I am surprised by the fact that there are hardly any reviews about high-quality antivirus programs for the Macintosh, even though only 5% to 10% of global users have personal computers that run on this operating system.
However, even that 5% to 10% is quite a lot, particularly when one considers the number of global PC users.
Keeping this in mind, I have decided to write this Sophos antivirus for Mac review. Anybody using computers knows pretty well about the popularity of Sophos and considers its antivirus software among the leaders in the field.
Is Sophos A Good Antivirus for Mac?
This Sophos Mac review will also go a long way in addressing the queries of individuals who have doubts about this program.
After you read this review in-depth, you will find it easier to recommend this antivirus program to others as solid protection for the Macintosh; thereby helping to answer the question “Is Sophos good for Mac?” Read on to know more.
Free Download and Trial
You do not have to believe those naysayers to discover the power of Sophos, as the developers offer you the option to pay no money for Sophos antivirus Mac download.
Be ready for a surprise, as you can start your trial of this software without the need for a credit card. You only have to fill up their online form with your name, email address, and password to create an account with Sophos.
Once completed, you will receive a Sophos Mac download link on the email ID you provided. Click on that link to initiate the download process. Once downloaded, click on the installer to install Sophos Mac.
There is no need for you to worry if you do not purchase their program within this period, as the software reverts to the free version at the end of the trial period. We shall discuss the differences between the free and premium versions later in this Sophos for Mac review.
I would like to point out at this juncture that no other antivirus developer offers a premium version of their program for free. Sophos can do so because they are confident about the capability of their program.
Statistics reveal that more than 95% of people who opted for the free trial of Sophos for Mac, ended up purchasing it within a week, rather than waiting for the trial offer to end.
No doubt, some other vendors, too, offer free versions of their antivirus programs.
However, most of them pale in comparison to the Sophos anti-virus for Mac home edition, as this program is rich with bonus features that you will not find in any other antivirus program for the Macintosh.
Amazing Features
The remote management feature from the home page of the vendor allows you to check your computer plus nine others linked to your account.
This is an awesome feature when you want to manually perform certain tasks such as scanning your other Macintoshes when you are not at home.
Manage Security Remotely
You have to log into your account on the website of Sophos using the email and password you used to register yourself before gaining access to the program.
Before I proceed further, let me point out that Sophos' anti-virus for Mac is much more than a vanilla antivirus tool. It contains all the goodies you would expect from a top-grade antimalware tool.
Parental Control
The Sophos home edition Mac also contains powerful parental controls. Only two other antivirus programs for the Macintosh contain this feature; however, those programs do not have many other powerful modules and features for the Mac like Sophos has.
The extremely powerful and useful parental control of Sophos virus protection for Mac, apart from keeping track of every attempt from a linked Mac to an unapproved site, allows you, the administrator, to block individual linked computers from visiting entire categories of websites.
This awesome tool ensures that your kids or employees cannot visit sites you do not want them to.
You can also tweak the controls to allow unrestricted browsing on the connected Macintoshes… the difference being that that computer will note and inform you about the user's attempt to log on to a restricted site.
This alone acts as a deterrent and prohibits others from visiting sites that they should not.
No Bundled Plugins?
Unlike the competitors, Sophos does not pack browser plugins that flag potentially dangerous sites. However, you can download these plugins for free from antivirus manufacturers such as Kaspersky, Bitdefender, and Avast.
What Sophos will do is it will alert you that the website you are about to visit is dangerous. It will protect you from these sites that inject viruses through the browser.
Thus, you cannot ‘accidentally' visit malicious websites with this program.
Uses Fewer System Resources
I was very impressed with the low resource usage by the Sophos for Mac home while writing this review. I had previously tried some other antivirus programs in the past, and all of them ate a lot into my computer's resources and slowed it down significantly.
This was not the case with Sophos. Most users will not notice any difference in speed after installing Sophos.
The Interface
The interface windows of Sophos AV Mac allow you to check the status of your PC and permit you to perform scans on demand. However, the actual fun lies in the vendor's web interface.
The interface on the installed computer has an “exception” button. On the one hand, clicking on it displays the exemptions you have set for files, applications, and websites.
On the other hand, you can visit the web interface or the cloud interface by clicking on the “Home Dashboard” on the main screen.
This permits you to conduct remote scans, set up exceptions, alter scanning preferences, and configure parental controls.
As you receive information about sites visited through the other computers, users of the same will be in for a shock when they next try to access a website that you have just blocked.
Many of you, reading this Sophos Home for Mac review, might be seeking additional protection for your business.
I would strongly suggest that you opt for this as it also includes the Sophos Endpoint Protection Mac, which offers all the features of the antivirus along with many advanced features such as malware protection, exploit protection, and more… ideal for small businesses and enterprises.
In short, this is simply why the company has coined its software as one with ‘Business-grade cybersecurity' that is ‘Now available for home users'.
I would like to point out in this Sophos antivirus Mac review that the home edition includes endpoint protection.
What does this mean?
It simply means that even though it is the Sophos home edition Mac, with endpoint protection included, you get the same protection that businesses and governments have worldwide.
So, are you looking for the Sophos Endpoint Mac?
You'll also get it in the home edition. This gives you absolute protection against any type of malware, including the latest variants of the dreaded Cryptoware, to a level not available on any other antimalware tool available for the Macintosh.
You do not need to worry as the Sophos for Mac OS X detects these dangerous bits of code once you perform a system scan, and asks you what to do with them.
Therefore, I strongly recommend that you perform a manual scan once a week to ensure that your computer is free of any type of malware.
This is no big deal, considering the blistering speed at which this program scans the hard disk drive of your computer.
On certain occasions, the program will request you to switch off the protection module when it detects that manual intervention is required to remove certain malware. Do not worry if your Macintosh reboots during this process, as it is natural.
Multiple Scans
Unlike other antivirus programs, Sophos does a thorough job of finding and cleaning malicious bits of code. Once it completes a scan cycle and removes viruses and other malware, it will scan your PC once again.
Do not be surprised if you see this program detect additional pieces of malicious code.
Certain antiviruses and malware hide behind other viruses, making it difficult for an antivirus program to detect and remove them.
The multiple scan system integrated with the Sophos virus removal tool for Mac ensures that it effortlessly removes the cloaked virus after removing the virus covering it… offering your computer foolproof security.
You Will Simply Love These Features
There are occasions when people accidentally visit malicious sites that inject viruses and malware via the browser.
Sophos has incorporated a special feature that displays a large message, alerting you that the site you are about to visit is dangerous for your computer.
It further checks all the outbound links on sites you visit, and warns you if any of these links lead to potentially dangerous sites. This is a special feature I did not find in any other program of this class.
Most other AV software alerts you after you have visited a website containing malicious content.
Sophos alerts you even before you visit it, virtually doing away with the chances of you visiting such sites and getting your computer infected with the malware they contain.
A Word of Warning
Free Vs Premium
Remember, although the free version I am covering in this Sophos antivirus home edition review is good enough to detect and quarantine most threats, I strongly suggest that you opt for the paid version because that is where the goodies lie.
Remember, you get access to advanced features such as an advanced ransomware shield, and mic & webcam protection with the free version. These features will stop working after 30 days from the date of installation.
Apart from this, the free version offers protection to three devices (although this is a Sophos antivirus for Mac home edition review, I would like to point out that you can also protect Windows-based computers by downloading and installing the Windows installer along with the Mac installer).
Pricing
The premium version costs only $59.99. I would strongly suggest that you opt for the premium version which works out to just about $5 per month and is one of the cheapest protections available.
Customer Support
Did I forget to mention that the premium version also entitles you to receive support via email and live chat, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm (ET)?
This is extremely vital in case you are unable to remove a detected threat and require the help of experts.
As the proud owner of a costly Macbook, you should install Sophos Macbook, to protect your costly device against viruses and malware.
Firewall to Protect You Against Hackers
The Sophos firewall for Mac boasts of a dual AV scanning engine that blocks viruses embedded in websites, email attachments, and file downloads too.
Sophos blocks these harmful pieces of code at the gateway before they can access your computer and attack it. This software is available for free and is an important part of your protection armory.
What Are You Waiting for?
Instead of waiting any longer, log on to the website of Sophos and receive the link to gain access to the Sophos Home for Mac software. You may need to fill up a short form by providing your first and last name, your email ID, along with a password.
Note down this password and keep it in a safe place, as you will require it to log onto their server for remote controlling additional devices.
You will receive a Sophos Antivirus for Mac home edition download link at the email address you provided. Click on that to download the installer, and start the installation process.
Complete the process by making the payment via their secure online payment gateway, then download and install Sophos antivirus mac.
You can now surf the internet with peace of mind, knowing that your computer is being protected by the best available antivirus and antimalware for the Mac platform.
