Intego is a software security company that makes products for Mac OS X, macOS, and Windows machines. Founded in 1997, the company has a variety of programs, including Mac Internet Security, Content Barrier Secure, Mac Washing Machine Secure, Mac Premium Bundle, backup software, Intego Antivirus for Windows, and more. As you can see, there are several different tools you can use to protect your Macintosh and Windows computer. All of their products are universal binaries and are available in English, French, Japanese, German, Spanish, and Italian. In our review, we will take a look specifically at Mac Internet Security X9. Since their main focus is on Mac, that is primarily what we’ll show.
While we mentioned other products above, there is only one version of the Intego Mac Internet Security X9. We will also talk briefly about the other products so you can decide what the best option is.
Pricing and Special Offers
In the image below, you see that there are two options to choose from. For one year of Intego Mac Internet Security, the price is $49.99 for one Mac. With the discount, you can get it for $24.99. The other option is the two-year selection and the original price for that one is $85.99. The discount on the second option gives Intego Mac Internet Security to you for $42.99 for one Mac. You can also select license for 3 or 5 systems to see the corresponding price. You will receive a discount regardless of the number of devices.
As we mentioned, Intego does something that very few other companies do. They make their primary product for Macintosh computers. While they recently added Windows AntiVirus, they are still very much Mac centered. That said, they provide the user with a 100% detection rate, worry-free protection from unknown devices, and more. Their protection plan includes three different elements for Mac Internet Security. Those are VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, and Washing Machine. Together, you can be confident that you will get some of the best protection on the market.
For Windows pricing, it is what you see below. 1 PC for 1 year is $29.99. For 3 PCs for a year, it increases by $10. If you want to secure more, you can protect up to 5 computers for one year for $79.99. Their pricing is interesting because you could get coverage for an additional PC for the same price.
Antivirus Protection
Most antivirus products work the same way. That is, they do an initial scan. After that point, they do scans frequently. As you might guess, Intego Mac Internet security is the same way. Once you install the software, you need to opt to do the first scan. Then, you go to the button that says schedule scans. Since you can choose full or quick scans daily or weekly, you can set a time for the scans to run. That will make things more convenient because you can schedule it to scan your system when you are not busy.
Of course, you can set up scans for specific folders, depending on your reasons for scanning on both versions. Otherwise, it will scan everything when it performs them. You can choose to scan for Windows malware, Linux malware, malicious scripts, hacking tools, and keyloggers. That is great if you are using
Security and Privacy Features
As you can see in the image above, this is the main console screen of Intego Mac Internet Security. That is where you scan your system, change the preferences, and select which files you want to scan. The console is streamlined and straightforward. That means you can select several different options. Next, we will talk about the different parts of this antivirus software.
When you click on the VirusBarrier preferences, you have several options to choose from.
General:
- Scan – You can choose any and all of the following. E-mails, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
- After a volume is mounted (select whether you ask it what you want to do)
- After malware definition updates (select to scan or do nothing)
Scan:
- Detect: Windows malware, Linux malware, malicious scripts, hacking tools, and keyloggers
- Options: Scan with low priority, remove quarantine marker after scanning uninfected files, scan archives
You do not have to configure many features with Intego. This is nice as you will find the interface clean and easy to manage.
Installation And Support
Antivirus programs should be easy to navigate and install. We are glad to see that that is the case with Intego. Start by downloading the version you wish to use. Immediately after downloading it, click on the icon and open up the Intego Antivirus program. Keep in mind there are different parts to the security suite. Those include NetBarrier (Intego’s firewall) and others. The second image is the Windows version.
As you can see, the Windows version has a different interface, but it operates in very much the same way as it’s Macintosh relative. You can also set the scan timers just like above.
As far as support goes, you are in luck when you choose Intego. Their support avenues include a chat feature, knowledgebase, Facebook, Twitter, and a ticketing system. That way, you can easily get help for either version whenever you need it.
Antivirus Performance and System Impact
Even though there are not as many companies in the Mac antivirus market, there is still competition. Of course, independent labs often divide test results into three categories. Those categories are protection, performance, and usability. Performance (system impact) measures the strain on a system while doing normal tasks. Usability looks at the number of false positives that the software finds. Protection measures the detection of widespread malware. All of these numbers are important. We found that Intego scored 6 out of 6 on each of the three categories that we listed. Cheers to their team for achieving these results.
Our Tests
As with any reputable review site, we like to do hands-on testing on our products. That way, we can feel confident in what we tell you. There are several ways of testing antivirus software. In our case, we like to see how quickly the software detects a virus. If you check the Eicar.org website, they have several tests you can use for free. Because of that, we used one of the files and got the following message right away. Intego VirusBarrier detected the file and gave us the option to immediately quarantine it. Additionally, the scan picked up several questionable w32 files on our Windows machine.
Final Thoughts
If you own a Macintosh or a Windows-based machine, you can’t go wrong by selecting an Intego solution like Mac Internet Security or Intego AntiVirus. We found it to be quick, easy to manage, and streamlined. Even when we ran it through the paces using our virus tests, it found the infected files immediately. Intego if very easy to configure. Simply set it to run at your desired schedule. If you are looking for a good antivirus solution that is specifically designed for Macintosh, you’ll want to take a look at the Intego Mac Internet Security and other options they have. That is why we recommend the service. You don’t want to miss out on this total protection solution. Protect your Mac for under $25 a year and/or your Windows system for under $30 a year.