Quote:
Originally Posted by badgoodDeb
I did delete the now obsolete trial antivirus software, since it was asking for money. "Avast" is on there now.
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I'm contrary on this.
I had an epiphany on my old XP machine. I was running Symantec Corporate A/V, courtesy of a corporate site license. The version I was running reached EOL and was no longer getting virus signature updates. I no longer worked for that employer, so a new version I would be on my dime. I asked myself "Do I
need to run A/V?" and concluded I didn't. A/V came off the machine.
Viruses and malware are infections. Infections have vectors by which they enter the host body. Ward the vector, and block the infection.
The primary vector for viruses is email. I use Gmail as my primary email account, and it polls a couple of others, so all mail appears in my Gmail Inbox. I read and reply in my browser, and Google has viewers for common attachment types, so there's generally no need to actually download anything to my machine. My mail can live on Google's servers, thank you.
Since I don't download mail with potentially malicious payloads, my need for A/V goes away. (Downloads all come from known-good sites that scan on their end.)
The vector for malware is the browser. Most targets IE. I don't
use IE. I run Firefox as my production browser, with the NoScript and uBlock Origin add-ons. (I run Malware Bytes scanner occasionally, and it never finds anything.)
On Win7, I ran Microsoft's Microsoft Security Essentials, which includes A/V and anti-malware, mostly to keep Windows from complaining. On Win10, that has become Microsoft Defender. To keep Windows happy, I leave it configured and get automatic updates.
I don't run third-party A/V or "active" anti-malware defenses. I've warded the vectors.
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Dennis