Why your new laptop can stay safe even without an antivirus





T he days when you didn't dare go online without antivirus software are over.

 

Computer operating systems are more secure now, and their browsers are smarter, says an article in Gizmodo. If you browse safely--visiting only the `regular' sites--you can forget about buying an antivirus.

But all of that extra protection built into your computer is useless if you don't keep the OS and the browsers updated. Unless you absolutely need them, you should not install add-ons and plug-ins in your browser.
Antivirus packages may have a role if “you're regularly browsing unsavoury sites or the computer is used by people ill-equipped for practising safe browsing (think the very young and very old),“ says the article.

As for smartphones, they are “locked down much more tightly than your laptops and desktops, and if you're keeping your Apple or Google OS up to date, and only installing apps through the official app stores, then you're most likely going to be fine. Most vulnerabilities appear in shady apps installed through unofficial channels, or in older code.“
For more: Gizmodo