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Intego Mac Internet Security X9 Review
| Reviewer: | Stephen Qualtrough |
| Developer: | Intego |
| Ranked: | 2nd |
| Overall rating: | |
| Price: | $39.95 |
| Purchase: |
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Review summary
Good points
Excellent, effective malware protection
Low impact on system performance
Mac-specialist company
Bad points
No web scanner
Scored less well on Windows malware protection
Our verdict
Intego Mac Internet Security X9 has all the features you need for robust, efficient Mac protection. This effective anti-virus program earns points for its minimal impact on system performance, excellent malware scores, and easy-to-use interface.
Full review
Most Mac anti-virus solutions are offered as an add-on to a company’s PC specialism. Not Intego – this company focuses entirely on Mac security and built its brand serving Macs since its founding in France in 1997. With this you get a definite focus on Mac-owners’ needs. The company now has a head office in Seattle and a European branch in Paris, and offers a premium Mac protection product.
Protection
Intego Mac Internet Security X9 is made up of two parts – the VirusBarrier scanner and the NetBarrier firewall. VirusBarrier scans for the latest threats and also detects Windows malware. This is reliable, robust protection for your machine that works 24/7 – both on-access and on-demand scans help keep spyware, worms, scareware, and viruses at bay. Applications are also analyzed to check if they have malware characteristics. Intego scans for viruses in popular email applications. The one gap in Intego's offering is the lack of a web scanner alerting you to websites that steal your details.
Effectiveness
[Awaiting copy.]
Scans & updates
When you run anti-virus protection on your Mac you need a speedy, effective service that works in the background while you continue to work or surf. The Intego on-demand full-scan is for maximum protection of your Mac but you can also choose a quicker, less intrusive scan for day-to-day checks. You can schedule scans any time of the day or night, and the on-access scan is activated when files or applications are accessed. This is an automatic check for the latest updates so you can be sure you are protected. You can speed up a scan by marking certain folders as "trusted".
Features
Intego scans iOS devices whenever you plug them in, as well as external drives. This anti-virus protection has a firewall – NetBarrier - but we heard mixed reviews. On the AV Comparatives test, the researchers found it “very intrusive sometimes” with the potential for confusing people with no technical knowledge. We don’t think this feature is the easiest to use and other products give you are clearer control panel. There is no parental control feature. Other Intego products are available that offer parental control and a Mac cleaning app but the price tag rises for these bundles.
Ease of use
Simple to download and easy to use. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 has a clear, streamlined interface that makes it easy to see how your system is being protected. You can also use the control panels to make changes to the level of the scan, and to set up your scheduled scans.
Help & support
Intego doesn’t provide the same attention to your needs as competitors. There's a Knowledge Base with common questions, and a set of articles to look through. You can submit a ticket for email help but there is no phone line or live chat. We think this is something that could be done better.
Overall
If you’re looking for something simple to use that also provides rock-solid Mac malware protection, you can’t go wrong with Intego X9. The impact on your system is slightly more than competitors like BitDefender, but you shouldn’t notice too much of a slow-down. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 is a good choice for all-round security.
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