{"id":4771,"date":"2021-10-28T15:15:30","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T12:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/?p=4771"},"modified":"2026-01-08T17:54:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:54:40","slug":"the-top-5-data-security-tools-for-macs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/the-top-5-data-security-tools-for-macs\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Data\u00a0Security Tools\u00a0for Macs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Macs are increasingly used in enterprise environments, but their perceived security can lead to underprotection. While macOS includes built-in defenses, Macs remain vulnerable to phishing, malware, insider threats, and data loss. Effective protection requires layered security, including antivirus and antimalware tools, encryption, backups, and Data Loss Prevention. Solutions like Netwrix Endpoint Protector help secure sensitive data on Macs by controlling data movement, devices, and user behavior.<\/em><\/p>\n

The adoption rate of\u00a0Mac computers\u00a0in the enterprise has steadily increased<\/a> over the last decade as companies began introducing choose-your-own-device (CYOD) and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies. According to a recent\u00a0JAMF survey<\/a>, when given the choice, 72% of employees choose Macs over PCs. Due to its Unix-based architecture, macOS is generally considered to be a more secure alternative to Windows that, as the predominant operating system in the workplace, is the favourite target of hackers everywhere.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s certainly true that\u00a0Macs face fewer\u00a0cyberattacks\u00a0than their\u00a0Windows-running counterparts, the myth<\/a> of their invulnerability makes companies less worried about their protection and in consequence, they invest less or no money at all into their security.<\/p>\n

However, as popular tools in managerial circles, Macs have become increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals. Infiltration methods such as\u00a0phishing do not rely so much on breaking into an OS through\u00a0vulnerabilities\u00a0as much as on the ignorance of users accessing infected attachments or\u00a0malicious websites. Without the proper\u00a0security tools\u00a0in place to protect Macs in\u00a0real-time, these attacks can go undetected, potentially causing long term damage to companies\u2019 data security.<\/p>\n

It is therefore essential for Macs to be protected from data breaches. Their security should no longer be ignored because of macOS\u2019 structural soundness. Here are our top five suggestions for tools that can help Mac\u2019s security in the workplace:<\/p>\n

1. Antivirus<\/h2>\n

Apple added its own proprietary antivirus software, XProtect, to all Macs in 2009. XProtect which is automatically turned on uses a database of known threats that Apple updates regularly, to scan all applications and files for viruses and malware. If it detects a malware, users will get a notification and the download will be blocked.<\/p>\n

XProtect\u00a0works in conjunction with\u00a0Gatekeeper, another\u00a0macOS\u00a0built-in solution that ensures that only applications or software that are digitally signed by an identified\u00a0mac app store\u00a0developer and have a certificate issued by\u00a0Apple, can run on a Mac. Additional tools like Execute Disable (XD), Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), and System Integrity Protection (SIP) run in the background to prevent viruses from accessing critical files.\u00a0macOS\u00a0also has a\u00a0firewall\u00a0that can be used to monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic. This however must be enabled and configured manually.<\/p>\n

While all these functionalities give Macs a sturdy first line of defence against the most well-known outsider threats, Apple is not a dedicated cybersecurity company. Its threat databases do not identify as many types of potential malware and viruses as third-party Mac antivirus solutions nor can they respond to new threats as quickly as companies specializing in security software. These gaps in Apple’s library and response times can often leave users exposed.<\/p>\n

Most of the big players in the\u00a0antivirus\u00a0industry including\u00a0BitDefender,\u00a0Norton\u00a0and\u00a0Avast\u00a0offer Mac versions of their solutions. Many of them also have 30-day free trial options and a few even offer\u00a0free versions. When choosing an\u00a0antivirus\u00a0for\u00a0Mac computers, companies should consider the impact it has on a machine\u2019s speed as well as the types of threats it protects against.<\/p>\n

2. Antimalware<\/h2>\n

In theory,\u00a0macOS\u2019s\u00a0XProtect\u00a0should block\u00a0malware\u00a0installations and the\u00a0Mac\u00a0Malware\u00a0Removal Tool should catch anything that might have sneaked past\u00a0XProtect\u00a0and remove any dangerous files it finds. That being said, in its\u00a0State of\u00a0Malware\u00a0Report 2021<\/a>,\u00a0Malwarebytes\u00a0reported an increase of 61% of\u00a0malware\u00a0detections\u00a0in Macs in 2020 compared to 2019. This is in line with trends observed by other security specialists:\u00a0antivirus\u00a0company\u00a0Kaspersky found<\/a>\u00a0that 10% of all the Macs it monitored in 2019 were infected by the Shlayer\u00a0Trojan, an ordinary type of\u00a0malware\u00a0that tricks users into installing\u00a0adware.<\/p>\n

Antimalware\u00a0tools are therefore becoming more a necessity rather than a choice for\u00a0Mac users. Many\u00a0antiviruses\u00a0also offer\u00a0malware\u00a0protection, but when it comes to fighting malicious threats, an all-in-one security suite\u00a0might not be the best strategy. To quote the old adage: jack of all trades, master of none. It is therefore recommended that besides an\u00a0antivirus, companies also consider an\u00a0antimalware\u00a0solution.<\/p>\n

3. Data Loss Prevention<\/h2>\n

Data is not only vulnerable to outside threats, but also to\u00a0the malicious intentions\u00a0<\/a>and the negligence of insiders. While there are several built-in Mac features that protect against certain types of data breaches such as\u00a0FileVault\u00a0and Open Firmware Password Protection, these offer no protection when the users themselves are the perpetrators.<\/p>\n

This is where Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions for Macs, such as\u00a0Endpoint Protector<\/a>, come into play. Through predefined policies, DLP technology identifies, monitors and controls the movements of sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII), intellectual property(IP) or data protected under data protection regulations such as\u00a0GDPR<\/a>,\u00a0HIPAA<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0PCI DSS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DLP solutions prevent sensitive data from being transferred<\/a> via insecure channels such as personal emails, messaging apps, file sharing and cloud services and more. They can also scan hard drives for sensitive information and delete or encrypt it when it is found on unauthorized users\u2019 computers.<\/p>\n

Through device control features, DLP tools can block the use of peripheral and USB ports as well as Bluetooth connection or limit their use to trusted devices. By using DLP solutions\u2019 monitoring capabilities, companies can also discover bad security practices among employees that would need to be addressed in training or employees engaging in\u00a0data exfiltration<\/a>. You can read more about how to choose the best DLP solution for Macs\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Encryption<\/h2>\n

Encryption has long been hailed as a sound way to protect data in case of device loss or theft. FileVault, a native macOS tool, already allows Mac users to encrypt their hard drives. While it can be a daunting task in the beginning, once FileVault is active and the first drive encryption is completed, it will continue to encrypt new data and ensure that no one without a key can access it. \u00a0The Apple File System (APFS) also brought integrated, granular encryption both at the file level and for entire volumes to Macs.<\/p>\n

While this takes care of local hard drives, there is also the matter of file transfers to USBs. A specialized DLP tool like Endpoint Protector can help here too. With its\u00a0Enforced Encryption feature<\/a>, it can automatically encrypt any sensitive files when they are transferred onto USBs and ensure no one without an encryption key has access to them.<\/p>\n

5. Backup<\/h2>\n

macOS\u00a0does not naturally offer\u00a0ransomware\u00a0protection. However, an easy way to fight\u00a0ransomware\u00a0is to not play into the hands of cybercriminals by keeping data vulnerable or stored only on local hard drives.\u00a0macOS\u00a0already has a built-in backup tool, Time Machine, that can be set to run automatically in the background to continuously save copies of files, applications and system files to an external or secondary drive. However, these backups are unencrypted even if\u00a0FileVault\u00a0is enabled. They must therefore be encrypted separately.<\/p>\n

The latest Macbooks also allow users to back up their data in the iCloud, but this can be problematic in an enterprise setting. Companies run the risk of confidential company data being synced into their employees\u2019 iCloud accounts. It is, therefore, better for the iCloud backup option to be disabled.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0Apple\u00a0strives to offer as many security features as possible natively within\u00a0macOS, it does not have designated tools to fight human error. With\u00a0hackers\u00a0growing increasingly clever and greedy and the number of Macs in working environments continuing to rise, companies no longer have the luxury of relying on Macs\u2019 perceived invulnerability, but must take steps to protect their data.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Macs are increasingly used in enterprise environments, but their perceived security can lead to underprotection. While macOS includes built-in defenses, Macs remain vulnerable to phishing, malware, insider threats, and data loss. Effective protection requires layered security, including antivirus and antimalware tools, encryption, backups, and Data Loss Prevention. Solutions like Netwrix Endpoint Protector help secure sensitive … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Top 5 Data\u00a0Security Tools\u00a0for Macs”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[226],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-security","entry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4771"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8200,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4771\/revisions\/8200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}