• But there's less money to be made in the Mac antivirus market than in the Windows one, and the products are less standardized. Some Mac antivirus products are free, and some are paid.
  • I'm using OS X 10.10.1 on my Mac. I use Parallels Desktop 10 and VMware Fusion 7.1. I do use windows a lot on Parallels and Fusion (Several Virtual machines). AntiVirus for OSX running parallels. Ask Question. Up vote 0 down vote favorite. Microsoft has their own antivirus software called Microsoft Security Essentials.

Even if you had to give the VM 6 GB of memory, you still have enough to run your Mac at its full potential. The Windows 8.1 machine doesn't need an AV so you are left with your Mac AV. The 8.1 will slow down if you have two AV's running on it. The Mac should have its own AV (your preference) but I would suggest an AV that is light.

Mac
Active4 years, 7 months ago

I'm using OS X 10.10.1 on my Mac. I use Parallels Desktop 10 and VMware Fusion 7.1. I do use windows a lot on Parallels and Fusion (Several Virtual machines). Windows 8.1,7 and XP. I've installed Avast free AV on OS X. Do i need to install separate Anti viruses on VMs ?? or do OS X Avast antivirus detect Windows viruses and malware ? Please explain. Thanks :)

PoornaPoorna

1 Answer

Any virtual machine installed will require its own, self-contained antivirus program. For example, I run Parallels Desktop 9 with XP, Windows 7 and Linux CentOS 6 VMs. On XP and Windows 7, I use Microsoft Security Essentials and ClamAV on the Linux VM. On OS X, I am running Kaspersky Internet Security.

Best Antivirus For Mac Running Parallels From An External Drive

Best antivirus for mac os x

The reason that each OS requires its own A/V software is that each VM is a self-contained environment that is essentially sandboxed. Although there is some sharing mechanisms in place, essential services, e.g., antivirus, cannot cross OS boundaries. To allow so would be a serious security vulnerability.

Trane FrancksTrane Francks

You must log in to answer this question.

Best Antivirus Download For Pc

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged macosvmwarevirtualizationparallels-desktopanti-virus .

Best Antivirus For Mac

Tips and Information on Buying an Antivirus

With a seemingly endless amount of pc protection solutions to choose from, it can be hard to make sure you get the right product for you. Here are some top tips and valuable information which will help you make your decision...

How do you know if your mac has a virus?
Best

Mac viruses are quite rare in comparison to Windows and so you may think you’re immune to ‘catching’ one. That’s not the case. There are a few ways in which you can tell if your Mac has been subject to a virus.

Unexpected pop-ups and advertisements – Adware is becoming more and more popular on Macs, so if you’re seeing ads in places where they didn’t used to show up, the chances are you’ve been infected by Adware. Especially if pop-ups are appearing without opening your internet browser.

So a good mac antivirus is required.

Your Mac is running slowly …

ReadMore
Do Macs get viruses? Do i need a Mac Cleaner?

Can a Mac get a virus and Do I require a Mac Antivirus? The short answer is Yes. Apple computers are generally less susceptible to getting infected by a virus when compared to a Windows computer. This is mainly due to the Windows market being a lot bigger, virus developers want to target as many victims as possible, and by targeting more people, the chances of the virus spreading is much more likely. Spending time developing a virus for a small percentage of the market would almost be a waste of time for them.

A Mac cleaner is very important, our list recommends some grea…

ReadMore