If you use any third-party antivirus on your computer or laptop, you may actually harm your computer in the long run.
That's according to a former Mozilla engineer who has written a detailed blog post about why installing third-party antivirus software is actually harmful to your computer.
Robert O'Callahan, formerly of the makers of the Firefox browser, claimed that the software could "poison the software ecosystem." He advised users not to buy AV or to uninstall it if they already have it installed and simply use Microsoft's Windows Defender.
Robert says that a tweet exchange with ChromeJustin Schuh and information from security expert Dr Vesselin led him to write the message.
In his post, he accuses AV vendors of not following "standard security practices," unlike Microsoft, which he called "generally responsible." He explained:
“AV products poison the software ecosystem, as their invasive and poorly enforced code makes it difficult for browser vendors and other developers to improve their own security.”
Regarding the long-term adverse effects of these products, Rober says that these products can also break other secure products, such as browsers. He said that because of the effects of AV products, users tend to think that browsers are no good. AV products also block important security updates that can put computers at risk.
Robert urges PC and laptop users to use Microsoft's native AV product, Microsoft Defender, to protect their computers from viruses, trojans, and malware.
Robert is right about one thing though. AV products do take up a lot of storage space and slow down RAM. They can also make computers a bit sluggish and sometimes block legitimate software by flagging it. They can also make installing drivers a bit difficult.
However, completely disparaging AV products is a bit foolish, when Microsoft itself has said that its Microsoft Defender is a work in progress and cannot be 100 percent effective.
