In June, the US Department of Commerce announced a ban on Kaspersky software. As ZDNET’s Lance Whitney reported, as of September 29, Kaspersky will no longer be able to provide antivirus signature updates and code updates for the banned products to US customers. The company even migrated a million customers to a lesser-known replacement product.
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When I read that news, I was as shocked as anyone. Did someone accidentally press a button that takes us back to 1999? Do people still pay for third-party antivirus software?
Apparently people do, but good luck finding reliable information on the antivirus software market in 2024. Most of the data I was able to discover came from the developers of said software, which is not the most reliable source.
Antivirus software in numbers
A recent survey by Security.org revealed some credible figures about the US market. It found that about 54% of Americans use the standard virus protection that comes with their device, while 46% use third-party antivirus programs.
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However, of those who install extra protection, only just over half (33 million households) pay for this privilege. Norton and McAfee together account for 52% of paying customers, while Kaspersky only accounts for 4% of the market. If these figures are correct, 1.3 million Americans should be able to claim a refund from Kaspersky later this year.
Here’s the part that stood out to me from that report:
Older Americans are significantly more likely to use third-party antivirus programs and pay for the software. People over 65 are twice as likely to subscribe to paid antivirus services as those under 45.
Full disclosure here: I’m in the over-65 crowd, with a full head of gray hair, and I haven’t used third-party antivirus software in decades. But my silver-haired peers still pay. Why? They still use checkbooks for the same reason. It’s what they grew up with and it makes them feel comfortable.
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It’s also a huge waste of money.
How to protect your technology in 2024
Regardless of which device category we’re talking about here, you probably won’t have a problem with the standard protection that comes as part of the platform. On a mobile device (iOS or Android), that means the app store that the OS developer manages. On a Mac, XProtect anti-malware technology has been around for more than a decade and is effective against common threats.
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As for Windows? Well, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which comes with every Windows PC, has routinely passed the tests of third-party labs that measure the effectiveness of security software. The leveling process started about seven years ago and the Microsoft solution has regularly scored between 99% and 100% since then, making it as effective as third-party rivals, free or paid.
Even that result underestimates the case.
In the early 21st century, when the Windows PC landscape was at its wildest and woolliest, most malware arrived on people’s PCs as email attachments or over networks. Today, these vectors are effectively shut down.
Automatic updates protect against newly discovered vulnerabilities. Your modern email client blocks any form of executable file attachment, including script-based files. Network firewalls have come a long way since (checks calendar) 2002. And recent test results show that Microsoft Defender is effective at blocking all the popular attack vectors for ransomware and information stealers.
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On average, a modern antivirus app blocks 99.2% of the few incoming threats that get past the other layers of protection. And even then, your own instincts (“Don’t click on that link!”) are also effective. This is why the modern, fully patched consumer PC isn’t really a target for the criminal gangs responsible for modern malware.
The main objectives
Most attacks are launched by sophisticated criminal gangs and target businesses, exploiting vulnerabilities that are more likely to be in third-party software than in the operating system itself. Russian hackers used SolarWinds management software to hack Microsoft and other high-value targets. A widely used app called MOVEit, from Progress Software, was exploited in a breach that affected thousands of major companies and government agencies last year, and a new vulnerability was reported in June.
Shell, British Airways, the BBC and the Canadian province of Nova Scotia were the victims of the MOVEit attack, not random PC users. Nowadays, major cybercriminals focus on those types of targets. A signature-based antivirus app will not protect against these targeted attacks. Instead, IT departments in large organizations need advanced network-based software that allows administrators to monitor for signs of intrusion in real time.
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Small users are fairly well protected through standard security measures, especially since determined attackers see no financial benefit in attacking such puny victims. If you’re still paying Norton, McAfee, or Kaspersky for antivirus protection on your home PC, it’s time to let that subscription expire. But if your IT department at work says they want you to install an endpoint monitoring app, take their word for it.
Make sure it’s not from Kaspersky.
This article was originally published on July 1, 2024 and last updated on October 8, 2024.