Where do I get antivirus for my new ipad?
Q I’ve bought an ipad and nowhere can I find any antivirus security for it. I buy goods online, do financial stuff, emails and surf the web, visiting all sorts of websites. I’ve always had Windows computers with Norton, Mcafee or Kaspersky protection, but I cannot find any of these to protect me on this system. Apple was completely useless: they could not or perhaps would not help me. Anything you can suggest will be appreciated. Jack Dedicoat
A We’ve covered this before in Problems Solved but it is a question that comes up repeatedly, so we’re happy to recap. The bottom line is that the way IOS – the operating system that runs on your ipad – works means that traditional antivirus software is unnecessary. All apps are forced to run in the tight confines of a ‘ sandbox’, which means it’s effectively impossible for them to get to the core of IOS: they’re unable to do anything outside the sandbox.
At least in theory the inner workings of IOS itself might one day be hacked, but only Apple could (and would) do anything about that. Apple does not allow any third-party software access to the operating system’s core, which is why antivirus software does not exist for IOS (and also why IOS is largely resilient to virus attacks).
For online peace of mind, check that Safari’s privacy and security features are set as you wish (see screenshot). Launch your ipad’s Settings app, then tap Safari and check all the switches under the ‘Privacy & Security’ heading. You should switch most on.