Is There a Need For Anti Virus?

Topbike77

I use my computer for browsing, facebook, utube, itunes, skype, editing and heavy gaming. I have been using bitdefender anti virus for years and decided to remove it a few months back as I thought it may slow down my pc and hinder my performance (especially for gaming).
Is there a need for anti virus software, I am "Internet Wise" ie. I do not open emails asking me if I want free Viagra etc.
Any advice/opinions?

syklops

Ronan14 wrote: »

I use my computer for browsing, facebook, utube, itunes, skype, editing and heavy gaming. I have been using bitdefender anti virus for years and decided to remove it a few months back as I thought it may slow down my pc and hinder my performance (especially for gaming).
Is there a need for anti virus software, I am "Internet Wise" ie. I do not open emails asking me if I want free Viagra etc.
Any advice/opinions?

Back in the days of having 4MB of Ram and a 90Mhz CPU there was an argument for AV slowing down the computer during Gaming. Nowadays 2-4 Gigs of RAM minimum, the AV software would have to be written very badly to noticeably slow down your machine.

If you are browsing on the internet, you really should have antivirus. I know you said you are internet-wise, but exploits are found for flash and other web technologies all the time, and there can sometimes be a few days or even a couple of weeks from discovery of the vulnerability to there being a patch available, giving plenty of time for malware to compromise your system.

drunkmonkey

Get the free microsoft one and you'll be fine, intelligent web browsing beats 9 out of 10 virus's.

BaconZombie

Install Microsoft Security Essentials.

Also using facebook and youtube and been "Internet Wise" in the same sentence is an oxymoron.

Ronan14 wrote: »

I use my computer for browsing, facebook, utube, itunes, skype, editing and heavy gaming. I have been using bitdefender anti virus for years and decided to remove it a few months back as I thought it may slow down my pc and hinder my performance (especially for gaming).
Is there a need for anti virus software, I am "Internet Wise" ie. I do not open emails asking me if I want free Viagra etc.
Any advice/opinions?

Capt'n Midnight

Ronan14 wrote: »

I use my computer for browsing, facebook, utube, itunes, skype, editing and heavy gaming. I have been using bitdefender anti virus for years and decided to remove it a few months back as I thought it may slow down my pc and hinder my performance (especially for gaming).
Is there a need for anti virus software, I am "Internet Wise" ie. I do not open emails asking me if I want free Viagra etc.
Any advice/opinions?

internet wise ?

miscreants have put dodgy stuff in google ads , so if you have ads anywhere you are vulnerable unless you have locked down your browser




Also today

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/18/flash_webcam_flaw/
"This works precisely like regular clickjacking - you click on a transparent flash object, it allows access to Camera/Audio channel. Voila, attacker sees and hears you,"
...
"The basic problem with Flash is that it doesn't have modal dialogues that pop up outside of the browser, which can alert the user to what's about to happen," Hansen explained. "Because the dialogues are on the same page as the adversary's code, they can overlay things, make it opaque, and so on, to effectively hide the dialogue warning."

Browsing the web is the most dangerous thing you can do when it comes to Malware.... As the above points out