Airo antivirus
Can this new Mac–only security product make waves?
From $49.99/year (one Mac) From Airo AV, airoav.com
Needs OS X 10.11 or later
Airo is the latest entry into the Mac security market, and what sets it apart is the fact this isn’t a Windows specialist extending into new territory, but an anti–malware tool designed from the ground up for Mac users. You get real– time protection and scanning capabilities, plus a browser add–on (Safari and Chrome only) to help block web–based threats such as dangerous websites and phishing scams. But that’s it — for now.
Thankfully, the anti–virus protection is comprehensive. Don’t be fooled by Airo’s sleek, unobtrusive presence — a single menu bar icon and system footprint that’s practically invisible — everything you expect from a rock–solid anti-virus tool is here, including two AV engines. Airo pairs its own engine that exclusively targets Mac threats with Bitdefender’s, the latter designed to catch Windows malware waiting to trick its way on to a PC.
Airo’s detection rates are up there with the best. It has a perfect AV–Test rating, and its real-time protection intercepted all the malware samples we threw at it. It immediately quarantined and nullified each threat, but we needed a follow-up scan to root out leftover files, which highlighted our first criticism: The full scan takes a lot longer than its rivals.
Those looking for a detailed description of the threats Airo has caught will also be disappointed. If you’re lucky it’ll be properly named and assigned one of seven categories, from “Adware” to “Suspicious,” but it’s just as likely to be vaguely labelled “Malware: Generic.” Airo says the lack of detail is to keep things simple for the user, but we prefer Bitdefender’s more verbose alerts.
Airo’s browser add-on is also disappointing, failing to spot any of the phishing sites we fed it via phishtank. com. One final gripe is the price: It’s a lot more expensive than its rivals, many of whom also sport perfect AV-Test ratings.
More features are promised: Protection for your iPhone is due in June and a firewall in September. But based on the current features, there’s no rush to switch from your existing protection just yet.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Mac–specific malware protection but doesn’t offer enough to justify its price. NICK PEERS