Intego Review and Test: Is It the Best Antivirus for Mac?

Our Intego review and antivirus test will give you all the keys to understanding the subscription offer, and especially how the Intego suite can better protect your Mac and other devices.

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Antiviruses are as old as modern computing, and if they continue to be used in 2021, it is because the problem of malware and security vulnerabilities, far from being solved, is tending to get worse . It must be said that we are talking about millions or even billions of devices in circulation – and that pirates of all stripes are also very numerous.

Windows PCs are by far the main target of viruses, due to their overwhelming market share. In 2020 alone, according to AV-Tests, more than 90 million malware targeting Windows PCs were identified. The count was just over 21 million malware 8 years earlier. This fleet of machines is more complex to update than Macs, known to be less susceptible to viruses.

However, believing that we are de facto immune to malware on Mac is a sweet illusion. Certainly there are far fewer. In 2020, comparatively, the tally was just 674,215 malware, or more than thirty times a month. However, these figures are misleading, as they only give a count, and therefore no information on the severity of the threats.

Macs have a minority market share. But the park has many customers who could be the target of hacks. As a result, Mac users are often the victims of targeted attacks – there are more malware and security holes to exploit to achieve this end than you might think. This is why, even on Mac, you must install an antivirus.

An action that is all the more necessary if you often handle sensitive data, whether it is industrial secrets, customer data, or a simple cryptocurrency portfolio. Intego is a complete solution for securing your Mac: the suite includes antivirus, anti-malware – and also a Mac cleaner in the “Bundle” version.

For some time Intego has also been offering a very effective antivirus for Windows. To discover the Intego antivirus, it’s here:

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To discover the security bundle, it’s here:

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Why is Intego antivirus different?

Intego antivirus differs from its rivals by its historical specialization in antivirus for Mac. Intego did not offer any antivirus for Windows until relatively recently. On Mac, Intego has some features that other antiviruses don't. For example, Intego offers the only anti-virus suites that can clean up your cluttered desktop with the click of a button.

We can also mention VirusBarrier X9 which allows you to directly analyze iPhones, iPads and iPods connected to your computer. A one-of-a-kind antivirus scan since Apple does not allow any real antivirus software on its mobile devices. The software also boasts the most accurate antivirus definitions in the ecosystem.

This is why our Intego review focuses on this particular software. It thus fully deserves the test, because we know that Apple Macs are, according to most opinions, machines "apart". With their own macOS operating system, their lower level of threats than on PC, and their own very particular relationship to confidentiality.

This Intego test will take place in two stages. First, we will see how Intego blocks viruses. Finally, in the second part, we will look at the various additional features of Intego, before ending with the prices, which are different according to your needs.

Intego antivirus protects Macs © Presse-citron.net

VirusBarrier antivirus: the test

Let's start our Intego review. The principle is simple. The teams behind Intego have a massive database of millions of viruses. This is updated regularly thanks to the characterization of new malware. Then it is then used as a witness to test your own computer to check if it is not infected by comparing it to already known malicious programs.

In addition to this, the Intego teams are very advanced on 0-day vulnerabilities and behavioral analysis. Thanks to algorithms and a pinch of AI, it is indeed possible to detect threats that have not yet been characterized in the definitions database. Which should give you a lot of peace of mind: Intego has the best definitions on the market on Mac and with behavioral analysis, nothing slips through the cracks!

When you open the Intego antivirus, you have the choice between four tabs. First, Analyze. As its name suggests, this section is where you will be able to run the antivirus on your different devices. The advantage is that if you are a fan of the Apple ecosystem, you can scan your Mac as well as your iPhone. Which is unique in the market. Note also that no other antivirus can scan the files on your iPhone.

In this menu, you can also choose to activate the Intego antivirus automatically. That is, it will run on its own, in the background, and scan your system live. In our opinion, this is clearly the safest method. From our experience, if you have a Mac, Intego is the best antivirus you can have.

Review Intego VirusBarrier © Presse-citron.net

Intego Antivirus also has a second tab, called Quarantine. As its name suggests, it is used to contain potential threats. These are compared by Intego to its database, and if the Intego software review is negative then it is isolated. This method prevents the virus from reaching you and starting. Of course, as soon as the antivirus recognizes malware, it also alerts you. It is then up to you to give your opinion and say whether or not you want to delete it. It will then serve as a new entry in Intego's anonymous database that feeds other users.

The third tab in Intego Antivirus is called Trusted Files. It's a bit like a "white list": you can put all the apps you know about and on which your opinion is very positive. For example, we will send P2P software, keyloggers or even growth hacking scripts. As soon as they are in this category, then Intego Antivirus stops scanning them and lets you use them freely. Important to know if you are developing unknown applications, which are already identified as suspicious by macOS.

Intego VirusBarrier © Presse-citron.net

Intego Antivirus also offers to schedule scans. You will then have to choose whether you want to schedule a full or partial scan of your hard drive. Next, Intego will ask you how often its antivirus should run – but also at what time. This solution is particularly useful for desktop computers, which are not always connected to the Internet. It thus prevents a virus from evolving for too long until it achieves its goal by destroying the Mac.

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In its settings, VirusBarrier also offers the ability to scan tablets (iPad) and iPods. However, this does not go through an iOS or iPadOS app. Emails, too, are compatible with VirusBarrier. Many viruses are indeed sent by e-mail, in particular those of the “Trojan horse” type. We also know ransomware, which requires you to pay a large amount in cryptocurrencies to give you access to your Mac (and your data).

VirusBarrier Test © Presse-citron.net

Intego, with its antivirus, is also able to test the resistance of your browsers. For example, Intego can tell you if Chrome, Firefox, or Safari are secure enough. If this is not the case, then advice will be provided to you to take the necessary measures. To finish with the antivirus options, note that Intego also offers a complete history of scans. It lists all the scans made upstream.

In short, the company offers us fast, fluid software with all the features expected of a good antivirus like its BitDefender equivalent. In addition, Intego's design is particularly successful and navigation is easy among the different apps. Because yes, now we are going to look at the other services of the Intego suite.

Other Intego Features

To round out our review of Intego Antivirus, we also ran a full test of the suite's four apps. Here's what we took away:

Parental control with ContentBarrier

Let's start this second part by giving you our opinion on the parental control of the Intego antivirus. Here, it is a question of limiting access to the computer and its software. This is handy if your PC is used at home by the whole family, including your children. Intego called this feature ContentBarrier, which literally means “content barrier” in English.

Intego ContentBarrier test © Presse-citron.net

Its value proposition is eponymous: on websites, shocking or violent images are blocked. In the opinion of a parent, this is a welcome feature when we all know what is happening on social networks. In its good role as an antivirus, Intego also blocks malicious torrents that teenagers might want to download to watch their favorite series. Of course, you can also feed a list of authorized sites that will not be blocked. Personalization is the key: Intego understands this.

Securing your connection with NetBarrier

Now let's give you our opinion on Intego NetBarrier. But what is it ? We explain to you. In fact, as soon as you use the Internet, there are two phenomena. On the one hand, you are sending data. On the other hand, you receive some, for example when you download a document. This results in streams that potentially may contain viruses. Hence the role of an antivirus like that of Intego to try to detect them.

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During our test, we used many applications that need the Internet. Among them: Spotify, WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram, Feedly, the App Store, Apple TV, Wirex, Trello and Tor. Each time, Intego warned us that these platforms were trying to connect to the Internet. Therefore, we were able to allow their connection since we know they are reliable. However, if a virus had tried to steal our data by sending it to someone, we could have blocked it.

Review Intego NetBarrier © Presse-citron.net

The antivirus has therefore done its job very well here. Especially since it is possible to authorize an application to access the Internet all the time. It's a bit like when your iPhone asks you for your opinion to turn on the GPS: your agreement is necessary. At a time when multiple spyware scandals continue to make headlines, Intego offers us a welcome shield.

To conclude, note that the NetBarrier antivirus has a very clean and colorful interface. In addition, a very complete tutorial explains how to take control of the different options and settings that might seem complicated for a neophyte. A real asset compared to some antiviruses still at the time of UX 2.0.

Intego Personal Backup

Let's move on to our review of another major Intego antivirus feature: Personal Backup. If you are fluent in the language of Shakespeare, you have guessed what we are talking about: this is about backing up our files to avoid accidents. Indeed, in the opinion of all cybersecurity experts, performing double backups is essential. In companies, the issue is even more crucial since without this kind of test, the whole activity risks plummeting.

Intego test Personal Backup © Presse-citron.net

This service is simple: you choose which files to duplicate, then send them to a remote server. They are then stored in this vault, and available whenever you want. In this way, if you break or lose your computer, the Intego antivirus will offer to restore your data. Plus, you can run these backups away from home, scheduling them there too.

Personal Backup can also initiate backups when you start the computer, to deal with BIOS bugs. We simply regret that Intego does not offer its own cloud service: you must enter the address of a private server. No connection to services like iCloud, Google Drive, Mega or Docker is also involved. In our opinion, this is a bit of a shame for an antivirus that wants to keep up with the times in 2020.

Personal Backup Test © Presse-citron.net

The Personal Backup feature is, in our opinion, clearly not the one you will use the most. However, not all antiviruses offer this type of option, and it should be noted that it is very successful here. We recommend it to all contractors and to both whose modem experiences untimely disconnections. So, no more fear of having to start all over again.

Make your computer perform better with Intego

Penultimate feature of our Intego test and review: Washing Machine. This tool, probably the one you will use most often, works like CCleaner but with -it must be said- much more original graphics. Objective: “clean” your computer, the antivirus here dividing the process into three distinct stages. All optional, they are nonetheless devilishly effective.

Review Intego Washing Machine © Presse-citron.net

First, Intego Washing Machine offers the Recycle option. The goal is actually to identify unnecessary files, which you never use or in fact no longer need. Here too, it is thanks to the powerful databases of the antivirus that the detection works wonderfully. For example, Intego can delete dictionaries for languages ​​that have never been used. Downloads of previously watched episodes, too, fall by the wayside if necessary. In addition, the trash, cache and histories are also analyzed by Intego: folders that we do not often think about.

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After trying it, we can only give a satisfied opinion about the Intego Washing Machine. And this because in just a few days, we cleaned up more than 80 GB of forgotten data, saving energy as well. Likewise, our MacBook got faster because it wasn't slowed down by too much memory. All with the same design as for the antivirus, which avoids having to relearn to understand the interface. We should also add that Intego ensures that it does not read the contents of deleted folders and files: you can therefore be reassured about your privacy.

Intego Antivirus © Presse-citron.net

Automate for better security

As we saw above, many Intego antivirus settings can be automated. Thus, virus detection is discreet, backups are autonomous and the connection is secure without having to lift a finger. Even ContentBarrier schedules can be configured remotely. But that's not all, since the updates in their entirety are also automated (we checked it during the test: it works).

Thus, thanks to the NetUpdate feature, Intego updates its various modules - including the antivirus - on its own. It will still ask for your opinion before installing a new version, but it will already be ready and you will only have to restart. One more pledge of confidence, in our opinion very useful for the heads-in-the-air. Of course, the virus database is also affected, depending on current events. So even if it's a competitor's test that has detected malware in another country, Intego will learn about it.

Intego NetUpdate © Presse-citron.net

Our opinion on Intego antivirus

That's it, we've given you our opinion on all the features of Intego. It is therefore time to reveal our overall opinion after our antivirus test, on which you are entitled to a 50% reduction by clicking on this link. Intego doesn't really have a real Mac equivalent - the other solutions are bound to be less comprehensive.

All in all, Intego is a very effective antivirus that perfectly meets the needs of Mac users who connect to the Internet every day. Not all other antiviruses are as easy to use, and the application blends in perfectly with the decor of macOS. Intego offers a new and simplified user experience, far from the painful and slow software that is unfortunately all too common.

In addition, Intego plays its role well since it recognized viruses every time we visited infected sites. AV-Test and AV-Comparatives independently confirm the effectiveness of this antivirus solution. Again, Intego has developed a technology exclusively on Mac by knowing the faults of the system. You are therefore guaranteed to have an effective response on all your machines.

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Intego does have a few flaws that make us qualify our opinion, such as the fact that you have to plug in an iPhone to run the antivirus. But its qualities eclipse most of its faults. Besides, all audiences can use Intego because there are clear explanations detailing each setting. On the other hand, it is an antivirus that does not require a lot of memory or experience. It can be installed on any up-to-date Mac, and also has the advantage of being improved daily by its developers.

We can therefore only recommend this antivirus optimized for Mac, and above all do not hesitate to share your own feedback when you have been able to test the software for yourself!

Test Intego NetBarrier © Presse-citron.net

Prices of Intego antivirus formulas

According to our Intego opinion, here are the prices charged by the publisher for its antivirus formulas. Be aware that they vary depending on the number of Macs to be protected but also on the different features included.

You can also choose to buy only certain modules, such as Washing Machine sold at the following prices:

Parental controls can also be purchased separately:

To know everything about Intego and form your own opinion, it's here:

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Intego Antivirus

Virus detection

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Performance< /h3>9.5/10

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