News - Don’t waste cash on Antivirus software suggests new report

[HEXUS]

Freebie antivirus software is the “optimal” solution says University of Tel Aviv study.

Read more.

[ddg4005]

I've found that Windows Defender in Win8 is more than capable of removing malware. I haven't purchased an antivirus suite in nine years.

[edvinasm]

Have to agree with the article. I have been buying NAV for years and for other PCs installing free antivirus like AVG and all PCs are the same to date. Both types secure so.. The only thing is NAV package costs me €10 per PC so not that big of a loss annualy.

[bridges009]

No surprise surely.

[jnutt]

Well I work in a large firm who use one of the brand leaders for AV security and Malware detection and we still spend a lot of time re-imaging systems that have been infected. At home I use Microsoft Security Essentials and so far its been as good as anything out there. In the event I need an extra bit to remove something, Malwarebytes does the trick.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

It could be a conspiracy!!

[k4p84]

people still pay for antivirus ! the biggest resource hogs on old PCs are the anitvirus apps. Install Win Defender and MSE and you are set, plus it updating as part of WU is great

[dangel]

people still pay for antivirus ! the biggest resource hogs on old PCs are the anitvirus apps. Install Win Defender and MSE and you are set, plus it updating as part of WU is great

Windows Defender is replaced by MSE in Windows 7. In Windows 8 Windows Defender is effectively MSE so you install nothing

[sweey]

No surprise surely.

This.

[shaithis]

I've found that Windows Defender in Win8 is more than capable of removing malware. I haven't purchased an antivirus suite in nine years.

It's driven me insane a couple of times....

Most notably....deciding an APK for an Android rooting app is an exploit (which it is, just not for WINDOWS!) and then moving it to some stupid folder and not letting me move it back.

It's just more dug in and less visible then MSE.....which is a step backwards IMO

[=assassin=]

I just use the standard AV that Windows 7 have, with the Microsoft Security Essentials package installed. I use Zone Alarm for firewall, plus my router has built in firewall too.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

It could be a conspiracy!!

Dons the conspiracy cape - I wonder if the Mossad is involved in any way??

[cheesemp]

I'm quite happy with Avast free - prefer it to Microsofts free effort as that feels like have all my eggs in one basket.

I think the biggest security risks I see nowadays are java, old IE (both are so full of holes and seem to have new exploits daily!) and not installing random stuff off the internet (which seems to result in Fake AV apps that I've had to remove from friends PCs). Not seeing much in the way of genuine viruses now - just malware.

[howdee]

I'm quite happy with Avast free - prefer it to Microsofts free effort as that feels like have all my eggs in one basket.

I think the biggest security risks I see nowadays are java, old IE (both are so full of holes and seem to have new exploits daily!) and not installing random stuff off the internet (which seems to result in Fake AV apps that I've had to remove from friends PCs). Not seeing much in the way of genuine viruses now - just malware.

Well, malware includes viruses, but you're correct we don't see the binary counterparts of the real life viruses so often any more, thus all the new names to call different types of malware by. It could be due to advanced heuristic algorithms used in AV software detecting typical virus behaviour more easily than if they mask themselves as genuine user applications, who knows? But I doubt this being the case. We just have to look at what these malawares want to achieve and IMHO the answer is self-obvious: they need to rely on system libraries to effectively hide themselves from AV scanners, pretending to be of genuine value to the user. On top of that, they can be written faster (changing hash signatures before detection) and don't have to worry about finding doors to open when system APIs tell them where to look. They will get picked out by AVs in time, when their hashes find ways into 'virus' signature updates. Until then, they stay undetected, opening other doors to your system as they please. All they need is an unsuspecting computer user answering YES to a dialog box. How many do you know that actually read what's written in those warnings before giving an application permission to run? Personally, I don't know of many that do. There's no AV out there that can protect them from their own stupidity, and while MS is trying hard, they can only do that much before the system starts asking us questions such as "You moved your mouse cursor to the left. Are you sure you want to do that? Click on the button on the right to confirm.". Cheers!

[OilSheikh]

Good God! People still buy Norton AV?

[KeyboardDemon]

So research sponsored by a company that manufactures hardware security solutions has found that software solutions offer inadequate protection. Well I'm convinced.

Yeah right!