5 Common Myths that Stop People from Using an Antivirus

While this may seem like a bit of an odd subject to venture into, in this blog post we will list out some common reasons, or excuses, why you don’t really need antivirus or an effective computer security for your home PC. Out of the millions of computer users around the world, there are still many people who feel antivirus for their machine is unnecessary and actually causes more trouble than it’s worth.

With that in mind, here are some of the most popular reasons we have heard about why people don’t really need antivirus.

Myth # 1: You only visit safe websites

This is one of the most common excuses we have heard. However, the truth is that there are no safe websites anymore. Viruses and hackers have found ways to infiltrate even the most secure websites and connections in the recent past, so there really is no ‘safe haven’ on the Internet. There have been numerous drive-by downloads, DDoS attacks, password breaches, SSL breaches and more to convince us that completely secure websites are now a thing of the past. Hackers are constantly innovating to find new ways to breach databases and websites, so the antivirus industry and PC users need to be aware and updated at all times. So before you write off antivirus for your PC, ask yourself how many websites that you visit can be classified as completely safe.

Myth # 2: Security solutions slow your machine down

One common complaint that we receive every once in a while is that security solutions make their machine slow. However, and as many tests have proved, security solutions do not make a drastic change in the speed of a system. Modern encryption methods are designed to utilize barely any resources, so the potential cause of this ‘slowing down’ could be that multiple scans are running simultaneously or that too many redundant activities are occurring at the same time and causing an overlap that slows the machine down. If a machine is running a solution and does not meet its minimum system requirements then that could also be causing the PC to slow down.

Myth # 3: You don’t have any data that is worth hackers’ efforts

Let’s create some confusion and say that a hacker does not care about you personally. Nor does he care about your personal address and other details, unless he has a personal vendetta against you. However, when we speak about details of hundreds and thousands of users, then this same information becomes infinitely more valuable to hackers. They can misuse data for financial gains or can sell it to other malicious parties. So do not believe that you have nothing to protect. Anyone who goes online has some data that belongs to them and is vulnerable, and hence needs protection.

Myth # 4: You own a Mac and Macs don’t get viruses

This misconception has been around for a rather long time, but people are finally wisening up to the fact that Macs do get viruses, and need antivirus protection too. Most viruses are aimed at Windows platforms as most computer users operate on this platform. However, Mac users tend to falsely believe that their product is invulnerable, and this overconfidence is picked on by hackers and malware authors. So if you own a Mac, you need to consider getting a security product, just as much as someone who owns a Windows machine.

Myth # 5: You don’t need to connect to the Internet

If you only use your machine for playing some old games, then you probably don’t need to connect to the Internet. In that case, an antivirus solution may be a bit superfluous for your PC. However, a large majority of machines today are used for exchanging emails, downloading content, streaming videos, carrying out banking transactions or shopping online. So if you’re using your machine for any of these activities, then you definitely need to consider installing a security solution to stay safe against all kinds of malware and cyberattacks and social engineering tricks.

If none of these conditions apply to you, then you certainly need to consider investing in a good antivirus solution. Quick Heal Total Security is a trustworthy and versatile product that offers complete system protection without compromising on system performance. Great features such as web security, browser sandbox, parental control, email security and others are just some of the reliable highlights from the Quick Heal Labs.