Should you install an antivirus or not? This is the big question for many users, but when in doubt most of them install it. Bad news, according to an expert from the Mozilla Foundation, antiviruses are useless. Worse yet, they are dangerous for your computer.
In a blog post, Robert O'Callahan, former developer of the Mozilla Foundation (originally the Firefox browser) sounded the alarm bells about antivirus. According to him, they are not only unnecessary, but also dangerous for your computer. He explains that “Antivirus software companies are appalling” and warns users bluntly:
Do not buy anti-virus software, and uninstall it if you have one (except on Windows for Microsoft).
You will understand, if you are using a Windows computer, you can already remove all your antivirus. Please note, this concerns users of versions of the Microsoft OS ranging from Windows 7 to Windows 10 including Windows Defender. According to Robert O'Callahan, all the others Third-party antivirus should be avoided for several reasons.
SummaryAntiviruses are dangerous
The first reason mentioned by the ex-developer at Mozilla is that antiviruses ultimately do your computer more harm than good. The expert does not spare his words:
At best, there is insufficient evidence to show that major antiviruses that are not provided by Microsoft offer a real gain from a security perspective. They are more likely to significantly affect security.
He is not the only one to make this kind of remark. On Twitter, Justin Schuh, security manager of the Google Chrome development team explains that antiviruses are the “main obstacles to offering a secure browser”. O'Callahan takes up this thesis by explaining that antiviruses are coded no matter what, which would make the task extremely difficult for publishers and developers of browsers. He thus reveals:
Antivirus software has blocked Firefox updates several times, preventing users from getting important security fixes.
Even more serious according to the former Mozilla developer, antivirus software itself introduces flaws in software which was then healthy until its installation. He writes :
When your software crashes during startup due to interference from the antivirus, users blame your software, not the antivirus.
According to him, if software companies like Microsoft do not react to this kind of inconvenience, it is because they are forced to collaborate with antivirus companies.
Uninstall your antivirus and use best practices
As we often explain to you, the antivirus is not mandatory. You just need to multiply the best practices to be able to use your computer safely, this rule also applies to Android. Thus, it is recommended to make the updates of your operating system and especially to pay attention to the websites that you visit and especially the content that you download. Finally, regarding your emails, the greatest caution is in order. If you have the slightest doubt about an email, it is better to avoid opening it. So, are you one of those people who use an antivirus?
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