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Second, the Sophos software is free. They are not trying to sell you anything. In their own words they’re trying to increase brand awareness.

TAANSTAAFL, Flintsilver7. "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch!" it's time you learned that. I'm economist at heart. People usually don't do things for altruistic motives like give away the products they've invested time and money developing to people so they can sell something else to somebody else. Here is what your linked article actually, truthfully says:

"So, why are we giving it away for free to home users? Well, I thought that would be obvious. It makes people think we're cool and gets our name out there. That should help us sell even more software to businesses. In other words, it's all about brand awareness."

It says exactly what I told you they were doing. They intend to sell their commercial Mac AV software to businesses who use Macs. Or do you think they are giving away Mac AV software to sell Windows AV software to businesses? To do this they needed to gin up some buzz that there is a danger. How? Give away some free AV and then make press releases about all the scary stuff it finds! Don't differentiate it . . . Just make sure there's some Mac specific malware on the list and if you have to turn off the system level protections to assure your user level protection will get to see it, so be it. All's fair in war and business is war... or at least one robber baron said that.

Lastly, there is zero indication that the Sophos software in any way allows malware in that otherwise wouldn’t be. That would make the Sophos software malware itself. You’re making claims that Sophos disables built-in protection to expose the machine to malware and there is no evidence of that that I can find.

That YOU can find. The thing speaks for itself, Flintsilver. I did not say that it let's it in. I said it finds it, but to find it, it allows it to download first, a greater intrusion than the core level protection allowed. Sophos AV does block it but it does disable the other built -in protection so that IT can claim to find it. Is it malware itself? No. I'd call it mostly unnecessary ware. it does a job the system already does adequately and then tells you needlessly about things that are not at all threats to your system. . . all so a third party can sell something to someone else. It's a marketing ploy I chose not to be part of.

I've run OSX Macs bare naked without a firewall on the Internet as an experiment for over two years and not been invaded. You cannot safely do that with a Windows computer. I don't do that any more only because I have several virtual Windows machines running in windows on my Mac for testing purposes. . . and I don't want them compromised. Why should any Mac user waste computer resources running Sophos' AV for no reason?

So where's the evidence, then, that installing Sophos on a Mac actually decreases its security? You're not stating something very simple or obvious like the fact that antivirus software by necessity cannot operate in parallel with other antivirus software. You're saying that Sophos' software is tampering with "system-level protections." There is no evidence of this and you have not provided any. I see none. You're making outrageous claims with no evidence to back them up. I'm a full-time engineer and a part-time academic and I can assure you anybody making claims like you are with no proof whatsoever would not be taken seriously. Were you in any way doing so commercially, you would be guilty of libel. The burden of proof is on you. Your refusal to believe the obvious does not change that.

And what, precisely, did you rebut? Sophos was painfully clear on their intent with their Mac antivirus software. It's free, and they made it known they have zero plans to ever charge for updates or service. What they hope is to increase brand awareness, and I would think that a super-brilliant economist like yourself would understand there is a financial motive behind that. Did I need to say that? They aren't hoping only to sell Mac antivirus software to people. They are hoping to sell anything they produce to people and businesses who they hope become more familiar with (and presumably happy with) their products. It's really quite a simple concept.

You like to keep stating that you're using my posts against me because you are constantly misrepresenting what I say. I didn't specify the obvious (but apparently I have to). The software they provide is free with no strings attached. It's not a trial version or a temporarily free version. If you don't like it, fine. If you use it and don't want to give them one red cent otherwise, fine. If you use it, you like it, and you wish to buy other Sophos products, great - that's the best outcome for them.

By the way, your statement that reads:

...And seventeen of those malware, were the known social engineering Trojans that any platform can be made susceptible to because they target human foibles and that OSX WILL block these Trojans at the system level if allowed to operate normally.

...illustrates that you apparently do not understand how operating systems work. If you fall victim to a social engineering attack and type in your administrator password or bypass UAC, there is nothing the operating system can or will do to stop the malware. You've given it elevated privileges and by design the operating system assumes you aren't an idiot and wished to do that. Your statement that OSX provides some sort of magical "system-level protection" is not only incorrect - its inaccuracy is likely to introduce malware into people's systems because they think they are invulnerable.