For many years, the users of Apple products have believed that they are largely immune to the types of virus attacks that Windows users are subject to. Recently, it has become apparent that this is no longer the case. According to an article in the NY Times from April of 2022, one half million Macintosh computers were infected with a virus. More details here https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/veepn-free-fast-security-vpn/ This virus, like many viruses that affect the Windows operating system, did not have to be deliberately downloaded or installed by the user.

A survey highlighted in an article published by VPN provider revealed that only half of MacBook users have any sort of antivirus protection installed on their devices. Compare this to Windows users polled in the same survey. According to the results, 84 percent of laptop users who are running the Windows platform have antivirus software installed on their computers.

At the same time that Macintosh users have had to develop an increased awareness of viral threats, Google has recently agreed to pay a settlement for deliberately bypassing the security settings on the Safari browser used on Macintosh devices. This reveals that, not only are viruses and other types of malware threats to Macintosh users as much as they are to Windows users, but that security settings can also be bypassed, even by companies that are normally quite trusted.

Given the fact that Macintosh computers have already been established as being vulnerable to infections by viruses, it’s imperative to make certain that you have some sort of antivirus software running on yours. At this point, there’s no reason to assume that your computer is any more secure than a Windows computer. Even if it is more secure against viruses, computers can obviously be hacked to get by security restrictions specifically chosen by the user.

VPN service is another option for Macintosh and Apple device users. On devices such as the iPad, the VPN settings are accessed directly through the general settings for the device itself and consist of nothing more complex than setting up the server and toggling a switch to the “on” position to activate the VPN connection. Many VPN providers also offer apps that are specifically designed to work with mobile devices, including those produced by Apple. No computer is completely secure from virus attacks or attacks by hackers. If you’ve been operating under the illusion that you’re safe because you’re on a Macintosh computer, it’s time to rethink that logic.