iAntivirus

Version tested: 1.0.1
Date of testing: August 7, 2012
Last updated: August 7, 2012
Hardware used: Refer to this page.
Malware sample count: 5
Macs supported: Intel (64 bit)
OS supported: 10.6 Snow Leopard, 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion
Price: Free

Compatibility:
iAntivirus supports Intel Macs with a 64bit processor only so PowerPC users, move right along.

Installation and setup:
Exclusively available through the App Store iAntivirus is very easy to download and install. No setup required it just presents you with a few basic scan options to choose from. Once installed you can find the software in your Applications folder or Launch Pad, there is no menu bar icon. iAntivirus is a product by Norton.

Resource usage:
Both the processor and RAM usage were very good leaving plenty of both free for other applications.

Update frequency:
From what we saw updates are handled by the App Store, this by default means much less frequent updates as Norton’s stand-alone AntiVirus software.

Features:
Scan your entire Mac, scan a select folder or drive or scan your FaceBook wall for malicious links. Very basic yet appears to be powerful. It does not appear to have a background process that monitors your Mac meaning you have to open and initiate a scan yourself. If you don’t do that, you will be unprotected.

Scanning:
We tested iAntivirus on all Macs and had it scan the boot drive. Here are the results:
MacBook Pro: 45 Minutes
iMac: 70 Minutes
Mac mini Intel: 56 Minutes

Detection:
iAntivirus was able to detect the MacDefender files and EICAR test file. It did not find the PC virus or the MacKeeper installer package.

Tampering:
iAntivirus has only one process running which can be terminated very easily meaning the active scan will be aborted instantly. As this software does not have a background process that keeps an eye on your Mac when the application itself is closed you can become infected by malware at any time anyway so this tamper test does not mean much.

Uninstall:
Deleting the application is simple, just click and hold it in Launch pad and delete it.

Score:
Compatibility: 3/5
Installation and Setup: 4/5
Resource usage: 5/5
Update frequency: 2/5
Features: 2/5
Scanning: 5/5
Detection: 4/5
Tampering: 1/5
Uninstall: 5/5
Total Score: 31/45