Truth About Computer Security Hysteria

Q&A: What antivirus software do you recommend?

Any major antivirus program will do the job. The key issues:

1. You must understand your needs. Would you blindly purchase a sports car if you really need a minivan?
2. You must recognize the program's limitations. Many people still believe antivirus software is bug-free, for example. Others will mix & match computer security products without understanding the limitations it imposes. And did you know all virus detectors suffer from an unsolvable design problem? (False alarms stem from this design problem.) Even large companies and government agencies sometimes fail to understand these limitations.
3. You must use antivirus software correctly. People who don't know what they need in the first place ... often end up using antivirus software incorrectly. Worse: many people will stop using it after growing weary of the tedium. Large organizations compound the problem when they centrally manage all computer virus policy — workers don't feel a strong urge to check for viruses because "our computer security team handles that stuff..."

Last updated: 2001/1/20