Do You Really Need Antivirus Software in 2022?
#7 Is Antivirus Software really necessary these days? No. Let's read along to know why.
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About a decade ago, antivirus software was prevalent in the computer industry. I still remember trying out Nortan, Avast and Kaspersky on my laptop during my University days. Sometimes I’d even install two of them for extra protection - please don’t judge me 🤦🏼♂️! I stopped using dedicated antivirus software over a decade ago and never had any security incidents. Antivirus software was expensive back then, and you could see their advertisements everywhere. Now I hardly hear about them. Why is that? Let’s find out.
The Decline
I am not going to name any software, as it doesn’t matter since you shouldn’t be using any of them anyway. Below are some of the reasons which led to the downfall.
Antivirus software can’t protect you from viruses effectively anymore. Wait does that mean you should be worried? No, and you will find out why soon.
They hog your system resources and kill the performance of your machine sometimes even rendering it practically impossible to work upon.
Some of the manufacturers have been caught selling user data without their permission.
A famous antivirus software manufacturer was accused of installing mining software without the user’s knowledge.
Users slowly lost trust in antivirus software, during this time Microsoft Defender Antivirus was gaining some traction. Microsoft Defender Antivirus is free and comes with the Windows operating system. The brand name also helped with gaining the trust that was lost.
How to Stay protected?
If you are on macOS and Linux, the good news is you are already protected as viruses are very rare for these operating systems and the in-built features are capable enough to protect you. Even if you are on Windows, the in-built antivirus is enough to protect you from most of the security threats as long as you don’t visit sketchy websites and download stuff from there. Here are some things you should do to keep your PC protected:
Don’t fall for scams by clicking the flashing messages on sites: You don’t just win free iPhones or cars by clicking on sites. Pause and think about how the site generated so much revenue, just by you clicking, so that they are offering millions worth of free stuff. Stay away from the darker sides of the internet at all costs.
Be vigilant: Don’t click on any links in the emails or messages especially if you don’t know the sender, verify with them via a call or by their official email address. If you see something too good to be true, it probably is.
Keep your computer up-to-date: Make sure you’ve enabled automatic Windows Update, which automatically installs critical security updates. But don’t stop with Windows or macOS updates. Be sure to check for updates on all the apps you run regularly. Although updates usually are released to fix bugs, they almost always close security holes/exploits as well.
Backup your important data: Always keep a backup of your important data, preferably one in the cloud and the other offline just in case. This way even if you lose everything on your PC due to malware, your data will still be safe. Encrypt the backup to add a layer of protection. If you are using an offline backup solution ensure that you have at least two copies of the data and one of the copies is off-site.
Don’t install anything you don’t know: Stick to the programs you’re already familiar with from trusted websites only.
Should I Use Antivirus?
If you follow all of the above tips, then I can confidently say, no, you don’t have to. What if you are not tech-savvy? Maybe your parents or grandparents are not aware of these threats. However, you can help them by reaching out when needed. For example, when my parents see a suspicious message or email they immediately ask me if it’s genuine. Encourage them to reach out to you and help them stay safe!
Do you still use antivirus software? Do let me know in the comments below.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article useful, share it with your friends. Keep smiling, stay safe and take care! 😊
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