Using antivirus, is it really necessary?

Is it really necessary. Honestly, for me, I don't really use the antivirus. I do have one installed in my computer but seriously, I never really get my antivirus updated, inspite of me being an IT student. 


I used to buy expensive antivirus like Bitdefender and Kaspersky. But recently, I don't know why lah I don't have any interest in buying antivirus anymore. Keeping only the free one in the computer hahaa.


Well actually, honestly, my own opinion, we don't really necessary to have a powerful antivirus installed in the computer. Definition for antivirus, protective software design to defend computer against malicious software. Malicious software are those viruses, worms, trojan horses blah3. Well, here, you should see, you actually can't depend on these antiviruses to protect your computer. They're not actually that powerful to "defend" your computer from being attack by those malware. Because everyday, new pattern of viruses is being invented and these antiviruses can't really cover up for all viruses. Most of them can only clean up the mess that being made by the viruses.


What the most important thing in my opinion when protecting the computer? The human, you, yourself, is the important entity in protecting the computer. 


As far as I used the free antivirus, which I don't update frequently, and also I don't scan my computer everyday, alhamdulillah, the computer has never been attack by malware recently. Because I took the precaution myself. 


To prevent these stupid malwares to infect your computer, you should set couple of rules for your computer. As for me, first thing is, I never let any unknown devices to be connected with my lappy. Before people can actually plug in their thumb drive, I will make sure they don't have any viruses in the thumb drive. I can count with my hands the number of devices that have been to my lappy so far. I just won't let any random devices with random viruses in the device destructing my laptop.


Well, secondly, NEVER EVER try to CLICK on any RANDOM LINKS on the internet. Important rules ya know. Especially those already shorten links that you don't know the source. Well, for example http://bit.ly/wIRJzH. Don't click on my example link, mind you. They might lead to anywhere that we don't even know. These kind of links, we can never know where it will lead to, especially for the normal internet user. Some will simply click on the link and poof! There goes the viruses being spread out everywhere. Maybe your facebook, maybe even your own computer. Mind you, worms maybe can travel by itself, but virus, they don't execute by their own selves. They need humans help in order to execute and spread to other computers. So it is actually your own fault (or maybe others) if there's a virus infecting the computer. Do you even realise that?


As for the random software, I admit, sometimes I do download random software. Random software is actually dangerous, for your info. Cuz they might be the trojan horse. Know what trojan horse is? People who have basic IT knowledge should know what trojan horse is. The trojan horse disguise itself as a useful software but it turn out to be actually a malicious software. Have you ever encounter it? Probably yes but you don't even realised it. Yeah, back to my story. I do download random softwares. Because as an IT student, sometimes we need to download softwares in order to fulfill the assignments that are given by the lecturers. And also sometimes, no, most of the times, I download games hahaa. Mostly via torrent. As for me, tips to download random software is to check the source of the software. For our assignments, mostly we download software from sourceforge.net. A trustable website, I can assure you. And for the games, most of them are from random sources. But actually you can check the size of the file. If the file looks suspicious, just don't execute it. And also my game files mostly are downloaded from trusted game cracker such as demonoid.


These are the things that I did for the internet precaution. I think I did something else too but my brain won't work at this time. Nevermind that. Ethically, I am wrong to suggest to you not to use any antivirus. But most the paid antivirus, they don't work as wonderly as you thought. Geez, you only gave them more money but in the same time, you don't even know that they might be the one that invented the virus just to make more money for their company. I suggest you to use the free one. They don't suck up your money but still protecting your computer. As simple as that. You should be the one who take the action in protecting your computer. Because most the computers have already built-in firewall. You don't really need to worry about intruders. So now, it's your job to protect your computer from malicious software.