Access this screen from: …
…
Scanning your Mac with Avast Security; How do I schedule a scan? To schedule a Targeted Scan, Deep Scan, or Mac Scan to run regularly and automatically: Click Open Now on the Custom Scans tile. Click New Custom Scan. Type a name for your scan in the Scan Name text box. Click the drop-down menu and select a Type of Scan. You can choose from. Smart Scan is a quick scan that checks the most vulnerable areas of your Mac for malware. Click Run Smart Scan on the main Avast Security screen, or on the Scan Central screen to start scanning your Mac. To modify Smart Scan settings, click the Settings icon on the Scan Central screen, then select or deselect your preferred areas to scan. Report potentially unwanted programs (selected by default). Our free Mac antivirus protects on 3 fronts. Malware isn’t the only threat to your Mac. Malicious websites and vulnerable Wi-Fi networks can also jeopardize your safety. Avast Security provides essential free protection against all 3 threats, and our new Premium version goes the extra mile to expose Wi-Fi intruders and stop ransomware.
The Scan Central screen provides a range of scans to protect your Mac from malware. To run a scan, click Scan Now on the appropriate tile. You can stop scanning at any time by clicking Cancel. To adjust settings for each scan, click the Preferences icon on the Scan Central screen.
Note: Although customizable settings are available for each scan, we recommend you only modify settings for Custom Scan.
Smart Scan is a quick scan that checks the most vulnerable areas of your Mac for malware. Click Run Smart Scan on the main Avast Security screen, or on the Scan Central screen to start scanning your Mac. To modify Smart Scan settings, click the Preferences icon on the Scan Central screen, then select or deselect your preferred areas to scan:
- Report potentially unwanted programs (selected by default)
- Scan whole files
- Scan all Time Machine backups
- Scan archives
If you have files or folders that you do not want to scan with Smart Scan, click Add Exceptions to set an exclusion.
Deep Scan is an in-depth scan of your system that checks your storage drives and memory for malware. This scan may take several minutes or more depending on the number of files and the performance of your system. Click Scan Now on the Deep Scan tile to start scanning. To modify Deep Scan settings, click the Preferences icon on the Scan Central screen, then select or deselect your preferred areas to scan:
- Report potentially unwanted programs (PUP) (selected by default)
- Scan whole files
- Scan external drives
- Scan mounted network volumes
- Scan all Time Machine backups
- Scan archives (selected by default)
If you have files or folders that you do not want to scan with Deep Scan, click Add Exceptions to set an exclusion.
Targeted Scan allows you to scan specific files or folders on your Mac. Click Scan Now on the Targeted Scan tile, then select the files or folders you want to scan, and click Open to start scanning. To modify Targeted Scan settings, click the Preferences icon on the Scan Central screen, then select or deselect your preferred areas to scan:
- Report potentially unwanted programs (PUP) (selected by default)
- Scan whole files
- Scan all Time Machine backups
- Scan archives (selected by default)
If you have files or folders that you do not want to scan with Targeted Scan, click Add Exceptions to set an exclusion.
USB/DVD Scan allows you to scan any removable storage devices that are currently connected to your Mac. For example, external hard drives, USB flash drives, CDs, and DVDs. To start scanning, click Scan Now on the USB/DVD Scan tile, then select a storage device, and click Start. To modify USB/DVD Scan settings, click the Preferences icon on the Scan Central Screen, then select or deselect your preferred areas to scan:
- Report potentially unwanted programs (PUP) (selected by default)
- Scan whole files
- Scan all Time Machine backups
- Scan archives (selected by default)
If you have files or folders that you do not want to scan with USB/DVD Scan, click Add Exceptions to set an exclusion.
Custom scan allows you to create and schedule your own scans to run regularly and automatically. Click Open Now on the Custom Scan tile, then click New Custom Scan to start creating your own scans. Specify the scan type, frequency, day, and start time for your custom scan. In the Advanced Settings section, select your preferred areas to scan:
- Report potentially unwanted programs (PUP)
- Scan whole files
- Scan external drives
- Scan mounted network volumes
- Scan all Time Machine backups
- Scan archives
- Scan when on batteries
- Wakeup your Mac for Scan
If you have files or folders that you do not want to scan with Custom Scan, click Add Exceptions to set an exclusion.
To schedule a Targeted Scan, Deep Scan, or Smart Scan to run regularly and automatically:
- Click Open Now on the Custom Scans tile.
- Click New Custom Scan.
- Type a name for your scan in the Scan Name text box.
- Click the drop-down menu and select a Type of Scan. You can choose from: Targeted Scan, Deep Scan, or Smart Scan.
- Click the drop-down menu and select a Frequency for how often your scan will run. You can choose from: Once, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
- Click the up or down arrows to change the date/day when your scan will run. (Note: This option is not available if you select Daily as the Frequency).
- Click the up or down arrows to change the Start Time when your scan will run.
- Optionally, adjust the Advanced settings to include (tick) or exclude (untick) items from your scan.
- Optionally, click Add Exceptions to exclude files or folders from your scan. Navigate to the relevant file or folder, then click Open.
- Click Save to confirm the settings for your scheduled scan.
Your scan will run according to the schedule you specified and appears in the Custom Scans list. To edit or delete the scan, hover your cursor over the scan details, and click
…
(three dots), then select Edit scan or Remove scan.After running any predefined scan or custom scan, information about any detections are displayed on the screen. Select a detection, then click Resolve to move the file to the Virus Chest.
We design Mac hardware and software with advanced technologies that work together to run apps more securely, protect your data, and help keep you safe on the web. And with macOS Catalina available as a free upgrade, it’s easy to get the most secure version of macOS for your Mac.*
Apple T2 chip.
The next generation of security.
The Apple T2 Security Chip — included with many newer Mac models — keeps your Mac safer than ever. The Secure Enclave coprocessor in the Apple T2 chip provides the foundation for Touch ID, secure boot, and encrypted storage capabilities. Touch ID gives you a seamless way to use your fingerprint to unlock your Mac, fill passwords in Safari, and make purchases with Apple Pay. Secure boot helps ensure that you are running trusted operating system software from Apple, while the Apple T2 chip automatically encrypts the data on your Mac. So you can be confident knowing that security has been designed right into the architecture of your Mac, from the ground up.
Apple helps you keep your Mac secure with software updates.
The best way to keep your Mac secure is to run the latest software. When new updates are available, macOS sends you a notification — or you can opt in to have updates installed automatically when your Mac is not in use. macOS checks for new updates every day, so it’s easy to always have the latest and safest version.
Protection starts at the core.
The technically sophisticated runtime protections in macOS work at the very core of your Mac to keep your system safe from malware. This starts with state-of-the-art antivirus software built in to block and remove malware. Technologies like XD (execute disable), ASLR (address space layout randomization), and SIP (system integrity protection) make it difficult for malware to do harm, and they ensure that processes with root permission cannot change critical system files.
Download apps safely from the Mac App Store. And the internet.
Now apps from both the App Store and the internet can be installed worry-free. App Review makes sure each app in the App Store is reviewed before it’s accepted. Gatekeeper on your Mac ensures that all apps from the internet have already been checked by Apple for known malicious code — before you run them the first time. If there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly stop new installations and even block the app from launching again.
Stay in control of what data apps can access.
Apps need your permission to access files in your Documents, Downloads, and Desktop folders as well as in iCloud Drive and external volumes. And you’ll be prompted before any app can access the camera or mic, capture keyboard activity, or take a photo or video of your screen.
FileVault 2 encrypts your data.
With FileVault 2, your data is safe and secure — even if your Mac falls into the wrong hands. FileVault 2 encrypts the entire drive on your Mac, protecting your data with XTS-AES 128 encryption. And on Mac systems with an Apple T2 Security Chip, FileVault 2 keys are created and protected by the Secure Enclave for even more security.
Security Scan For Macbook Air
Designed to protect your privacy.
The most secure browser for your Mac is the one that comes with your Mac. Built-in privacy features in Safari, like Intelligent Tracking Prevention, help keep your browsing your business. Automatic strong passwords make it easy to create and use unique passwords for all the sites you visit. And iCloud Keychain syncs those passwords securely across all your devices, so you don’t have to remember them. You can also easily find and upgrade any weak passwords you’ve previously used (and reused and reused and reused).
Automatic protections from harmful sites.
Safari also helps safeguard you against fraudulent websites and those that harbor malware — before you visit them. If a website seems suspicious, Safari prevents it from loading and notifies you. And when connecting to unencrypted sites, Safari will warn you. So everything you need to browse without worry is right at your fingertips.
Find your missing Mac with Find My.
The Find My app combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into a single, easy-to-use app on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Find My can help you locate a missing Mac — even if it’s offline or sleeping — by sending out Bluetooth signals that can be detected by nearby Apple devices. These devices then relay the detected location of your Mac to iCloud so you can locate it in the Find My app. It’s all anonymous and encrypted end-to-end so no one — including Apple — knows the identity of any reporting device or the location of your Mac. And it all happens silently using tiny bits of data that piggyback on existing network traffic. So there’s no need to worry about your battery life, your data usage, or your privacy being compromised.
Keep your Mac safe.
Even if it’s in the wrong hands.
All Mac models with the Apple T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock — just like your iPhone or iPad. So if your Mac is ever misplaced or lost, the only person who can erase and reactivate it is you.