Most of the major AV products started out when Windows and its major browsers were insecure. The best defence against ransomware is an offline backup of all your essential data. They know they can blackmail people into paying for something they value – their personal files, financial information, family photos etc – and the arrival of Bitcoin has provided a secure way to collect the cash. They are interested in collecting financial information and passwords etc, but there’s also a trend towards ransomware. They don’t want to show off: they want their malware to stay hidden. They are less interested in viruses that replicate themselves – their delivery mechanisms are emails and websites. Today’s malware is written by professionals who are in business to make money. Most of the major AV products started out when many viruses were written by amateurs who were showing off. Software can’t protect people from themselves. Less knowledgeable users can get their PCs infected no matter how much protection you give them. I ran Windows XP for a year to try to prove it. All these factors should be taken into account.Ī risk-aware Windows user can probably survive without any anti-virus software at all. Some need to protect very valuable information. Some venture into riskier parts of the internet. Some people are more accident-prone than others, and some are less sensitive to threats. I am no longer sure that a third-party AV program is essential, and some of them may be detrimental. However, Windows has changed, and the threat landscape has changed. I’ve spent more than 20 years recommending various anti-virus programs as an essential part of any Windows setup. What protection would you now recommend? I am prepared to pay for something that works. I am not entirely convinced it’s worth what I am paying, and it is constantly suggesting, in a variety of less than subtle ways, that I should upgrade.

I am using Avast to protect my computer: you recommended it quite some time ago.

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