I have been using Avast Premier for my Windows PC for a few years now and I am happy with it's performance as I haven't had any viruses and malware since I started using Avast. Now I am thinking of purchasing an iMac and if I install antivirus software for it, it would definately be from Avast. After reading on the Apple website that the iMac has it's own integrated security which they say protects the system from malware and hackers, I noticed that they don't seem to recommend antivirus software like Windows do. I then started to search the internet to try to find out whether installing Avast would be necessary but I have found several conflicting and contradictory articles, some stating that antivirus software is a sensible precaution while at the same time suggesting it is virtually a waste of time. I also searched the Apple community forum where I found several seemingly knowledgeable Mac users saying that installing antivirus software on a Mac is completely unnecessary and possibly even damaging to the system.
I do not intend to use the Mac for anything risky such as carelessly surfing the internet or anything like that, but it would however, be used occasionally for internet shopping or banking. So my question is to the expert members of this forum: is Avast really necessary for careful and security conscious use of a Mac?