It doesn’t feel that long ago that one of the first things I did with a new WIndows installation was get some antivirus software on there. At first, I used free software like Avast, but eventually I ponied up for paid software, especially after my computer was connected to the internet and I had more to worry about than an infected USB drive.
But, when I switched to Windows 8 in 2012, I just didn’t feel the need to do it any longer. Windows reached the point where third-party security seemed like a waste of money, and a source of complications.
Why I stopped paying for third-party antivirus
Microsoft used to be good
Credit: Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | Melnikov Dmitriy / Shutterstock
You might have heard of “Sherlocking” which is associated with Apple and macOS. It happens when macOS (or any of the Apple OSes) lacks a feature everyone wants. Then a third-party developer creates this feature and it becomes popular. Not long after, Apple clones the feature and turns it into a native macOS feature. It comes from the software Sherlock, which allowed Mac users to instantly search for anything on their computers in an instant, but then we got Spotlight Search and, well, you know the rest.
The thing is, Sherlocking happens everywhere, not just on Mac. In the case of Windows, Microsoft started including apps and features that would have required a third-party purchase. In fact, the company got in trouble for including Internet Explorer with every copy of Windows, especially at a time where people actually bought browser software for money, such as Netscape.
Today, in Windows 11, you’ll find software that does what paid antivirus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware packages do. Are some of these paid programs more feature rich, or better at their jobs? Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean they are worth the money for the average person.
Microsoft Defender is better than you think
In defense of Defender
You don’t have to go far to find plenty of articles on our own site by my colleagues assuring us that we don’t need third-party antivirus, and that you don’t absolutely need to pay for malware protection.
Microsoft Defender is actually a complete and proper antivirus package. It provides real-time antivirus protection, you can manually scan files with it, and its database of virus definitions is updated constantly. Just like any of the paid options. In other words, it provides all the same fundamental security paid software does, but it’s not in your face or full of extra advanced features.
Whether that makes it better or worse than other AV packages is a matter of opinion, but personally I prefer it if I don’t even know the antivirus is there. In that regard, Windows Defender has every other option beaten.
I rely on layered security, not a single app
Security is more than one software package
Not only is something like Defender not your sole line of defense against malware and other similar threats, it shouldn’t be!
For internet-based threats, your browser already provides a first line of defense. Chrome and Microsoft Edge are good examples. Features like Safe Browsing and SmartScreen block potentially malicious downloads, or sites with compromised security certificates.
Then I have my mesh router system which also has a built-in anti-malware filter. This blocks malicious ads or prevents me from visiting known phishing or otherwise dangerous sites without the actual website data ever reaching my computer.
9/10
Brand
Unifi
Range
1,750 square feet
The Unifi Dream Router 7 is a full-fledged network appliance offering NVR capabilities, fully managed switching,a built-in firewall, VLANs, and more. With four 2.5G Ethernet ports (one with PoE+) and a 10G SFP+ port, the Unifi Dream Router 7 also features dual WAN capabilities should you have two ISP connections. It includes a 64GB microSD card for IP camera storage, but can be upgraded for more storage if needed. With Wi-Fi 7, you’ll be able to reach up to a theoretical 5.7 Gbps network speed when using the 10G SFP+ port, or 2.5 Gbps when using Ethernet.
Smart habits do more than any antivirus
You are the weakest link
Credit: Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | VLADGRIN / Shutterstock
On top of all this active protection, I also try and practice hygenic computer habits. I don’t visit sketchy sites if I can help it, and I don’t download pirated software, or unknown executables. When I do have to engage with this sort of stuff as part of my job, I sandbox the potential threat or run it on a virtual machine. Common sense measures like these, combined with active protection, are a potent combination.
Apart for this, the best you can do is keep Windows updated with the latest security patches, and ensure that you use strong unique passwords for everything, with multi-factor authentication, or passkeys.
Extra safeguards that close the remaining gaps
When you really think about it, there are only three things you’re trying to prevent here:
- Theft of your information
- Destruction of your data
- Disruption of your work
So far, the measures I’ve mentioned do a good job in all three areas, but you can do a bit more.
If you aren’t already, enable full disk encryption using BitLocker, and upload your most crucial data to the cloud to protect it against local deletion or encryption by ransomware. There is no such thing as foolproof security, but I think what you can achieve for free is adequate for most people. If you’re keeping top secret documents or are a target for government-level hackers, well you’re in the wrong place for security advice for that!
