Can't resist commenting on this topic, as it's a pet peeve of mine. My view: Pretty much every anti-virus program I've tried behaves more like a virus than a virus does. They cause a myriad of problems, not the least of which is extreme slowness in many cases. Yes they have various options that can be set, but trying to figure out what options need to be adjusted - rules, ports, etc. etc. - for a particular app you are running can be difficult to figure out. Even when you do, the app may still be being blocked based on some invisible thing the AV is doing. I've had AV programs that are harder to remove from a computer than a virus is - in my view that qualifies as malicious software. This especially applies to AV components that have made deals with companies like Dell, HP, etc., and ship WITH the machine.
- Every year or so for the past 19 years I try a major AV software (McAfee, Norton), just to double check if the situation is any better. It never is. I always end up removing it.
- In my entire life, I've never had viruses other than a small handful of times, something minor, that was easily removable by following instructions I found online. And frankly...I always knew what stupid thing I'd done to cause them. Always. Never in my life of 24/7 PC use + four family members have I EVER gotten ANY kind of virus based on being smart while doing normal things.
- I DO turn on, utilize, and fully allow the built-in Windows AV things--Defender and everything else.
- I pay attention to browser settings, recommended settings, and Chrome warnings, the combination of which is very advanced these days and serves as an AV shield itself.
- I use a lot of common sense, from the knowledge level of a tech saavy person of course, when it comes to where and how I browse, and from where and what I download. I have my family members trained to come to me first when deciding what to click on in the really risky scenarios--Like downloading "free mp3's", for example.
I'm not saying this approach is for everyone. Everyone has their unique situation and varies VERY widely. People have different ports open, use different types of software, and browse different types of websites. People have different behavior and use different security defaults. And I'm only referring to typical personal PC use....Not commenting whatsoever on servers, websites, etc.
But for me personally, it's absolute hands-down against any major A.V. software. They behave horribly, worse than a virus, and I've avoided viruses my whole life by using common sense and built in Windows safeguards...and Chrome. IF it were true that AV software was lightweight, less impactful to daily life, and behaved perfectly--Sure, I'd get it--like any other type of insurance. But weighing my experience vs. the potential benefit....No. In practice (not sure about theory), I'm like
@AccessBlaster