G Data Antivirus for Mac Review

Full review

German internet security company G Data was founded in 1985, meaning this company has plenty of experience in Windows and Mac virus protection solutions. It’s a popular destination for consumers, with products sold worldwide in more than 90 countries. With a range of internet security products on offer, how does the Mac product compare with its competitors?

Protection

G Data Antivirus for Mac is another proven product for overall internet security. The software protects against viruses – Windows and Mac – Trojans, and other malware. You don’t risk infecting Windows colleagues downstream as the protection gets rid of Windows threats if found. One other beneficial addition to the package is anti-phishing protection, safeguarding your machine against spyware attacks and helping you carry out online shopping and banking tasks more securely.

Effectiveness

[Awaiting copy.]

Scans & updates

As with many of these Mac anti-virus packages, you can choose from three main options for scans – scan critical locations (the quick scan option for putting your mind at rest that nothing is badly wrong with the machine), a system scan of the whole Mac, and a custom scan of specified locations (choose specific file types, or different locations). These on-demand scans are combined with the option for continuous background protection which is certainly worth keeping on all the time to safeguard against viruses from emails or new files. No scheduled scan option, but many of these anti-virus products also don’t have this.

Features

G Data Antivirus for Mac lacks any additional features that make life a bit easier such as a firewall and parental control features. Not every anti-virus package has these, but when they are included it is usually valuable. If you’re looking for a more complete software bundle for privacy and security then there are better options available.

Ease of use

The gray box for the control panel is simple and clean. The message "Your Mac is Safe" at the top of the screen puts your mind at rest. Below are the three choices of scan to click on, and the choice of activating web protection as well as continuous scan - on or off. One click on any of these options gets the job done. The lack of features has one advantage – the software is very easy to manage.

Help & support

You can’t beat the free telephone and email support from G Data, 24/7, 365 days a year. However, aside from the telephone support there is nothing to read online like a manual or articles in a Knowledge bank. It would be useful to have a place like a forum or a FAQs section where you can find answers to quick questions without necessarily having to make a telephone call. That said, 24/7 support is great.

Overall

Excellent value for money, great virus protection, and a simple interface – G Data Antivirus for Mac does all it needs to keep your Mac protected. Access to telephone and email support whenever you need it is another point in its favor. While other products have more features, this is a solid and reliable player in the anti-virus field.