What is XProtect for Mac?
MacOS incorporates several built-in security features, including XProtect. Introduced in 2009 with macOS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, this antivirus technology uses a signature-based approach to defend against a malware attack. XProtect acts to remediate malware that has managed to successfully execute.
XProtect automatically detects and blocks the execution of known malware. In macOS 10.15 or later, XProtect checks for known malicious content whenever:
An app is first launched
An app has been changed (in the file system)
XProtect signatures are updated
When XProtect detects known malware, the software is blocked and the user is notified and given the option to move the software to the Bin.
How to Enable XProtect on Your Mac
Have an open security issue to enable XProtect? After enabling XProtect, exit out of the desktop app and re-open it from your dock. Lockwell will close the issue if XProtect is enabled.
In the upper left corner of your Mac, click the Apple icon. Select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
Click General > Software Update.
Depending on your OS, click Advanced or the i inside a circle.
To ensure that your Mac is XProtect-enabled and gets the background updates properly make sure that there’s a check next to Install system data files and security updates or that Install Security Responses and system files is toggled on (again, depending on your OS version).
