Google has released a new software package for OS X that allows you to upload malware or other suspicious software samples to its popular VirusTotal scanning and malware indexing system. This Web site has been widely used to help people identify new malware threats, and having this tool available on OS X will hopefully help boost security for Mac users.

Even though malware for OS X has been relatively minimal, there have been some notable scams such as the notorious MacDefender that hit OS X a few years ago, along with ongoing phishing efforts, and the sneaky installation of unwanted application and download managers like Genieo. Along with these, there are progressive variants of less notable malware and scam software making the rounds.

A VirusTotal uploader package has been available for Windows system, but with the Mac version now available, you can make submissions to VirusTotal directly from your Mac’s desktop. The package quite simple to use, and presents a basic drag-and-drop interface where you can drag any suspect applications, files, folders, and have them be scanned or uploaded to the VirusTotal service.

Unlike many security software packages for OS X, the VirusTotal service is not a system scanner and does not provide you with automatic detection options. Instead, it is a collective community effort to identify and flag malware, which should help stem the flow of malware that is increasing at rates that make it almost impossible for security companies to keep up.

When you drag a suspicious file onto the uploader, it will be sent to VirusTotal and then checked with over 50 different malware scanning routines to verify the file and determine whether or not it is malware.

Google’s VirusTotal uploader is a free 8.95MB download, and while Google’s announcement claims it has been tested to work on OS X 10.8 and 10.9, the uploader should also work on systems running OS X 10.7.