Snowden, Citizenfour, Reboot, WarGames, Blackhat, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Hackers… guess what all these movies have in common?

Not hard, eh? According to IMDb, these are the geekiest hacking movies of all time. And frankly, these movies give us a false perception of how the cyber world operates. In fact, Mac Security Survey says that every third Mac user thinks their data is not of any interest to hackers. Other stats show that 57% of Mac users agree or are reluctant to contradict that macOS is impervious to malware.

But here comes the reality check: over 50% of Mac users declared to be affected by a malware infection, account hacking, or scams. So forget about big-name cyber criminals targeting the richest of the rich. The majority of cyberattacks involve ordinary people like you and me. And since technologies are at the core of our lives, we need to be safe using them.

And that’s where the Moonlock story begins…

Moonlock Architects: Who are they?

Here at MacPaw, we put together a dedicated team of cybersecurity researchers and engineers who are well-versed in tackling cybercrimes. This is how the new cybersecurity division was formed to address the security needs of Mac users.

Under the funky name Moonlock, these guys have already built their first technology project—a super-advanced wall of protection for your Mac—Moonlock Engine.

“Driven by our vision of a world where everyone is seamlessly protected by technology, we will create easy-to-use cybersecurity products for a wide range of Mac users,” — says Oleg Stukalenko, Lead Product Manager at Moonlock.

Moonlock Engine: What’s so special about it?

Moonlock Engine is a sophisticated anti-malware technology for Mac devices. And it now powers the Malware Removal in MacPaw’s award-winning product CleanMyMac X. This engine was designed with a single goal in mind: to provide next-level protection and security to all CleanMyMac users.

Perfect blend: CleanMyMac X & Moonlock Engine

For those unfamiliar with CleanMyMac X, it’s a utility box that keeps your Mac in a just-out-of-the-box shape. Tech experts trust it to be one of the best Mac cleaners around, and Mac users love it too. And why wouldn’t they? It cleans, speeds up, maintains, protects, and optimizes — it’s 5 in 1!

But let’s jump back to Moonlock. Its team’s first mission was to integrate new tech into CleanMyMac X, specifically into the anti-malware protection module. Now, Malware Removal is fully running on Moonlock Engine. What it means is an enhanced Mac performance, a functionality upgrade, and an even better level of protection for all CleanMyMac users. Below is a roundup of all the benefits.

Lightening-fast malware scan

Speaking human, Moonlock Engine helps to hunt down viruses and malware faster than ever: 2 times faster on M1 and M2 Mac and 1.5 times faster on Intel Mac.

Far-reaching malware finder

Since malware can sneak into your Mac hundreds of ways, the virus scan must reach every hidden place on your device. And that’s what Moonlock Engine does. It works like a home security system for your Mac inspecting mail attachments, DMG and ZIP archives, USB drives, browser extensions, and launchers to stop any threat from getting in.

Configurable malware-scanning process

Another cool thing about Moonlock Engine is that it allows users to set up the scanning process based on their specific needs, choosing speed over coverage or vice versa. You can either go with a quick scan that checks typical malware-hiding spots or run a deep checkup. The last one will take more time, battery, and CPU, but if there is malware on your Mac — it will make it vanish into thin air.

Mac-user-focused cybersecurity software

Since 2008 MacPaw has been a devoted software developer for all things Mac. We know Mac from the inside out: how to get the best out and how to protect it. That’s why Moonlock Engine is calibrated explicitly to macOS monitoring system-specific apps like Mail or Safari and vital Mac processes.

Independently verified software by AV-TEST

AV-TEST independently tests antivirus software based on two main criteria — detection ability and overall performance. So we tested Moonlock Engine malware removal tech, and the results came out pretty impressive. It has detected 93.3% of all malicious samples provided by AV-TEST.

Powering CleanMyMac X is just the first step towards a much greater goal:

“The goal of Moonlock is to bridge the gap between emerging threats and knowledge needed to protect against them,” says Oleg Stukalenko. “That is why the team is ready to share its expertise at Moonlock.com”

Read more about our cybersecurity research, news, tips, and hacks at Moonlock.com.

Let’s keep your Mac cyber-safe!