Do I really need an Antivirus?

[mikeyp]

So i've been wondering this for a while. I've had my new computer for about 3 weeks, as yet haven't bothered to install an Antivirus or Firewall on it. I just find all programs of that nature so annoying. You're bombarded with constant popups telling you something's trying to do something, and do I want it to? Or that some program has been updated. Not to mention the system resources they consume.

I would say I was a fairly experienced user, I've removed enough virus' from other peoples computers. I'm running windows XP pro SP2. I never open email attachments. The email I use is part of nottingham uni's computer science network and has, I would say, fairly good antivirus protection on it.

All my web browsing (IE7 shock horror) and email is done with the aid of DropMyRights (which if you don't use and your account is an administrator i would highly recommend). Our router is another XP pro machine with an antivirus and firewall on it. I don't visit dubious sites, and have strict security settings on on my browser. I don't run any services, like FTP, SSH etc on my machine. Noone else uses my computer.

I'm sure a lot of you know far more about security than me, so maybe someone could tell me if I still need protection, and if so, why? If it turns out I do, what's the most lightweight program out there?

Many thanks,

Mike

[fo3nix]

Yes. No machine is invulnerable.

Try AVG free, and kerio personal firewall.

both consume little resources and don't pop up that often.

[rojash]

You cannot legally drive on a public road without insurance, yet any idiot can hook up to the internet without any kind of protection whatsoever.

My spam filter traps around 600 e-mails a day, most of which come from bots on "innocent" people's computers, because they don't have a decent firewall or up-to-date AV.

Multiply that 600 by the number of users on the net, and you get an idea of the incredible amount of bandwidth that is just wasted - to say nothing of the time and money invested in anti-spam, and the inconvenience caused to people whose legitimate e-mails are misidentified as spam.

[Buenchico]

I've run internet-connected PCs for years (not currently) with no anti-virus or Firewall protection without any great problems - but I wouldn't recommend it as a course of action for anyone else.

Like many others on AB, I use Zone Alarm Free as my firewall. When you first set it up, it uses the default settings which means that you do get those frequent pop-ups advising you of incoming traffic trying to access a port. However, it only takes a single click on 'Don't show this again' (or whatever the wording is - I don't remember exactly) and you never see another pop-up. (The firewall carries on working - it just doesn't keep telling you about it):
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/ products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry= US&lang=en

AVG Free anti-virus is also trouble free. It automatically updates itself every day so you don't have to do anything after you've installed it:
http://free.grisoft.com/

Both applications are totally free and, once you've installed them, you forget all about them and just let them get on with their job in the background.

Chris

[luckyeight]

Without getting too technical (because I can't!) I would say yes you should get anti virus software and a firewall. All it takes is one mistake by you and your pc could be screwed... And defending against a virus is so much easier than getting one on your system then trying to install a cleaner. My friend operates his pc the same as you - has no firewall but doesn't touch anything dodgy. So far he's been ok. I personally ran my pc for years without a firewall and it was ok but I eventually ended up with trojans by downloading 'music' (a risk which I presume you don't take). Another IT illeterate friend has just installed an internet/pc security package because I told them that otherwise going on the internet was like having unprotected sex and a firewall was like wearing a condom. I think it's a good analogy, bearing in mind the filthy internet that's out there!

[mikeyp]

Many thanks for your answers. I decided to install and antivirus and firewall, despite the annoying extra seconds startup and shutdown! At least I an be fairly confident i'm not going to get screwed now.

[MunnaChy]

you have to use antivirus, otherwise your system and activity information could be hacked

[MunnaChy]

Simplest way to keep away from germs is to try using practical, nonetheless will not signify make sure you keep away from antivirus once and for all. All of our associates along at the How-To Nerd demonstrate the key reason why.

Fine looking tactics normally takes you actually really a long way. If you ever will not be looking poorly lit web pages, getting it information out of suspicious methods, plus visiting one-way links out of people today you may not find out, you might decide to put you during a reduced amount of probability to get germs. Nonetheless Chad Hoffman out of How-To Nerd talks about the way to continue to have inflammed:

Most people assume that you may exclusively have adware by way of getting it suspicious information, going unpatched program, checking out a different web pages, plus executing alternative irresponsible such thinggs as obtaining Coffee beans plug-in made possible in the browser. It’s real – there are numerous ways the majority purchase adware. Nonetheless the following isn’t to get adware might pass on.

We certainly have before discussed “zero-day” intrusions – vulnerabilities the fact that crooks obtain initially. Models most people don’t be informed on, which will most people can’t secure our-self out of. During incidents for instance Pwn2Own plus Pwnium, contestants will be challenged so that you can endanger absolutely patched program for instance Internet explorer, Internet explorer, Web browser, Adobe Pen, and many more for your economical encourage. All these the forefox browser plus plug-ins predictably autumn as being the contestants apply unpatched basic safety blemishes so that you can trouble area its basic safety.

All these blemishes will be changed the minute they’re determined, nonetheless innovative models predictably arise.

To paraphrase, your laptop or computer may just be inflammed just simply out of you actually checking out a site. Even when you exclusively take a look at web pages you actually have faith in, web site on its own may just be lost – an element that develops by using disconcerting rate lately.

[fiction-factory]

Tom, I get the impression from these posts and those on many other forums that you are a bit of a fan of Norton.