Most people have antivirus on at least one of their devices; however, you would be surprised to learn how little they know about it. Not only that, but you would be surprised at how many false beliefs they have about the way antivirus software works.
Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer; nothing breeds overconfidence as ignorance. It’s even worse; we’re not discussing the scenario you don’t know about. We’re talking about myths – something you believe you know—that will lead you to all the worst conclusions and decisions.
Here are seven such myths!
1. Free Antivirus and Premium Antivirus Are the Same
The first and biggest misconception about antivirus software is that there’s no difference between free and premium versions of the same software. This is just not true. According to tech expert Krishi Chowdhary from Techopedia, all it takes is to look up any free vs paid antivirus comparison to see the difference.
The fundamental difference between primary and comprehensive protection is hard to compare. While essential protection will keep you safe from viruses, malware, and phishing, you’ll probably have to upgrade your plan to get protection from ransomware and spyware.
Also, remember that with a free antivirus, you get a limited number of features and no advanced features. You’ll often get a firewall, VPN, and parental controls with a premium antivirus. This is a bit more expensive, but count on the potential cost of getting all these features individually. The VPN alone could exceed the cost of this premium plan.
In other words, while free antivirus is better than no antivirus, a premium plan gives you the optimal value for your money.
2. Antivirus Slows Down Your Computer
This myth is not a false claim in a conventional sense. It has some basis in reality. Sure, modern antivirus systems don’t slow down modern computers. However, in both of these statements, the emphasis is on the contemporary.
A modern antivirus is developed to work optimally. It shuts down all unnecessary features, has a standby mode, and minimizes its CPU consumption overall, which wasn’t the case in the past.
Modern hardware is also incredibly potent. The reality is that, in the past, you could only run so many processes because your processor and RAM were so limited. In the past, an antivirus could easily occupy 5-10% of your computing capability. Today, it’s a fraction of a percent, which is barely noticeable.
The same goes for your internet connection. Today, broadband is much faster than it once was.