ClamXav is a free virus scanner for the Mac that uses the ClamAv engine. Macs have been relatively safe from viruses and other threats for a long time. However, since Macs are becoming more and more popular every day, the platform also becomes a target for malicious content. ClamXav is an application that can be used to scan files and folders on your Mac for known types of viruses and to prevent them from ever entering your Mac. If a virus is found, ClamXav can probably take care of the problem for you as well.
There are two different versions of ClamXav. One you can download from their website and the other one is distributed via the Mac App Store. The most important difference between these two versions is that the one downloaded from the Mac App Store doesn't come with the Sentry feature, which actively scans your Mac for new files and threats. So, if it is all the same to you, I would recommend that you install the app from the download link below (which links to the developer's website).
When you run ClamXav for the first time, you will have to download new virus definitions. This may take a while but it is recommended. New definitions are said to be released almost daily.
From the main application window, you can start a system scan and check the logs for past scans. You can also access the Preferences and set a list of locations on your Mac that you want to scan regularly, for easier access.
Comments (3)
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It also needs to be manually configured to protect the specific parts of your Mac you want shielded and newbies would find this difficult to set up correctly for maximum protection. And even if this was done correctly, it would only provide very poor protection against Mac Malware.