I frequently get asked whether antivirus programs are worth it. My typical response has been yes. Recently, I started wondering why?———————————————————————————————————————————We are told, in order to survive on the Internet, our computers need protection afforded by antivirus applications. If that’s true: * Why do computers still get infected?
* Would it be a lot worse if we didn’t use antivirus programs?Pondering those questions, I realized I may not have all the facts. So I began researching antivirus methodology. Here’s what I found out.
What we are up againstTake note, the bad guys are motivated. Leveraging malware-infected computers to make money is easier and safer than any other illegal endeavor. That said, I’d like to think we (victims) are motivated as well, especially since it’s our money they’re after. So why do cybercriminals have the upper hand? For starters, they benefit from: * Vulnerable software: It’s a given; software, especially complex code, will have exploitable bugs.
* Element of surprise: Normal users do not look for vulnerabilities in software. The bad guys do, affording themselves opportunities to exploit weaknesses long before the rest of us know about them.
* Playing catch up: It’s difficult to determine what malware will look like, forcing antivirus developers into a reactionary mode.
Read more: TechRepublic
* Would it be a lot worse if we didn’t use antivirus programs?Pondering those questions, I realized I may not have all the facts. So I began researching antivirus methodology. Here’s what I found out.
What we are up againstTake note, the bad guys are motivated. Leveraging malware-infected computers to make money is easier and safer than any other illegal endeavor. That said, I’d like to think we (victims) are motivated as well, especially since it’s our money they’re after. So why do cybercriminals have the upper hand? For starters, they benefit from: * Vulnerable software: It’s a given; software, especially complex code, will have exploitable bugs.
* Element of surprise: Normal users do not look for vulnerabilities in software. The bad guys do, affording themselves opportunities to exploit weaknesses long before the rest of us know about them.
* Playing catch up: It’s difficult to determine what malware will look like, forcing antivirus developers into a reactionary mode.
Read more: TechRepublic