If you’re concerned about maintaing the most secure Mac possible—or perhaps you live or work on both Windows and Mac OS—BitDefender would like to talk to you. A longtime provider of security products for windows, BitDefender now offers two antivirus products for Mac users looking to batten down the digital hatches.
BitDefender’s Antivirus for Mac and Antivirus for Mac and PC mark the company’s first foray into virus-stomping solutions for Apple computers.
As the product names suggest, the first is designed solely for Mac users, while the second is for those who frequently boot into Windows via Boot Camp or virtualization apps like Parallels and VMware Fusion. They both follow an industry standard client-plus-subscription model, with Antivirus for Mac costing $40 for the app and the first year’s virus subscription updates. Antivirus for Mac and PC goes for $50 with the first year included, and extra years can be purchased for nominal fees.
BitDefender cites an increase in malware targeting Mac vulnerabilities as its reason for jumping into the market. While that may not strictly be true—the number of Mac-related exploits in the wild remains small—there are certainly reasons for Mac users to be vigilant. Last month at the annual Pwn2Own hacker conference, for example, Safari and other popular browsers were easily exploited by security experts.
BitDefender’s Mac clients support Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger through 10.6 Snow Leopard. The Mac and PC client supports Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. 30-day trials are available for both packages.