Business | Technology
The problem with anti-virus suits
There are two sides to the malware issue. On one side, we have the malware writers, who are constantly trying to get us to download viruses, bots or other software to steal our information. On the other side, we have the anti-malware forces.
- By Scott Shuey, Chief Reporter
- Published: 00:32 February 16, 2008
I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to computer malware, the cure is only slightly better than the disease. There are two sides to the malware issue. On one side, we have the malware writers, who are constantly trying to get us to download viruses, bots or other software to steal our information.
On the other side, we have the anti-malware forces. These are generally the good guys, but these are also the guys who sell us “protection'' from malware writers. Capiche?
Both sides produce software that is amazingly similar. It bogs down your computer, constantly eats up bandwidth with excessive downloading, and generally makes a nuisance of itself.
Both sides also make their money by draining cash from your bank account, although the malware forces at least have the decency to not call it subscription. But perhaps the biggest difference is that most of the anti-malware companies of the world will go away if you tell them to, while the malware itself will just stick to you like a leech. It's sort of like the difference between having a girlfriend and having a wife.
OK, that's not completely accurate. If you tell your girlfriend to get lost, a wife doesn't show up a few weeks later. If you ditch your anti-virus (A/V) programs, it's only a matter of time before the viruses, bots and Trojans show up. Either way, you're in trouble.
Now, I'm not going to tell you to get rid of your A/V software. Despite my complaining, you do need it. I've tried software from Symantec, TrendMicro, and McAfees, and I have tried a variety of free software from the internet. The result is that I have never infected (knock on wood).
Friends of mine who have “gone commando'' and not installed A/V software have paid the price. I've seen personal information damaged, passwords stolen, and in the case of one friend, an internet connection rendered almost useless. A scan of her computer revealed over 1,000 pieces of data-tracking malware that were fighting each other for bandwidth.
Necessary
That doesn't mean I like having to use A/V software. I recently ditched Symantec (I finally got sick of waiting five minutes for Symantec to inform me that nothing had gone wrong during the time I had the computer turned off) and tried out TrendMicro. I can't say that I'm any better off now than I was before.
The problem is that installing anti-virus software on your computer is the rough equivalent of inviting a hypochondriac into your home to advise you on your health. Every sniffle, every sneeze is monitored to make sure you're not sick.
But when you take that analogy to the computer, you're left with something that spends most of its time making sure it's not sick and not enough time doing what it was meant for, such as cruising the internet or, sometimes, actually doing work.
I hate having to explain to the computer that every piece of software is NOT malware, contrary to what it apparently thinks. Acer software isn't malware, and neither is World of Warcraft. I don't want the software to tell me that it's doing its job or eating up half of the CPU's runtime. I just want to get online and be protected.
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