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Why is Antivirus Software Still a Thing? (vice.com)
Antivirus has been around for more than 20 years. But do you still need it to protect yourself today? From a report: In general, you probably do. But there are caveats. If you are worried about your iPhone, there's actually no real antivirus software for it, and iOS is engineered to make it extremely difficult for hackers to attack users, especially at scale. In the case of Apple's computers, which run MacOS, there are fewer antiviruses, but given that the threat of malware on Mac is increasing ever so slightly, it can't hurt to run an AV on it. If you have an Android phone, on the other hand, an antivirus does not hurt -- especially because there have been several cases of malicious apps available on the Google Play Store. So, on Android, an antivirus will help you, according to Martijn Grooten, the editor of trade magazine Virus Bulletin.
When it comes to computers running Windows, Grooten still thinks you should use an AV. "What antivirus is especially good at is making decisions for you," Grooten told Motherboard, arguing that if you open attachments, click on links, and perhaps you're not too technically savvy, it's good to have an antivirus that can prevent the mistakes you may make in those situations. For Grooten and Simon Edwards, the founder of SE Labs, a company that tests and ranks antivirus software, despite the fact that Windows' own antivirus -- called Defender -- is a good alternative, it's still worth getting a third-party one. "Even if [Defender] wasn't the best and it isn't the best, it's is still a lot better than having nothing," Edwards told Motherboard. Yet, "we do see a benefit in having paid for AV product."
When it comes to computers running Windows, Grooten still thinks you should use an AV. "What antivirus is especially good at is making decisions for you," Grooten told Motherboard, arguing that if you open attachments, click on links, and perhaps you're not too technically savvy, it's good to have an antivirus that can prevent the mistakes you may make in those situations. For Grooten and Simon Edwards, the founder of SE Labs, a company that tests and ranks antivirus software, despite the fact that Windows' own antivirus -- called Defender -- is a good alternative, it's still worth getting a third-party one. "Even if [Defender] wasn't the best and it isn't the best, it's is still a lot better than having nothing," Edwards told Motherboard. Yet, "we do see a benefit in having paid for AV product."
Guys from Virus Bulletin and SE Labs that make lots of money from companies that make commercial third-party anti-virus products recommend you buy commercial third-party anti-virus products? Of course.
The summary is wrong, and it should be mentioned, antivirus CAN hurt you. And it can make your system *more* vulnerable.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
I agree up to a point. For most personal users doing normal things, it's worth having one very lightweight AV that will catch obvious and egregious malware, and Defender fits the bill for that. I don't recommend a lot of the 3rd party stuff. Some of it's fine, but a lot of it is more trouble than it's worth, especially if you don't understand it.
However, for businesses, you should get something in addition to Defender, if only to get a centralized console that the IT people can use to monitor and configure the AV. Further, some of the "next gen" antivirus products are good for monitoring behavior and flagging things that may be of concern. Unfortunately, those new technologies tend to require some babysitting, so it's not necessarily great for individual use.