Why Antivirus Is No Longer Needed for the Average User

Introduction

At one time, installing security software on a home computer seemed essential for every user. Today, the situation has changed, and the answer to the question "Do I need antivirus on my home PC?" is no longer straightforward. This article explains when antivirus is truly useful and when it may be unnecessary or even counterproductive.

Modern Systems Already Include Protection

Modern operating systems come with built-in security features capable of effectively defending against most threats. For example, Windows Defender in Windows 10/11 has improved significantly over the years: it not only provides solid protection but does so without excessive notifications or intrusive background scans.

The situation is similar on macOS, where built-in tools prevent suspicious applications from running and block dangerous actions before the user even notices.

Performance at Risk

Any full-featured antivirus is an additional program that constantly scans the system: files, network connections, and application behavior. On powerful computers, this may go unnoticed, but on weaker devices, the extra load can reduce overall performance, increase system boot times, and slow down applications.

Even though modern solutions claim minimal system impact, in practice the difference in speed with antivirus enabled versus disabled can be noticeable.

False Alerts and User Anxiety

One common complaint is the large number of false positives. Security software may flag safe programs as suspicious simply because of their behavior. This leads to constant notifications, requiring manual approval for programs to run or adding them to exceptions.

Over time, users may start ignoring antivirus messages, which puts real security at risk.

Additional Features: Useful or Intrusive?

Modern antivirus packages offer many additional tools: VPNs, password managers, system optimization, parental controls, and more. Often, these features are already built into the system or available as separate, higher-quality solutions.

Moreover, free antivirus programs may constantly prompt users to “upgrade” to a paid version, creating extra pressure.

When Protection Is Truly Redundant

For most home tasks today, a combination of built-in OS protection, up-to-date updates, and basic digital hygiene is sufficient — for example, being cautious when opening attachments or downloading programs from untrusted sources.

If you use your computer for web browsing, document work, and media consumption, the likelihood of infecting your system via a malicious file is quite low with reasonable behavior.

When Antivirus Is Still Useful

There are user categories for whom third-party antivirus is still justified:

• People with low computer literacy.
• Children or elderly users.
• Work computers without IT support.
• Systems with sensitive data where the risk of loss is too high.

In these situations, antivirus can serve as an extra layer of protection, preventing obvious threats and helping avoid mistakes.

Alternatives to Traditional Antivirus

If you decide not to install a permanent antivirus, there are other ways to stay protected:

• Cloud-based online scanners to check suspicious files.
• Specialized utilities for one-time analysis.
• Regular backups of important data.

These approaches allow protection without a constant system load.

Practical Security Recommendations

Even without installed antivirus software, you can significantly improve your security:

• Keep your OS and browsers up to date.
• Be cautious with links and attachments from unknown sources.
• Download programs only from official websites.
• Use a standard user account without administrator rights for daily tasks.

Conclusion

The answer to "Should I install antivirus or not?" depends on your skill level, computer usage goals, and personal preferences. For experienced users, built-in protection is often sufficient. However, for those unsure of their actions or handling sensitive information, an additional security layer may be justified.

Above all, remember: no antivirus can replace common sense and caution in the digital world!