Is an Antivirus still good enough to protect you?
Antivirus software is either offered as a free basic version or a paid pro version with some additional features. The same holds true for Internet Security Suites too. Out of these two, the paid ones typically are bulkier, occupy more space, take up RAM and use more CPU, etc., while at the same time offering you integrated protection. The problem starts at the point where the advanced anti-malware starts interfering with your operating system and browsers. These security software reach out to the OS kernel and tweak it for continuous monitoring. They also bypass the built-in features of browsers that detect dangerous web pages. That means installing such a security software can expose you more to the dangers lurking out there on the Internet.
Do Antivirus really work?
According to Google Zero Day Blog, a security researcher found many vulnerabilities in the Symantec antivirus suite, that allowed malware to get into the base and exploit the operating systems. The post also mentions Norton security software and explains that since this antivirus software can tweak the OS and browsers, they can easily be targeted to compromise the computer. The blog also cites examples of compressed applications. When developers want to reduce the footprint of their applications, they compress the applications and hence, are not easily identified by antivirus. To solve this, anti-malware from Symantec or Norton unpacks the application straight in the Kernel – instead of using sandboxing techniques. You can imagine what may happen while unpacking an infected application in the base of the operating system. As far as Symantec is concerned, it released few updates and says the issues pointed out by Google are solved for now. But Symantec is not the only one. There are many other antimalware packages and more zero-day vulnerabilities to be explored and patched. Reading this, one might feel that using a basic antivirus software is better as it not only saves on resources but also doesn’t go on to integrate themselves with the operating system files.
Do you need antivirus?
Yes, sure you need an antivirus software not just for your Windows computer, but even for your Mac or Linux systems, these days. While it is good to use a modern operating system like Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7 to protect your computer against online threats, security software offers an additional layer of protection against malware. It will help you stop almost all known malware and even detect unknown ones on heuristics – although this does not always succeed. Most malware today, get on systems, due to user-initiated actions. It could be a user clicking on a bad link, visiting a malicious website, not paying attention during installation, opening infected attachments, and so on. And so, in today’s times, to stay safe online not only do you need to secure your Windows PC, but you need to also exercise common sense and follow these basic Internet security tips: Conclusion: So Is your Antivirus still good enough to protect you from modern online threats? Well – it is good, but not enough! Many today feel that antivirus software has become redundant. What do you think and how do you protect your computer? Do you use or not use antivirus software? If you do, which one do you trust?
