I know macOS has built-in security features, but lately I’ve been wondering whether my Mac might have picked up some kind of malware or unwanted software.
The reason I’m concerned is that I’ve noticed a few odd things recently—nothing dramatic, but enough to make me suspicious. For example, the Mac sometimes feels slower than usual, I’ve seen unexpected browser behavior, and there are a couple of background processes I don’t recognize.
Before I start randomly deleting things, I’d like to understand the proper way to investigate this. What tools or methods do you recommend for checking a Mac for malware? Are the built-in macOS security features usually sufficient, or is it worth running a dedicated malware scan?
I’m also interested in learning how to tell the difference between actual malware and normal system processes that just look unfamiliar.
Any advice on a thorough but safe approach would be helpful. Thanks!