7 reasons to not ... install an Antivirus

[LabZero]

• I have nothing to protect;
• my cousin who works at the computer department and then he is informed, told me that an antivirus is useless;
• I understand when my PC is infected without necessity of antivirus; (the "psychics technician" are the most fun );
• It is too expensive;
• It slows down my PC;
• I'm more smart of malware;
• my computer is inviolable because ...my operating system is not Windows and viruses are coded for Windows only.

 

[Vasudev]

• I have nothing to protect;
• my cousin who works at the computer department and then he is informed, told me that an antivirus is useless;
• I understand when my PC is infected without necessity of antivirus; (the "psychics technician" are the most fun );
• It is too expensive;
• It slows down my PC;
• I'm more smart of malware;
• my computer is inviolable because ...my operating system is not Windows and viruses are coded for Windows only.

1.Even if you've nothing invaluable, data can be sold to make a penny and consider stealing small chunks of invaluable data can add up a million dollars.
2.If you install normal AV, that is AV w/o heuristics which is garbage these days.
3.use MSE and MBAM.
4.Yes it can slowdown a PC. If performance is your concern, migrate to Linux distros.
5 & 6 depends on user so can't comment.

 

[LabZero]

1.Even if you've nothing invaluable, data can be sold to make a penny and consider stealing small chunks of invaluable data can add up a million dollars.
2.If you install normal AV, that is AV w/o heuristics which is garbage these days.
3.use MSE and MBAM.
4.Yes it can slowdown a PC. If performance is your concern, migrate to Linux distros.
5 & 6 depends on user so can't comment.

Of course , but many people unfortunately still believe that antivirus is not necessary and these are some fun reasons I collected.
I assure you that misinformation is worse than any malware.

 

[darko999]

I don't think "AV's w/o heuristics are garbage". Most detections on the wild comes from Heur/Signatures, so they help a lot. Proactive modules are useful and gives you an edge over newly created threats, however it may fail to detect common regular malware samples outhere. Both needs each other in order to provide a solid protection. Most AV's are helpless if the user itself equals to 0, the same applies to proactive defenses, if the user equals to 0 it will be helpless too. I use a mix of both concepts and I haven't been infected since ever, also; I have received help from them on certain installers coming from trusted sources that where infected with Adware, in such case it is a plus that helps. Malvertising is also a case where your properly configured AV solution may help, your AD block can fail sometimes where your AV will be another chance to win a battle, a little one; but they all count. I think that calling garbage software that have been being developed for years is not totally accurate. Anything can be considered garbage when the user behind it is not able to make it work and shine.
Performance issues are not only related to AV's but a major wide of things, in the present; any new computer is more than capable of running most AV with no issues on performance side of story, however; there will be always an impact. The same way as installing any other software that uses system resources.

 

[DracusNarcrym]

Those are very good points, @Klipsh.

However, I still believe that having control over actions that happen in the background in your PC, or controlling network connections is a very important thing.

There are other, more innovative security technologies other than traditional signature-based or even heuristics-based antivirus detection.
Nowadays there system snapshots (e.g. Rollback Rx), application isolation (e.g. COMODO Sandbox, Sandboxie), filesystem virtualization (e.g. Shadow Defender, Deep Freeze, BufferZone Pro), Host Intrustion Prevention System technologies (HIPS, a.k.a. behavior blocker), and one of the most secure ones, full system imaging (e.g. Acronis True Image or Windows Backup).

Of course, if a user practices safe computer use and web surfing habits, then the chances of infection are reduces dramatically, even without any security software installed on his/her computer.

 

[SloppyMcFloppy]

• I have nothing to protect;
• my cousin who works at the computer department and then he is informed, told me that an antivirus is useless;
• I understand when my PC is infected without necessity of antivirus; (the "psychics technician" are the most fun );
• It is too expensive;
• It slows down my PC;
• I'm more smart of malware;
• my computer is inviolable because ...my operating system is not Windows and viruses are coded for Windows only.

• I don't mind sharing my porn collection to other peoples.

 

[LabZero]

Of course, if a user practices safe computer use and web surfing habits, then the chances of infection are reduces dramatically, even without any security software installed on his/her computer.

The real geeks don't use the antivirus but how many are real experts ? It's easy to become targets, because even those safer behaviour might stumble across a reliable site that has been compromised. We are not all malware researchers.

 

[DracusNarcrym]

The real geeks don't use the antivirus but how many are real experts ? It's easy to become targets, because even those safer behaviour might stumble across a reliable site that has been compromised. We are not all malware researchers.

This is all true. As such, alternative security software such as sandbox applications are much more practical, lighter on the system, and effective. If a user is simply surfing, then a sandboxed browser in most cases would provide almost 100% protection against infection (but obviously NOT identity theft, bank credentials theft or website/service login information - other security software/methods are required so that users can protect themselves against such threats).

 

[jamescv7]

Antivirus is already obsolete way back before, since its like an antidote that works temporary only without providing long term solution.

For us experience users, we don't need an AV since as examine those products; the results are always disappointing hence we use alternative configuration like Lockdown Mode and HIPS.

Virtualization is the next thing in the security landscape follow by minor components like Anti-Keylogger to mainly focus on possible attacks, but we need to insist that AV should be a supplement for any computers as long they need to practice what is prevention for us.

 

[Soulbound]

• my computer is inviolable because ...my operating system is not Windows and viruses are coded for Windows only.

Not sure exactly where did this quote/idea came from but:

There is Linux malwares that target exploits, loop holes and vulnerabilities. Just haven't been wide spread due to the usual need of Root access. Doesn't meant they don't or never existed.
For example, older Linux versions running specific generic kernels in the past were prone and rather vulnerable to Buffer Overruns.

Social Engineering type also exists, such as the case of 2009's malware on Linux wide systems, where a malicious waterfall screensaver had a builtin script which infected the host for denial of service attacks purposes.

There has been at least 1 rootkit known in linux, several trojans and viruses. The difference is that they rarely work now due to patched kernels.

However this if the Linux OS is not fully patched with security vulnerabilities, I guarantee that you will have a surprise.

In the MacOS department, it is not unheard for malware. Common example: Mac Defender for OSX 10 and before. It was a fake.

 

[Deleted member 178]

• I have nothing to protect;
• my cousin who works at the computer department and then he is informed, told me that an antivirus is useless;
• I understand when my PC is infected without necessity of antivirus; (the "psychics technician" are the most fun );
• It is too expensive;
• It slows down my PC;
• I'm more smart of malware;
• my computer is inviolable because ...my operating system is not Windows and viruses are coded for Windows only.

You forgot reason 8 : because Umbra said so !

 

[LabZero]

You forgot reason 8 : because Umbra said so !

Lol, totally agree!

 

[Online_Sword]

The reasons that I heard most frequently:

• "I have a good habit of computation. With a good habit, I have not been infected for XXX years with no antivirus".
• "Nowadays hackers and malware writers are more interested in making profit than only destruction. As an ordinary home user, I will not be a valuable enough target for the hackers and malware writers."
• "Today there are so many people using free antivirus, so the malwares will not spread as widely and quickly as before".

Some reasons that I did not hear frequently but quite interesting:

• "It is said that NO antivirus can guarantee a 100%-protection. Then why I need an antivirus?"
• "I can recognize all the malwares by my eyes."

 

[Deleted member 178]

Some reasons that I did not hear frequently but quite interesting:

• "It is said that NO antivirus can guarantee a 100%-protection. Then why I need an antivirus?"
• "I can recognize all the malwares by my eyes."

Second one is from Neo

 

[Online_Sword]

By the way, some people claim that they have good habit only because they do not visit porn websites and do not use cracked softwares. Last week, a guy who claimed that he had a good habit, posted a screenshot on a security forum, which suggests that he even does not know how to display the extension of the files.

Well, not using cracked softwares is actually a good habit, though it is not enough to keep safe.

But, would porn websites be really more dangerous than normal websites? Is this a fact or a myth?

I am sorry for this off-topic discussion.

 

[LabZero]

But, would porn websites be really more dangerous than normal websites? Is this a fact or a myth?

Theoretically they should be safe because of the business around but .....not all

 

[Deleted member 178]

By the way, some people claim that they have good habit only because they do not visit porn websites and do not use cracked softwares. Last week, a guy who claimed that he had a good habit, posted a screenshot on a security forum, which suggests that he even does not know how to display the extension of the files.

even if you display extensions , packed malwares via Alternate data Streams will have their extension hidden.

text file as you will see:

same text file with hidden exe attached (this exe can be anything)

Well, not using cracked softwares is actually a good habit, though it is not enough to keep safe.

indeed

But, would porn websites be really more dangerous than normal websites? Is this a fact or a myth?

Myth, wallpaper sites are even more infected

 

[Deleted member 178]

and i can tell you this is a well-known and still used attack vector, AVs may miss the ADS.

 

[Online_Sword]

and i can tell you this is a well-known and still used attack vector, AVs may miss the ADS.

I am curious whether anti-exe programs could block such an EXE or not. In particular, it is mentioned in the manual of Bouncer that it does not depend on the extension.

 

[Enju]

I am curious whether anti-exe programs could block such an EXE or not. In particular, it is mentioned in the manual of Bouncer that it does not depend on the extension.

ADS have to be executed manually to launch, so if let's say the dropper, which should be blocked by the anti exe, tries to execute the file you should get an alert. ADS can not be executed by any Windows OS above Windows XP btw. this "feature" has been removed in Vista.