How to remove Intego

Intego – powerful antivirus for Mac with the arsenal of various functions

Intego is a reliable security software that is exclusively developed for Mac OS and Mac OS X. It consists of two elements: VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9, both of which have a different function. The program combines the most important security modules, including full-featured firewall, data-protection, anti-spam, anti-phishing, and anti-virus that are essential for virus protection for Mac. The anti-malware program can be obtained on the official website, although it can also establish itself via software bundling.

Software bundling^[1] is a widely-practiced marketing tactic used all over the world. It does benefit companies as well as users who may be interested in the software. Nevertheless, people usually do not pay enough attention to the installation process and install additional programs unintentionally. Due to this reason (mainly, because the program appeared “out of nowhere”), some users may call this software “Intego virus,” which is entirely not true. However, Intego antivirus is there to help you protect against viruses, and not cause them.

Main facts about Intego 

Intego was firstly established in 1997 and explicitly focused on Macs, unlike many other anti-malware software companies, who highly preferred Windows as their main goal. The latest software release is called Intego Mac Internet Security X9 which includes two modules: VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9. VirusBarrier X9 focuses on protecting the Mac from malware, while NetBarrier X9 is and can protect your network from intruders and bad actors. 

The software can be downloaded on the official website, and it has a free trial which lasts 30 days. Users need to purchase then the full licensed version, which costs €33.05 a year. This is a subscription-based product, so if users want to cancel it, they need to do it before the full year goes by. Considering you get two modules with two separate functions – the price is really decent. Besides, do not forget that Intego developers need to earn money to fund their research in malware.

Installing software on the system

Intego VirusBarrier and other modules are installed in just a few minutes. The process requires a system restart to be finalized. However, just like we mentioned in the beginning, the software can also be installed as a component of other programs. You can easily spot this addition to your program if you opt for Custom or Advanced installation of the software. However, if you are in a hurry of downloading needed tool, you may end up with the unexpected appearance of this Mac antivirus. As a result, you may think that you are infected, but you are not.

After the software is installed, users are prompted to pick their coverage level, which can be chosen from:

• Minimum level – protection from malware only
• Standard level – an added protection from Windows malware
• Maximum level – scan of ZIP files and other archives

For most users, the Standard level should suffice, although picking Maximum level will not harm anyone, and will improve Mac's security. 

Once the coverage level is chosen, the program is ready. There is a convenient overlay added, which explains all the functionality of each of the function. This feature can be hidden with a simple mouse click, and then enabled again by clicking Information icon if needed.

Intego lists all the partitions on the left side of the window – users can scan quick or full scan for each of these drives. Users can also schedule scans in the main window, as well as control real-time protection feature.

Program's anti-malware feature explained

Soon after the installation is complete, Intego Mac Internet security performs a full system scan. If any threats are found, the program quarantines the infected files, removes them, and attempts to repair the damage caused to files on the computer.

Additionally, the program is capable of scanning all incoming e-mails and USB drives automatically, as soon as they are connected to the Mac. What is more, the anti-phishing feature can help users battle dubious spam emails that may install malware or trick users into spending money on useless products.

AV-Test found^[2] that Intego VirusBarrier can protect the machine from 100 percent of Mac OS malware, as well as identify and flag up 99 percent of potentially unwanted programs. Malware protection is critical indeed, as it can right-out destroy your computer. However, protection from PUPs is important as well, as it can clutter your Mac, display unwanted advertisements and even lead to severe infections. 

NetBarrier – an effective tool to protect your network

The NetBarrier is a firewall utility which capable of protecting the network from intruders. There are three modes offered by Intego:

• Public Hotspot – blocks all the connections from the internet or the network, as well as all file-sharing and server-related features;
• Work Hotspot – allows incoming connections from trusted networks, and file-sharing is permitted only with the approval;
• Home Hotspot – allows incoming connections, and file-sharing is enabled automatically

Users can pick whichever they want to use, and change the setting at any time. Users who possess advanced knowledge of Firewall can create exceptions, allow an only specific type of connections, and modify other options in Advanced settings, although this functionality is not required for a regular user.

More useful features included to Intego

Besides the necessary anti-virus function, Intego is also capable of many other things. Content barrier allows software to block potentially harmful emails, links, and social media messages. This content might not only harm your Mac but also swindle sensitive information about you, which can be used for illegal purposes.

The Personal Backup feature is an extremely important one, as well. As security experts^[3] note, backups are vital for any modern computer user, as, for example, ransomware can lock up personal files and make them unusable. Some crypto-malware is decryptable; however, in most cases, security researchers usually take sometime before they can crack the malicious code and release official decryptor. In this case, back-ups are the only reliable feature that can save your personal files.

Washing Machine can clean all junk from your Mac OS X, reclaim disk space, and speed it up significantly. This feature can remove duplicates that sometimes can be accidentally created, clear caches, downloads, logs, trash, and even organize your desktop.

Using antivirus is important as Mac viruses do exist

Mac users are still dealing with a misconception about the myth that Macs cannot obtain malware. However, it is far from the truth, and Macintosh systems have proven to be affected by vulnerabilities and malware, just as it recently happened with “mshelper” which abuses computer's resources and makes the battery to run out extraordinary fast. Most likely, the cyber threat is created to mine cryptocurrency.

Cybercrooks are in a rush to gain monetary benefit off of innocent users, and it does not matter which way they do it – be it survey or tech support scams, browser hijackers, adware, crypto miners^[4] or even ransomware. As a result, even senior E-Threat Analyst, Bogdan Botezatualso, is quick to answer^[5] the question “Can Macs get viruses?”

The answer is definitely, yes. There have been incidents, and there will be more

Therefore, Mac users should be aware of dangers online and think about an appropriate way to protect their systems. Intego is a perfect tool to detect and eliminate these dubious apps and protect your Mac from harm.

Remove Intego from your programs if you are not scared of Mac malware

If you suddenly noticed this program installed on your system and you did not implement it purposely, it must have entered via another software installer. Typically, users do not pay much attention when installing freeware and pick Recommended or Quick installation mode. Nevertheless, you should be attentive as some suggested programs may be useful, while others may be pure adware which will clutter your browser with ads and redirect to suspicious websites.

Those who found this software “out of nowhere” may want to remove Intego from their systems. Unlike potentially unwanted programs, this security software is easy to uninstall. Simply follow our guide below and get rid of VirusBarrier and similar components that are typically included to the program.

While you might want to perform full Intego removal from your system, (e.g. you do not wish to pay for the licensed version after the trial period of 30 days expires) consider how useful the application is at first. We highly recommend refraining from uninstalling it.