It’s an universal fact that antivirus software brings better protection! Nevertheless, all the while, people have been asking a doubt – is it possible to protect your PC without an antivirus program. And, it’s a common doubt you all may have.
After all, you may be wondering what is so special about antivirus software and what it’s doing to your PC. Coming back to our question, however, we have an answer for you. We will also share some guidelines you can follow for protecting your PC without the help of an antivirus security suite.
Can I Protect My PC from Computer Viruses, without an Antivirus Program?
The answer is a big YES. There is no necessity that you have to install an antivirus program for security. It is actually a form of extra protection you seek. That is, when you think you’re exposed to more threats, you may need an antivirus suite — which works on top of the OS-level protection everyone has. In other words, antivirus products were the result of people’s laziness to stay conscious about security.
But, if you are ready to take the effort, there are ways to live without an antivirus. You have to take care of the following, though.
How to Prevent Computer Viruses without an Antivirus?
Well, here come some tips you can follow to get rid of antivirus programs as well as viruses at the same time. If you think your antivirus program is lagging your PC, you can try these methods out.
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Update Your Software and Keep It Up-to-Date
Regular software updates are an effective way developers use for preventing virus attacks. Each developer tries to fix all the issues by releasing meaningful updates and patches. This happens whenever there is a vulnerability or serious error. So, updating your software is the first step of staying secure without an antivirus. This way, you can prevent hackers from accessing the loopholes in software and thus stealing your data. The case is same when it comes to Operating Systems as well. It’s highly recommended to use the latest version of OS, let that be Windows, Mac or Linux. For instance, if you are still using Windows XP or Vista in your computer, you will surely be a victim to malware attacks soon.
So, first and foremost, keep your software and Operating System up to date. And, do not let anyone have access to your data because you are running an old version of software. You can either update all the software individually or use some tools that automatically updates in bulk.
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Use the Right Extensions
There are two aspects to take care of when it comes to web browser extensions and plug-ins.
First, you should not use non-trusted extensions in your computer. As you know, there are a lot of malicious extensions to steal your data and bring viruses into the computers. At the least, they bring annoying adware into the scenario. Unless it is really necessary, you can abstain from installing browser extensions. Or, you should have the conscience to tell apart the good ones and bad ones.
Second, you can use some privacy-friendly and security-focused browser extensions. Yes, there are some extensions that can protect your safety and privacy in a comprehensive manner. The choices are available for Chrome and Firefox and it’s a viable choice. These extensions will prevent other websites from tracking you and escapes you from the NoScript Security Suite for Firefox and SaferChrome for Google Chrome are two prominent examples.
Follow these two methods and you’ll see big difference.
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Mind your Usage Habits
Usage Habits are the prominent factors that decide your PC security and privacy. As the first step, you should stop visiting websites and apps that you don’t trust. Trust, when we say, means a lot of things — privacy, safety and how they handle your data. So, before you trust a website, you can seek others’ opinion and your own experience with it. So, such a good Internet usage habit will positively impact your security, even without an antivirus suite installed.
Next up, you don’t have to plug in everything and anything you come across. Even now, viruses are spread through USBs and other removable media. So, the next time you get a pen drive or digital camera from non-trusted source, think twice. At the least, you can run a scan on the particular media before accessing the files. This way, it will be possible to get the job done.
The same is the case when it comes to installing freeware too. Even now, adware and spyware are spread using seemingly-useful freeware. But, while functioning, these tools will leave the payload in your device. So, confirm with others before you install something ‘free’.
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Rely on Web Platforms
This is an awesome option if you need protective scans but not through antivirus packages. And, believe us, this will work pretty fine, on all platforms. Web-based platforms are available for scanning and analysing the different threats in the PC and web. You have to log into one of such platforms and give access for PC scanning. Depending on the internet speed & system configuration, these scans may take more time than antivirus scans. But, something is better than nothing, don’t you think?
In case if you haven’t noticed, Gmail and Yahoo are offering attachment scanning options. That is, before downloading, an attachment can be scanned using Gmail’s own scanning algorithms. So, if you find something fishy with the email and attachment, you must use this feature.
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Change your OS?
This isn’t a viable option for most, but can be useful for some. As you know, Windows is the most targeted OS, with Mac just behind. However, at the same time, Linux is undoubtedly the choice for security. So, if you don’t mind the change, it is a good thing to shift to Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Chrome OS, if you prefer that.
Concluding
Summing up things, the above mentioned options are enough to protect your PC without an antivirus program. But, you’d have to be completely confident and strict about these aspects, especially software updates and abstaining from websites that you don’t trust. If you cannot do that, it’s better to get an effective antivirus from a trusted developer out there. And, there are antivirus programs from Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton etc that don’t slow down your computer. So, what do you say?
