Today, there are more than 300 Mac spyware, malware and viruses spread around the Internet. A simple mistake and a problematic website taken from the list of results after a web search can be fatal for your security. Apple products are no longer virus proof, whether you consider the OS X or iOS systems. Any of the Apple devices can be easily infected if you don’t take the proper security measures. The worst part is when it happens without you even knowing it.

Biggest potential threats to Mac users

Mac users must be cautious of attacks made through emails and web browsing. You need to understand that hackers are just out there and they will phish out information, especially your personal and financial information. If you have received an unknown mail that is asking for your personal and financial details, then most likely it is phishing. Hackers can also do this through web browsing. So you should be a responsible and intelligent Mac user.

One of the most important problems a Mac user experiences is his own naivety and innocence. Most Apple users think they are safe without installing any virus scanning and protection software, and only with the regular updates from Apple. There is a very high level of complacency in such users regarding the security.

Any Windows user knows about the necessity of an antivirus. On the other hand, many Mac users think they are safe anyway, so they don’t even take this option into consideration. They don’t even bother to find out more about it and learn how to protect themselves. This is one of the worst things you can do. It is true that you don’t have too much to worry about, but you still take some risks and when a malware or malicious script hits you, you will definitely reconsider this idea. You are exposed to less problematic situations indeed, but how do you know you are 100% safe?

So, why Windows has more viruses compared to OS X?

Most hackers concentrate their attention on Windows users due to the amazing popularity of this operating system, but with Apple gaining more and more popularity, it is only a matter of time until your problems tend to become severe.

On the other hand, the fake illusion of security can turn you into a real target. Most Apple users automatically assume that they are immune to any problematic attacks over the Internet. This aspect turns the OS X systems (whether it’s Macbook, Mac Mini etc.) into a very soft target. Hacking into an Apple system is hard, but definitely worth. At some moment, hackers will have to decide whether they want to go for quantity – Windows users – or for quality – OS X users.

With more than a million worms or viruses created for Windows and new scripts showing up on a regular basis, the system infection risks are not as high as they used to be a decade ago. Today, Windows users are more educated than ever, so they know that an antivirus is one of the first programs they must install. Whether they get a free one or the most expensive software, they can easily empower their safety. From this point of view, the new Mac users are often seen as the new Windows users, but a decade ago. So the best advice is to be prepared by securing your computers.

For years now, Avira Antivirus is a free and reliable anti-virus software that is available for Windows, Linux and Mac users.

Brian contributed this article. You could find his other articles on Antivirus for Mac about different Mac antivirus products and security tools.