Mac permanently.
The above are three ways to remove malware from your Apple Mac. Choose one of the methods above and give it a try, if it doesn’t work for you, try another. What methods do you use to remove malware from your Apple Mac? Are there any methods that we haven’t included that you think should be? Is there any information that you would like to share that would benefit our readers? Let us know in the comment box below.
