Removing malicious software from a Mac
A red window announces that your Mac is infected and urges you to call a number. Do not click anything: in almost every case, that window is itself the problem.
What is actually going on
Genuinely destructive viruses are rare on the Mac. What circulates is unwanted software: browser extensions that hijack searches, adverts that open by themselves, fake antivirus demanding a subscription, and occasionally a remote-control tool installed during a call from “technical support”.
That last case is the only truly serious one, because it gives real access to your machine. If you installed something during an unexpected phone call, tell us: we treat that as a priority.
What we do
- Scan the machineWith recognised tools, to separate what is harmful from what is merely useless.
- Remove it completelyExtensions, configuration profiles, login items: this software hides in several places, and we go round them all.
- Uninstall dubious antivirus softwareWe remove it more often than we install it: much of it slows a Mac more than it protects it.
- Check what may have been seenAfter remote access you did not choose, we review the accounts, change what must be changed and tell you what to watch.
Before we arrive
What helps
- Note exactly what the window says, or photograph it, before closing it.
- Disconnect the Wi-Fi if someone took control of your screen during a call, then ring us.
What is better avoided
- Calling the number shown in the alert: that is the heart of the scam.
- Paying a “security subscription” demanded by a pop-up window.
Your questions
Do I need antivirus software on a Mac?
Rarely. Care and an up-to-date system protect better than most products sold for the purpose. We will tell you frankly if your use is an exception.
Could my passwords have been stolen?
It is possible after remote access. We go through the sensitive accounts with you and change what needs changing, in the right order.
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