Is paying for antivirus a waste of money?

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    Is paying for antivirus a waste of money?

    Is paying for antivirus a waste of money?


    Posted: 04 Mar 2016

    Commentary: It's been a long time since anti-malware suites have found anything on my computers. Maybe the Windows Defender that comes with Windows 10 is good enough?

    I always run an anti-malware security suite on my PC. Over the years I've made a point of running a variety of products.

    At least for many years, perhaps more than ten, they've found no malware on my computers. None.

    Perhaps I'm a more sophisticated user and I'm less likely to be taken off guard, but that can't be the whole answer. By the same token of expertise I take certain risks with dangerous files and sites that I would urge others to avoid like the plague.
    But now comes news that could change the calculus: Independent test lab AV-Test's December tests of Business security suites on Windows 10 showed marked improvement for Microsoft's anti-malware engine, the one that comes free for Windows 10 users as Windows Defender. This program used to be limited to "antispyware," a strange and purposeless distinction from malware generally.

    Microsoft has long had a free anti-malware product, Microsoft Security Essentials, for users to run on earlier versions of Windows, and it has always been used as a baseline in AV-Test rankings because it was so reliably at the bottom of the pack. Microsoft is also working to improve its protection by adding a cloud-based retrospective analysis service to detect breaches that have slipped through.

    The results are for System Center Endpoint Protection which is its managed solution. The user experience is different, but the engine is the same and the AV-Test results should be closely comparable to tests on Microsoft's consumer product at the same time (November and December).

    It's definitely not at the top and it's definitely not "industry-leading," but is it good enough? What do you really get from paying for the full AV subscription? The answer is complicated...


    Read more: Is paying for antivirus a waste of money? | ZDNet
    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    04 Mar 2016


  1. Posts : 7,128
    Windows 10 Pro Insider
       #1

    IMHO Windows Defender is OK and I use it in the Preview Version of Win 10. For my RTM versions of Win 10 I will continue to use ESET Smart Security and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
      My Computers


  2. whs
    Posts : 1,935
    Windows 7
       #2

    I agree. Especially Win10 seems to be safe enough out of the box.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 28
    Windows 11 22000.194
       #3

    Nothing is safe, nobody can protect you against your own but YOU. Antivirus is a load of crap costing CPU cycles to warn you too late that you are going to reinstall. Backup your data, did you hear that? Your data, nobody else but you. If you as end user choose to download questionable information from the internet, or even if you just quickly keep clicking yes install, yes also install this pop up in IE and oh please connect to my pictures and what not, your data is at risk. On a day by day experience I get more junk mail and I see more stuff not to click on than is good for any human being. It is what the internet has become, a trap to lure you in. I do not install anti virus software I make sure all my data is backed up three times, once local, once in the cloud and once a week to the vault, paranoid maybe but after losing all my pictures and music collections multiple times I now do not care if I am infected, I quickly put in my recovery USB stick, wipe my system clean, reinstall my OS and apps and the data recovers in the background. Of course I feel stupid when it happens, but I no longer but blame myself. Antivirus gives you a false sense of security, so does windows defender but I leave it there because it is part of the "experience". Once RedStone is stable and ready for prime I will most likely disable it for a while to see if I truly need it.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18
    XP/7/8.1/10 PRO 10586
       #4

    Winuser said:
    IMHO Windows Defender is OK and I use it in the Preview Version of Win 10. For my RTM versions of Win 10 I will continue to use ESET Smart Security and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
    +1

    I am with you on this 100% I want that security, even though I have my files backed up as other state, sometimes its one-click that could be the difference of being saved from a nasty virus or bug, then having to re-load the entire O/S from a backup because I find that as a waste of time and not rather amusing. Especially, all that time needed to customize everything to your liking. It's not a 30 minute procedure, it takes hours and causes frustration.

    Why not save yourself the trouble and stay safe? ESS user since version 3.0 and Windows XP, and Malware-bytes as long as I can remember. Lifetime licensed myself before it went to 1 year mode. I feel at ease. Good combination sir, I like it.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7,128
    Windows 10 Pro Insider
       #5

    heyyahblah said:
    +1

    I am with you on this 100% I want that security, even though I have my files backed up as other state, sometimes its one-click that could be the difference of being saved from a nasty virus or bug, then having to re-load the entire O/S from a backup because I find that as a waste of time and not rather amusing. Especially, all that time needed to customize everything to your liking. It's not a 30 minute procedure, it takes hours and causes frustration.

    Why not save yourself the trouble and stay safe? ESS user since version 3.0 and Windows XP, and Malware-bytes as long as I can remember. Lifetime licensed myself before it went to 1 year mode. I feel at ease. Good combination sir, I like it.
    I have the lifetime license also. I'm very glad I took advantage of the offer when it was available. Even though I know no security program is going to make me 100% safe I will continue to use them. I believe in the old saying a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 421
    Windows 10
       #6

    I have been on Windows 10 since it became available and all i have used is the default Windows Defender...I've gotten hit a total of 3 times since them with some pretty bad stuff (mostly trojans) and defender worked flawlessly...I was notified by windows notification center about it right away and Defender proceeded to knock them cold and isolate them...

    Then all i had to do was manually request that it trash them, and DONE...So i have total confidence that Defender at this point in time, works so well, that nothing else is really needed...:)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,191
    Windows 11 Pro x64
       #7

    The best antivirus is backups.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 18
    XP/7/8.1/10 PRO 10586
       #8

    aelaan said:
    I do not install anti virus software I make sure all my data is backed up three times, once local, once in the cloud and once a week to the vault, paranoid maybe but after losing all my pictures and music collections multiple times I now do not care if I am infected, I quickly put in my recovery USB stick, wipe my system clean, reinstall my OS and apps and the data recovers in the background. Of course I feel stupid when it happens, but I no longer but blame myself. Antivirus gives you a false sense of security, so does windows defender but I leave it there because it is part of the "experience". Once RedStone is stable and ready for prime I will most likely disable it for a while to see if I truly need it.
    What a complete waste of time if you ask me.

    Geneo said:
    The best antivirus is backups.
    SMH, If you like wasting time formatting and restoring from backups, be my guest. I could think of other things to do during that free time, whilst I was protected from that malware that could have prevented a long and tedious mess in the first place.

    I guess a lot of people like playing with fire and feeling invincible, until the day comes that they finally get burned.

    Winuser said:
    I believe in the old saying a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

    I like the way you think. They will get burned sooner or later, what can you do? Nothing right.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 18
    XP/7/8.1/10 PRO 10586
       #9

    Craig said:
    I have been on Windows 10 since it became available and all i have used is the default Windows Defender...I've gotten hit a total of 3 times since them with some pretty bad stuff (mostly trojans) and defender worked flawlessly...I was notified by windows notification center about it right away and Defender proceeded to knock them cold and isolate them...

    Then all i had to do was manually request that it trash them, and DONE...So i have total confidence that Defender at this point in time, works so well, that nothing else is really needed...:)
    Windows Defender is flaud. You can send it into a permanent program boot-loop of cleaning, quarantine and exlcude and all you have to do is run the FFF-WinRaR keygen. Which is clean, comes up as a false positive everywhere. But run it on W10 with Defender on and your done. It will never remove it, constantly ask for removal or cleaning or exclusion and repeat over and over. Not even a system restore can save you, its a format. If you have time, try it in a VM. I did, and boy they were right. Don't rely on Defender.

    I'm glad at least @Winuser uses some type of protection.
      My Computer


 

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