I was recently visiting my parents when I get the dreaded question : I think my Mac has a virus but I mean Macs did n’t get virus ? They were apparently a little interested and somewhat embarrassed that they could have allowed something to happen to their Mac .

First off : yes , your Mac can get a virus , though it is still somewhat rare . After all , there are far fewer viruses in the wild to lash out macOS than Windows , and direction more PC than Macs in the globe . But there are Mac attacks in the wild and many of them grow within a entanglement web internet browser .

There are quite a little of ways to scan your Mac for viruses and protect it from incoming attacks . Apple even has its own built - in antivirus technical school squall XProtect that constantly run down for known malware . But even with all that protection , things can get through .

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In the Safari settings, you can turn individual website notifications on and off.

Still , if you ’re getting substance popping up on your Mac warning you about a vital computer virus with scary emoji , it ’s in all probability not a virus . There ’s a good probability it ’s just anapplication notificationmasquerading as a critical scheme alert .

In the Safari circumstance , you’re able to turn individual internet site notifications on and off .

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Safari Website notification settings

In the Safari settings, you can turn individual website notifications on and off.

gratefully there ’s an easy fix — head over to theWebsitestab in the SafariSettingsin the menu bar and deny permission for the site to send alerts under theNotificationstab — but had they clicked the alert , there might not have been . The truth is , these alerting are n’t just designed to annoy , they ’re hoping to befool you into get across the wrong affair or signing into the amiss box and giving entree to your account or computer .

Apple also has a malware tracker build up into macOS calledXProtectand is constantly updating the OS to patch any have it off exposure . To limit any further equipment casualty , you candownload an antivirus app , which will protect you from unknowingly installing something malicious and help oneself you get rid of it if something catch through . But for everything else , just check your Safari notifications first .