MacScan

MacScan User Guide

About MacScan

Malware authors are targeting macOS with increasing frequency, and although there is more Mac malware activity now than ever before, many users still go unprotected against these threats.

MacScan will seek and destroy malware threatening your Mac, including trojan horses, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware, and more. Additionally, MacScan eliminates privacy threats including tracking cookies and other clutter left behind by web browsers.

Installing MacScan

When you purchase MacScan from our website, you will be provided with a download link at the time of purchase. After downloading the MacScan disk image (dmg), double-click the MacScan.dmg file and then simply drag the MacScan app icon from the disk image to the Applications folder to install MacScan on your system.

Installing

Reinstalling MacScan

If you purchased MacScan from our website and need to reinstall it on your system, you can download the MacScan disk image (dmg) directly from our website. After downloading the MacScan disk image (dmg), double-click the MacScan.dmg file and then drag the MacScan app icon from the disk image to the Applications folder to reinstall MacScan on your system.

Purchasing MacScan

MacScan is available for purchase from within the MacScan demo app as well as directly from our website here: https://www.securemac.com/purchase-ms/.

Registering MacScan

If you purchased MacScan from our website, you will be provided with a serial number at the time of purchase. After installing MacScan on your system, open the MacScan app and enter your serial number when prompted.

Registering MacScan

If you encounter problems registering MacScan, make sure to disable any firewalls or security programs that may be running on your system when attempting to register MacScan. After successful registration they can be re-enabled.

Updating MacScan

MacScan will automatically check for updates every time it is launched. You will be notified if an update is available, and given the opportunity to install the update.

You can manually check for updates by clicking the MacScan menu and clicking “Check for Updates…”

Manual Update

MacScan Setup

The first time you run MacScan, the MacScan Setup Assistant will help guide you through the initial app setup process. After answering a few brief questions, MacScan will be configured and ready to start scanning your system for security and privacy threats.

MacScan Setup Assistant: Welcome

The first MacScan Setup Assistant screen provides basic information about the MacScan Setup Assistant.

Click the “Next” button to continue the setup process.

Setup Assistant

MacScan Setup Assistant: Automatic Cookie Cleaning

The second MacScan Setup Assistant screen offers a configuration option for automatic cookie cleaning. By default, MacScan will automatically clean tracking cookies whenever you quit your web browser. You can customize the cookie cleaning settings or disable automatic cookie cleaning at any time in the MacScan Preferences.

Click the “Next” button to continue the setup process.

Setup Assistant: Automatic Cookie Cleaning

MacScan Setup Assistant: Notifications and Tips

The third MacScan Setup Assistant screen contains configuration options for behavior of the MacScan app itself, including settings for user notifications, showing MacScan in the menu bar, and displaying in-app tips.

User notifications, when enabled, can display messages in the macOS Notification Center when specific actions occur, such as when a malware scan is complete or when automatic cookie cleaning takes place.

Automatic Cookie Cleaning Notification

When enabled, the menu bar icon can give quick and easy access to many app features directly from the menu bar, even if the main MacScan application is not running.

The MacScan tips, when enabled, provide helpful information for various aspects of the program. These in-app tips will help guide you through the process of running a scan, understanding the scan results, and removing threats detected during the scan.

Click the “Next” button to continue the setup process.

Setup Assistant: Notifications and Tips

MacScan Setup Assistant: Help Improve MacScan

The fourth MacScan Setup Assistant screen contains configuration options for sharing scan statistics and custom cookie settings with us to help make MacScan even better. You can change these settings at any time in the MacScan Preferences.

MacScan can automatically submit scan statistics to us, which helps improve the accuracy and performance of MacScan. These statistics includes information about the number and types of scans run, the total size of items cleaned with the Internet Clutter Cleanup feature, the total number of tracking cookies detected across all scans, and the total number of malware items detected across all scans, along with more specific information on detected items (such as the family, variant, and file names of detected malware, and the domains of tracking cookies that were detected most often).

Custom cookie settings can be shared with us to help provide enhanced allowlist cookie recommendations, and to improve tracking cookie identification and removal. When you share your custom cookie settings with us, we’ll see the domain names that you’ve marked them on the blocklist or allowlist.

Click the “Next” button to continue the setup process.

Setup Assistant: Help Improve MacScan

MacScan Setup Assistant: Malware Scan Engine

After configuring the settings for the MacScan app itself, the next Setup Assistant screen will help install the malware scan engine, which is a necessary component for MacScan to function correctly.

Click the “Next” button to install the malware scan engine.

Setup Assistant: Malware Scan Engine

You will be prompted to enter your username and password in order to install the malware scan engine helper tool. If you are using macOS with a standard (non-administrator) account, you will need to enter the username and password for an administrator account in order to install the malware scan engine.

Malware Scan Engine Authentication

MacScan Setup Assistant: Setup Complete

Once the malware scan engine has been installed, the MacScan Setup Assistant will let you know that setup is complete.

Click the “Done” button to exit the MacScan Setup Assistant.

Setup Assistant: Setup Complete!

MacScan Preferences

The MacScan Preferences screen allows you to change any of the MacScan application settings and customize the program to best fit your needs. Click an icon at the top of the MacScan Preferences screen to view its available settings.

MacScan Preferences: Account

The account preferences screen allows you to view information related to your MacScan license, including the license key, expiration date, and registration information. You can deactivate your license key if you are migrating to a new computer. Additionally, you can sign up for the SecureMac mailing list to stay up-to-date on the latest security news and information.

MacScan Preferences: Account

MacScan Preferences: Scan

The scan preferences screen allows you to exclude specific files or folders from malware scans. Click the plus button to select a file or folder to exclude from scans. Click the minus button to remove a selected item from the scan exclusion list.

MacScan Preferences: Scan

MacScan Preferences: Quarantine

The quarantine preferences screen allows you to view the number of malware items that are currently quarantined, specify the number of days that isolated malware will remain in quarantine before being automatically removed, or immediately delete all quarantined items by emptying the malware quarantine.

MacScan Preferences: Quarantine

MacScan Preferences: Cookies

The cookies preferences screen allows you to change various settings for the cookie cleaning features of MacScan.

When automatic cookie cleaning is enabled, MacScan will automatically clean tracking cookies whenever you quit your web browser. The main MacScan application does not need to be running for automatic cookie cleaning to take place. If automatic cookie cleaning is set to clean cookies on your blocklist and tracking cookies, only cookies on your custom cookie blocklist and the official SecureMac tracking cookie blocklist cookies will be cleaned; all other cookies will remain in place. If automatic cookie cleaning is set to keep cookies on your allowlist, only cookies on your custom cookie allowlist will be kept; all other cookies will be removed.

MacScan Preferences: Cookies

If you want to customize the cookie cleaning feature, you can specify cookies that you want to remove by adding them to your blocklist, or specify cookies that you want to keep by adding them to your allowlist. Click the Manage Cookie Settings button to view a list of cookies that are currently present on your system.

Custom Cookie Settings

The current status for each cookie is listed along with the cookie’s domain name. You can change the status for a cookie by selecting the cookie’s domain name in the list, and then sliding the cookie status switch to change the cookie’s current status.

To add a cookie to the blocklist, slide the switch to the left. To mark a cookie as neutral (neither on the blocklist or allowlist), slide the switch to the middle. To add a cookie to the allowlist, slide the switch to the right.

Click OK to save the changes to your custom cookie settings. Click cancel to undo the changes to your custom cookie settings.

MacScan Preferences: Scheduler

The scheduler preferences screen allows you to view and configure scheduled scans. Click the plus button to set up a new scheduled scan. To remove a scheduled scan, select it in the scheduled scan list, then click the minus button.

MacScan Preferences: Scheduler

When setting up a new scheduled scan, select the type of scan you would like to run, the day of the week that the scan should run on, and the time of day that the scan should run at. If you attempt to add a new scheduled scan that would conflict with an existing one, MacScan will display an alert.

Scheduled Scan Setup

MacScan Preferences: Extras

The extras preferences screen allows you to configure various options for how MacScan appears and interacts with your operating system.

MacScan can display a message in the macOS Notification Center when a scan is complete, when updates are installed, or when automatic cookie cleaning takes place. When the MacScan menu bar icon is enabled, it can provide quick access to scanning for security and privacy threats, setting up scheduled scans, viewing scan logs, or configuring app preferences, even when the main MacScan application is not already running. When tips are enabled, they will appear in various locations throughout the app to provide helpful contextual information and guide you through the program.

MacScan can automatically submit scan statistics to us, which helps improve the accuracy and performance of MacScan. These statistics includes information about the number and types of scans run, the total size of items cleaned with the Internet Clutter Cleanup feature, the total number of tracking cookies detected across all scans, and the total number of malware items detected across all scans, along with more specific information on detected items (such as the family, variant, and file names of detected malware, and the domains of tracking cookies that were detected most often).

Custom cookie settings can be shared with us to help provide enhanced allowlist cookie recommendations, and to improve tracking cookie identification and removal. When you share your custom cookie settings with us, we’ll see the domain names that you’ve added to your blocklist or allowlist.

MacScan Preferences: Extras

MacScan Main Screen

Once you have completed configuring MacScan with the Setup Assistant, the main MacScan screen will appear. From the main screen, you can set up a malware scan, check for internet clutter, or view information about threats that can affect your Mac by clicking one of the triangle start buttons on the right-hand side of the screen. You can access additional features through the toolbar icons across the top of the main MacScan window.

Main Screen

Scanning for Malware

MacScan can scan your computer for trojan horses, keyloggers, spyware, adware, and other security threats. Once you have selected the type of malware scan to run, MacScan will display information about the progress of the scan, and will show a list of detected security and privacy threats once the scan is complete.

Malware Scan: Setup

MacScan can run four different types of malware scans: Smart Scan, Quick Scan, Full Scan, and Custom Scan. The amount of time it takes for a malware scan to run will differ depending on the type of scan being run. Smart Scans are generally the fastest type of scan to run, while Full Scans are generally the slowest. Select the type of scan you want to run by clicking one of the triangle Scan buttons on the right-hand side of the screen.

Malware Scan Setup Screen

If you run a Custom Scan, you will be prompted to choose the files, folders, or drives that you want to scan for malware. You can drag and drop individual files and folders directly onto the MacScan screen to add them to the list of items to be scanned, then click the Scan button to start the scan. If you want to choose an item to scan from a list of files and folders, simply click the Scan button without dragging and dropping any items onto the MacScan screen.

Malware Scan Setup Custom Scan

Malware Scan: Progress

While a malware scan is running, MacScan will display information about the progress of the scan, including the scan status, the file that is currently being scanned, and an estimate of the time remaining before the scan is complete.

Malware Scan Progress Screen: Initializing

After the malware scan is done initializing, MacScan will display information on the number of processes, files, folders, and cookies that have been scanned, as well as the number of malware, tracking cookies, and flash tracking cookies that have been identified at that point in the scan. This information will be updated as the scan progresses, as will the estimated time remaining before the scan is complete, and the progress bar indicating the current scan percentage.

Malware Scan Progress Screen

If you need to stop running a malware scan before it is complete, you can click the Cancel button, select “Cancel Scan” from the “Scan” menu, or press ⌘-. on your keyboard. MacScan will display the malware scan results screen, along with a list of any items detected during the scan before it was canceled.

Malware Scan: Results

After a malware scan is complete, MacScan will display a list of security and privacy threats detected during the scan on the malware scan results screen. Basic information for each detected item is shown in the results list, including a threat level icon, classification, and display name.

Malware Scan Results Screen

If you would like to view more information for a specific threat, click on that item in the scan results list. For security threats, this includes the malware classification and name, threat level, file path (where it’s located on your system), and a description of the threat. For tracking cookies, this information includes the tracking cookie’s name, threat level, domain name, description, and value (where applicable). For flash tracking cookies, this information includes the flash tracking cookie’s name, threat level, domain name, and description.

Malware Scan Results Screen: Item Information

Malware Scan: Cleaning

To clean security and privacy threats detected during a malware scan, click the Clean button on the malware scan results screen. If you want to skip cleaning for specific items, simply uncheck those items before clicking the Clean button.

When cleaning tracking cookies, flash tracking cookies, and certain security threats, it will be necessary to quit your web browser before cleaning can proceed. MacScan will alert you when you need to quit running web browsers. Click the magnifying glass icon in the Application Alert screen to switch to that application, and then quit the app from its application menu or by pressing Command-Q (⌘-Q). After quitting all running apps listed in the Application Alert screen, MacScan will be able to continue the cleaning process.

Note that some applications might still be running in the background even if their icon doesn’t appear in the Dock; be sure to use the magnifying glass icon to locate and quit those apps as necessary.

Running applications

The status for each item will change as it progresses through the cleaning process.

Items that have been successfully cleaned will be listed as “Cleaned” (in the case of tracking cookies and flash tracking cookies) or “Quarantined” (in the case of security threats) with the green checkmark status image.

Items that were not able to be cleaned will be listed as “Could not clean” (in the case of tracking cookies and flash tracking cookies) or “Could not quarantine” (in the case of security threats) with the red X status image.

Items that have not yet been cleaned will be listed as “Waiting” with the yellow clock status image.

Items that have been skipped for cleaning will be listed as “Skipped” with the blue dash status image.

Malware Scan Results Cleaning

After cleaning is complete, MacScan will display the final cleaning results screen, which lists various statistics from the threat cleaning process, including the final cleaning status, the number of threats cleaned or quarantined, and the number of threats skipped. Additionally, you can view details about the malware scan and cleaning by clicking the “View Scan Details” link.

Malware Scan Results Cleaning Complete

Internet Clutter Cleanup

MacScan can scan your computer for internet clutter that can take up valuable hard drive space and threaten your privacy. Once you have selected the type of Internet Clutter Cleanup scan to run, MacScan will scan for sensitive web browsing files, and show a list of detected privacy threats once the scan is complete.

Internet Clutter Cleanup: Setup

MacScan can run three different types of Internet Clutter Cleanup scans: Cookie Scan, Full Scan, and Custom Scan. You can scan for specific types of privacy threats depending on the type of scan you choose. Cookie Scans will scan for individual tracking cookies and flash tracking cookies, Full Scans will scan all your web browsers for privacy threats, and Custom Scans allow you to pick and choose the browsers and threats to scan for. Select the type of scan you want to run by clicking one of the triangle Scan buttons on the right-hand side of the screen.

Internet Clutter Cleanup Setup Screen

If you run a Custom Scan, you will be prompted to choose the browsers and items that you want to scan for privacy threats.

Internet Clutter Cleanup Setup Custom Scan

Internet Clutter Cleanup: Results

After an Internet Clutter Cleanup scan is complete, MacScan will display a list of privacy threats detected during the scan on the Internet Clutter Cleanup scan results screen. Basic information for each detected item is shown in the results list, including the browser name, item classification, and file size.

Internet Clutter Cleanup Scan Results Screen

If you would like to view more information for a specific threat, click on that item in the scan results list.

Internet Clutter Cleanup Scan Results Screen: Item Information

Internet Clutter Cleanup: Cleaning

To clean privacy threats detected during an Internet Clutter Cleanup scan, click the Clean button on the Internet Clutter Cleanup scan results screen. If you want to skip cleaning for specific items, simply uncheck those items before clicking the Clean button.

When cleaning privacy threats, it will be necessary to quit your web browser before cleaning can proceed. MacScan will alert you when you need to quit running web browsers. Click the magnifying glass icon in the Application Alert screen to switch to that application, and then quit the app from its application menu or by pressing Command-Q (⌘-Q). After quitting all running apps listed in the Application Alert screen, MacScan will be able to continue the cleaning process.

Note that some applications might still be running in the background even if their icon doesn’t appear in the Dock; be sure to use the magnifying glass icon to locate and quit those apps as necessary.

Running applications

If web browser cookie files are selected for cleaning, MacScan will display a Cookie Cleaning Alert screen, giving you the option to continue with cookie cleaning, or skip cookie cleaning. You can stop this warning message from appearing in the future by checking the “Always clean cookies” checkbox.

If you opt to skip cookie cleaning, any web browser cookie files in the scan results list will be skipped for cleaning for this Internet Clutter Cleanup cleaning session. Otherwise, web browser cookie files will be processed normally for this Internet Clutter Cleanup cleaning session.

Cookie Cleaning Alert

The status for each item will change as it progresses through the cleaning process.

Items that have been successfully cleaned will be listed as “Cleaned” with the green checkmark status image.

Items that were not able to be cleaned will be listed as “Could not clean” with the red X status image.

Items that have not yet been cleaned will be listed as “Waiting” with the yellow clock status image.

Items that have been skipped for cleaning will be listed as “Skipped” with the blue dash status image.

Internet Clutter Cleanup Scan Results Cleaning

After cleaning is complete, MacScan will display the final cleaning results screen, which lists various statistics from the threat cleaning process, including the final cleaning status, the number of threats cleaned, and the total amount of disk space that was reclaimed. Additionally, you can view details about the Internet Clutter Cleanup scan and cleaning by clicking the “View Scan Details” link.

Internet Clutter Cleanup Scan Results Cleaning Complete

Malware Info Library

The malware info library provides a comprehensive database of information about threats that can affect your Mac. Malware classifications are listed in bold text, with the malware families of that type listed below the classification. You can click on a specific threat to view more information on that malware family, or search the entire database for a specific keyword or query. You can access the malware info library by clicking the Library icon in the MacScan toolbar.

Malware Info Library Screen

Scan Logs

Scan logs are available for previous scans that you have run with MacScan. You can view daily scan logs for the previous seven days, while monthly scan logs are also available. You can export a scan log and save it to a file by clicking the Export button. You can access the scan log viewer by clicking the Logs icon in the MacScan toolbar.

Scan Log Viewer Screen

Malware Quarantine

When cleaning security threats detected during a malware scan, MacScan will isolate files to the malware quarantine. MacScan has a built-in feature to automatically clean quarantined items after a specific number of days, but you can view the contents of the malware quarantine at any time, and manually remove quarantined items as well. You can access the malware quarantine viewer by clicking the Quarantine icon in the MacScan toolbar.

Viewing Quarantined Items

When viewing the malware quarantine, MacScan will display a list of security threats that were isolated during previous scans. Basic information for each quarantined item is shown in the quarantine list, including a threat level icon, classification, display name, and the date it was quarantined on.

Malware Quarantine Viewer Screen

If you would like to view more information for a specific threat, click on that item in the quarantine list. This information includes the malware classification and name, threat level, original file path (where it was quarantined from), and a description of the threat.

Malware Quarantine Viewer Screen: Item Information

Removing Quarantined Items

To remove quarantined items, click the Remove button on the malware quarantine screen. If you want to skip removal for specific items, simply uncheck those items before clicking the Remove button.

The status for each item will change as it progresses through the removal process.

Items that have been successfully removed will be listed as “Removed” with the green checkmark status image.

Items that were not able to be removed will be listed as “Could not remove” with the red X status image.

Items that have not yet been removed will be listed as “Waiting” with the yellow clock status image.

Items that have been skipped for removal will be listed as “Skipped” with the blue dash status image.

Quarantined Item Removal

After removal is complete, MacScan will display the final removal results screen, which lists various statistics from the quarantined item removal process, including the final removal status, the number of quarantined items removed, and the number of quarantined items skipped. Additionally, you can view details about the quarantined item removal process by clicking the “View Details” link.

Quarantined Item Removal Complete

MacScan Supported Browsers

MacScan supports scanning and cleaning for the following browsers:

Chromium: Browsing History, Cache, Cookies, Download History, and Flash Cookies

Chrome: Browsing History, Cache, Cookies, Download History, and Flash Cookies

Firefox: Browsing History, Cache, Cookies, and Download History

Flash Cookies: History, Shared Objects

Safari: Browsing History, Cache, Cookies, and Download History

Disabling Browser Sync

When you enable sync features in your web browser, your browsing data is sent to remote servers and stored in the cloud. This data includes browsing history, open tabs, bookmarks, and other information. If you have sync features enabled for your web browsers, your browsing data will continue to reappear, even after cleaning with MacScan.

Disabling browser sync will ensure that MacScan can clean your browsing data without it reappearing on your system.

Disabling Chrome Sync for Chrome/Chromium

To disable Chrome Sync, open your Chrome (or Chromium) web browser, click the Chrome (or Chromium) menu in the upper left corner of your screen, and then click “Preferences” to open the browser settings page. Alternatively, you can enter the following URL in Chrome or Chromium to go directly to the settings page: chrome://settings (note that this URL will not work in web browsers other than Chrome or Chromium).

DISABLE_CHROME_SYNC_SCREEN_1

If you are signed into your Google Account, it will be shown under the “Sign in” section at the top of the settings page. Click the “Disconnect your google Account” button, then click the “Disconnect account” button on the alert screen that appears. Your browsing data will no longer be sent to Google.

DISABLE_CHROME_SYNC_SCREEN_2

Disabling Firefox Sync for Firefox

To disable Firefox Sync, open your Firefox web browser, click the Firefox menu in the upper left corner of your screen, and then click “Preferences” to open the browser preferences screen. Click the Sync tab on the browser preferences screen that appears.

DISABLE_FIREFOX_SYNC_SCREEN_1

If you are signed into your Firefox Account, it will be shown on the Sync screen. Click the “Disconnect” button, then click the “Continue” button on the alert screen that appears. Your browsing data will no longer be sent to Firefox.

DISABLE_FIREFOX_SYNC_SCREEN_2

Disabling iCloud Sync for Safari

To disable iCloud Sync for Safari, click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen, and then click “System Preferences” to open the macOS System Preferences screen. Click the iCloud button on the System Preferences screen that appears.

DISABLE_SAFARI_SYNC_SCREEN_1

If iCloud is set up to sync Safari browsing data, the checkbox next to Safari will be checked. Uncheck the Safari checkbox to disable iCloud Sync for Safari. Your browsing data will no longer be sent to Apple.

MacScan Technical Support

If you encounter any problems with MacScan, require technical support, or would like to provide feedback, you can contact us from within MacScan by clicking the Help menu and then clicking Provide Feedback.

Feedback Panel

You can also contact us by e-mail at macscan@securemac.com.