Windows 10: Do I need to Install Antivirus Software?

Malicious programs can be a big problem and there’s no doubting that. However, do we really need security software? Or is it possible to protect our computers without it?
After all, many people on forums have repeatedly mentioned that they only rely on Windows 10 hacks and their own computer knowledge for protecting themselves. So, what’s the big deal? Well, let’s find out.

The Short Answer

The short answer is that yes, you do need Antivirus software. Other solutions such as Anti-Adware, Anti-Ransomware, and Anti-Malware are recommended as well.
Why? Well, security programs increase your overall security and more security is better. From that point of view, that’s all there is to it.
So, if it’s that simple, then what’s up with all the people who are asking this question? The answer is that it’s not that simple.
Some people can indeed live without additional security. If you’re reading this article, chances are that you’re not one of them yet. Why? We’ll need a longer answer for this.

The Long Answer

Let’s take things from the beginning. Viruses are trying to infect us while we’re browsing the Internet and Antivirus programs are protecting our computer from them, right? Wrong! Partially right, but wrong.
That’s a common misconception that many people have about viruses and security programs. Yes, it is possible for a virus to automatically infect you out of nowhere and yes, your Antivirus can protect you from it. However, that’s not all there is to it.
To truly understand how that stuff works and why some people don’t use an Antivirus, you’ll have to understand:

1. How an infection truly happens
2. How we protect ourselves

Only then you’ll realize why the question of using an Antivirus or not is a question and not a fact.

How an Infection Truly Happens

First of all, most people still think only viruses exist. Get that idea out of your head. This is 2018 – there are many types of malware out there and they all infect us in different ways.
For an example, browser hijackers generally come bundled with shady freeware programs, Ransomware generally asks you to enable MS Word Macros in order for it to infect you, etc.
Each kind of malware may utilize different methods of infecting you. But, the two examples that I just gave you have a common ground. Did you notice it? Both of them require certain actions to be taken by the user.
That’s right. You’re not getting infected by malware – you’re the one who’s infecting his computer with malware. There’s a big difference.
There are some exceptions where you can get infected seemingly out of nowhere without you touching anything, but they are often rare. Zero-day exploits are a great example of this.

How to Protect Windows 10?

Like I mentioned above, we’re often the ones who make the infection happen in the first place. Which means that the first layer of security is us and not security programs.
You see where this is going right? Given the fact that you can avoid getting infected in the first place, you can easily protect yourself without using Antivirus software.
However, knowing how all the different types of malware behave and knowing how to protect yourself is not an easy task.
Many years of experience are required for such things and you may still go wrong somewhere.
In overall, we’re mostly using security programs so that we’ll be able to protect our computers from our mistakes.
And it doesn’t necessarily need to be against malware. Security programs have become so advanced that they can protect us from scammers, fake websites, and other kinds of threats as well.
Conclusion
That’s nice and everything but the question remains, should we use Antivirus software or not? The final answer is: It depends.
Yes, I know. You may not like this answer, but that’s how it is and the same applies with most technology related subjects.
If you’re a tech-savvy person who knows everything about how computers and malware work, then yeah – you can probably live without an Antivirus. But, if you were, then you wouldn’t be reading this article, would you?
The truth is that the mast majority of us will need an Antivirus just to be on the safe side.