Intego review

Intego – multi-functional security software for your macOS

Intego is a security solution suite that helps to protect macOS and Mac OS X computers from various threats, including adware, spyware, Trojans, and scareware, as well as online scams and phishing attempts. The developers behind Intego software have been in the security business since 1997 and have plenty of experience in providing comprehensive protection for users who decide to acquire one of the application packages for Mac: VirusBarrier X9, Mac Internet Security X9, or Mac Premium Bundle X9 – all at affordable price.

Besides the basic protection from malware, Intego Mac Internet Security is equipped with an arsenal of additional protection features, including anti-spam, anti-phishing, data protection, firewall, and data protection. Without a doubt, any suspicious or malicious components that manage to access macOS are immediately terminated from the computer.

In this Intego review, we will explain why you would need Intego Mac Internet Security suite, how it protects your device, how much it costs, and what benefit it provides.

Use Intego for Mac to ensure the best protection against malware and numerous other types of viruses

Intego antivirus was around for years, although many Mac users believed that additional security tools were not needed for the platform, as it is secure simply by using the built-in defenses. Indeed, Macs are considered to be more secure than Windows operating systems. Apple devices use features like Gatekeeper (stops unauthorized software from being installed) and XProtect – these were initially enough to fight all the unwanted software that tried to access a Mac computer.

However, as the popularity of Apple products grew, it sparked the interest of cybercriminals, and according to the research provided in Malwarebyte's State of Malware^[1] report, Mac threats have been growing at a higher pace than Windows malware did. New threats include the rise of malware droppers like OSX/Shlayer, found on 10% of Macs that run Kaspersky security software.^[2] A trojan is extremely persistent and can bypass built-in protections by using a cryptographic digital signature.

Without tools like Intego antivirus, you could suffer from further Mac infections, disclosure of personal information to unknown parties (cybercriminals), and monetary losses due to malware that allows attackers to log every keystroke you type on your keyboard. In other words, Intego Mac Internet Security is an essential tool to comprehensively protect you from online threats.

Further Intego review: origination and malware threat intelligence

Intego is one of the leading security companies developing anti-malware products for macOS. Established in 1997 as a private company by the CEO Laurent Marteau,^[3] it currently has headquarters in Seattle and offices in Washington, Austin, and foreign offices in Paris and Nagano. The company's motto is:

Your Mac safety is our #1 priority

Over the years, Intego antivirus has gained a positive reputation among users – Intego software runs on over 2 million devices worldwide, protecting users from online threats. However, this is not the only contribution the company has made during its operation of more than 20 years – Intego researchers like Joshua Long, Kirk McElhearn, Victor Agreda, Jr., and many others post malware research findings and describe the operation of various malware threats on company's Security Blog consistently.^[4]

Without a doubt, if you are looking for an application that is engineered by experts within the field – Intego for Mac is the security program you are looking for.

Choosing the correct plan for Intego software

Before you install Intego Mac Internet Security, you should decide on what protection level you require. There are three different plans you could choose from – VirusBarrier, Mac Internet Security X9, or Mac Premium Bundle X9.^[5]

• If you need comprehensive security with additional features, such as organizing your desktop, accessing your files quickly, removing unnecessary duplicate files, among other system optimization features, you should definitely pick Mac Premium Bundle X9. It includes five products: VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, Content Barrier, Mac Washing Machine, and Personal Backup. Pricing for the bundle may vary, as the company often offers discounts for Intego antivirus products – at the time of the writing, this bundle costs $69.99 for one year/one Mac.
  Note: an option to incorporate a VPN service into this bundle is also available, the cost of which comes down to $89.99.
• Mac Internet Security X9 is one of the most convenient plans which offer excellent value for money, as it usually goes for only $39.99 and includes features that are needed to protect Macs from everything dangerous online – unknown apps and devices, phishing campaigns, as well as network intrusions, among other basic features. It features two apps protecting your computer from intrusions and provides comprehensive internet protection – VirusBarrier and NetBarrier.
• VirusBarrier is a basic plan that still provides the most needed protection for Macs. It includes such features as Intego antivirus against Mac and Windows malware, scheduled scans, as well as real-time protection. If you are a tech-savvy user and careful when using the internet and installing apps, Intego's VirusBarrier X9 might be just for you for $19.99/year.

There are options to buy the license for two years, which results in more value for your money, as all the offered products, including bundles, become much cheaper in the long run. So if you are happy with the service, subscribing to two-year membership is definitely worth it.

It is important to note that you do not have to immediately buy the best bundle for you, as you are entitled to a 30-day trial period. If you are unhappy after or during the operation of the app, you can immediately uninstall Intego. All you have to do is register online and download the installer. Once you purchase Intego for Mac and become a registered user, you will also be provided free technical support services via the phone, email, or a web form for free.

Intego installation and features

Intego Mac antivirus is easy to install – it only takes a few minutes of your time. Simply launch the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Once complete, you will be prompted to choose between three different protection modes – minimum level, standard level, and maximum level.

Which option you choose heavily depends on your preferences. For example, if you know that you are visiting high-risk websites often, or your system might be already infected with a Mac virus, it would be a good idea to pick a maximum level of protection. The standard level should suffice for most regular users, however.

Once you pick the level of coverage, you will be provided detailed instructions on each of Intego's functions with the help of overlay message prompts. Note that, in case you are familiar with these functions, you can easily disable this overlay with one mouse click. Finally, you will be ready for your first scan!

Mac Internet Security X9 anti-malware feature can protect you from all types of threats

There are numerous anti-malware products on the market, and while many of them are great security solutions, some are less than secure and act as malware themselves. For example, applications like Advanced Mac Cleaner or Mac Tweak allegedly have antivirus functionality but, in reality, are nothing but useless programs created to expose users to false positives in order to make them buy the software.

Therefore, we highly suggest users rely on tests that are performed by independent labs – these test capabilities of various AVs and rate these tools based on their protection, usability, and performance, among other aspects. Intego antivirus is consistently being tested by many such labs, including AV-Test^[6] and AV-Comparatives^[7], which confirmed that the app managed to catch 100% of tested malicious software.

You can rely on the following modules to protect you at all times while using Intego for Mac:

• ContentBarrier
• NetBarrier
• VirusBarrier

The software is capable of protecting users from drive-by downloads, malicious social media links, phishing emails, and infected USB sticks from both Windows and Mac malware. As soon as threats on the system are found, Intego Mac Internet Security quarantines and removes them. If any system damage is sustained during this process, the application will repair it at once. 

Besides securing the system from malicious software, Intego antivirus can also stop most of the potentially unwanted programs downloaded from unofficial sources, such as torrent sites. It is important to note that adware was the leading type of Mac malware, and the threat has been growing for the past several years. 

For additional security, you can also employ NetBarrier – an effective firewall that would prevent attackers from accessing your network. It incorporates three different modes, including Public Hotspot, Work Hotspot, and Home Hotspot. While the feature can be used by advanced users to modify permissions and create exceptions, the default settings should be perfect for less IT-savvy users.

Intego products are here to make your online life easier and safer

Intego Mac antivirus is packed with various features that do not only evolve around malware protection. Several other features are included in the non-basic suites of the app, which include:

• Personal Backup is a feature that will allow you to prepare backups of your most important files effortlessly. While ransomware on Mac is not prevalent yet, some file-locking strains were already observed in the wild – KeRanger, Patcher, and others.^[8] If you get infected with one of such viruses, you may say goodbye to your files for good – this is when backups become crucial.
• Washing Machine is another great function that can be employed to clean macOS systems from funk, file duplicates, caches, downloads, logs, and other useless files. While all these actions can be performed manually using built-in features, Intego allows you to do everything with the help of a few clicks – fast and efficiently.
• Privacy Protection with a VPN is one of the most popular features, considering that data breaches and personal information theft are becoming massive issues everywhere. With Intego VPN, you can make yourself completely anonymous when browsing the web and bypass any geographical restrictions, allowing you to view the content you otherwise wouldn't be able to.

Intego review: final thoughts 

With this Intego review, we would like to spread awareness among macOS users, as many are still convinced that no additional protection measures are needed to protect these machines. While Macs are sophisticated and include many security features that are unique to the platform, it is important to note that cybercriminals can always be a step ahead and figure out how to bypass these built-in defenses.

Therefore, you should equip your Mac with sophisticated anti-malware software to stay safe online. With Intego, you get comprehensive protection from threats and access to other features that will help you clean your system and increase its performance and speed. If you don't like it for some reason, you can uninstall Intego with just a few clicks, so do not hesitate to try out this malware protection tool.