Why an Antivirus Does Nothing for You

[@TheRocco96]

In recent years, the only danger to my computer that has caused lost work, downtime and hours of troubleshooting has been windows update itself.

[@horusfalcon]

You might give Linux a look. It has come a long way since 1996 when I started messing with it. I currently use PCLinuxOS, but that's just me. (I prefer my Linux systemd-free... and PCLinuxOS is easy to set up and configure for desktop/laptop use.)

[@TheRocco96]

@@horusfalcon The one reason that prevents me from going to Linux is my Steam library.

[@horusfalcon]

@@TheRocco96 I get that, but dual-boot is always an option.

[@Gruuvin1]

Windows is Spyware. Linux based operating systems are much nicer and more stable.

[@anthonychurch1567]

That's a reason to use anti-virus so you can have some protection despite not having security updates but nothing beats patching the vulnerabilities.

[@barackobama9516]

I bought Kaspersky yesterday... Today KZbin recommends this video.

[@g8Words]

Well, they are anti-Russian. I suppose sending your data to the FSB is no worse than sending to any of a half dozen western spook agencies.

[@broadcast_mode950]

😮

[@greg-v1g6y]

Get rid & scan with virustoal free from microsoft use by developers to find viruses in large companies computers.I will bet that the Kaspersky is infected believe me i know.I have destroyed many laptops because of these anti virus programmes & i learned the hard way you dont need anti virus just make sure you up date your device when up dates come up.Anti virus programmes find thing that don't exist its all a scam.Learn to use CMD very powerful to keep device clean & working properly & learn about RUN.

[@SlyNine]

I use Kaspersky. No complaints.

[@stackflow343]

Kaspersky is one of the paid AVs that are solid, no worries. Don't listen to misleading videos like this too much.

[@jameswray2756]

There is no such thing as perfect security.

[@mr.s4ndman]

Windows XP without internet😂

[@horusfalcon]

Your topics are not always entertaining or easy to watch, but they are all fascinating, and strike at the core of what is wrong with the modern global internet. Thanks again.

[@Randy-tp5lm]

Yeah. No thanks to Big Tech.

[@petakarini7567]

not always intertaining or easy to watch, really this is not,. Netflicks , hes talking about virusus,.duh..!

[@horusfalcon]

@@petakarini7567 It's about more than just viruses and what a scam the anti-virus industry has become. The invasion of our privacy is the stock-in-trade of certain Big Tech giants: remember MAGA-FT?

[@MalkuthEmperor]

​​​@@petakarini7567 sure, although ive found that a good presentation can make even paint drying entertaining, let alone something with more depth Either that, or intrinsic interest by the viewer Infact, i believe that a proper educator is also a great entertainer because learning is much more efficient if its entertaining, if it spakrs curiosity, if it keeps us anticipating what will happen next However, a probleem tends to occure with entertainers when they and their audience start believing that just because something is entertaining or relatable, that it therefore is true And the problem is even greater due to the fact that misinformation has the liberty to take any approach, since the truth is stricter and more confined than a lie which doesent need to be limited by any consistent standard of evidence Anyway Have a nice day

[@change2023now]

Many bank's state that antivirus is a necessity for online banking and will try and despute any losses as a result if they find you had no AV software. In reality they have no way of knowing unless you admit it.

[@alldadsunited]

do banks own anti virus companies?

[@flukeman022]

And AV can't detect everything, there's always the chance you can get infected.

[@JDDees]

@@alldadsunited They are in cahoots!!

[@davidculp6266]

I've been running linux for 25 years, but I remember an app from my Windows days that was very cool, and I wish there was a current version. It was a small app written by Steve Gibson that just monitored all attempts by software on your computer to access the internet. You could use it just to monitor, or you could block any access that looked suspicious.

[@surfside75]

My android phone can do this exact thing😁

[@Alutarius]

TinyWall is such a Windows program that is very lean and works quite well. Not open source though IIRC.

[@jonathanjacobson7012]

It's called a firewall

[@MadCowMusic]

Mac has one called little snitch.

[@JonnyParker-]

Wireshark?

[@mattgoodwin-king2228]

2:46 Your definition of heuristics is wrong. It doesn't detect known malware but code and behaviours that could be potential unknown malware

[@Archmage9885]

Exactly. That's why we sometimes get false positives.

[@gothixxx12]

The whole video is filled with misinformation and plain lies

[@TommyDavidVerbal]

​@@gothixxx12So why don't you say what they are then Einstein

[@PratosKS]

I think telling normies to not use AV is a bad idea. I remember the bad old days of toolbars taking up more space than the browser window and popups saying you are infected when trying to fix computers. While your points are correct I think it will do the average user more harm than good. They click everything, and having software that detects the well known attacks can protect them quite a bit.

[@Jzombi301]

thats why he basically told everyone to not be a dumbsss and to stop clicking on everything. of course this will never stop people from clicking on things

[@ТоварищКамрадовСоциалистКоммун]

giving advice stop visiting shady web and stop using AV is like giving advice drive carefully, and at the same time stop using seat belts. it's better use all good advices, not just some of them

[@TTURKI]

@@ТоварищКамрадовСоциалистКоммунyeah and disconnect from the internet cause it’s the place where Malwares comes from

[@raistlinmajere5741]

Windows includes Defender. It's probably good enough, and besides, I have learned the hard way that Defender hates competition. A Windows update sent my laptop into a blue screen loop until I booted in CLI mode and deleted Kaspersky's DLLs. Looks like MS is back to their old tricks. Install a 3rd-party AV at your own risk.

[@mspencerl87]

I don't use a virus scanner but. This is kind of like saying I don't lock my front door because 1 and 100,000 people have the key to unlock it (zero day). But the other 999,999 have a lock picking kit. So there's no use to locking my door anyways. For the average normie defender is fine

[@mentecriptica3163]

ut the antivirus monitors everything you do in your device. A physical key to your hoyse is more like software encryption for your OS. An antivirus would be some guard you hire to see everything that happens in your place and what you do as well.

[@Jzombi301]

Windows Defender is normally fine but its the 3rd parties that you should never give access to your entire computer for minimal protection. its basically the same arguments surveillance states use to justify surveillance. you sacrifice privacy for perceived security. you should never have to sacrifice one to get the other

[@TheNefastor]

Defender's only ever flagged one thing : cracks for Office and Windows. It has never caught anything else on any machine I've ever worked on.

[@kansascityonline]

Good information.!!. I have always done exactly as you describe.. Since I use Linux I intentionally re-install my system about every 3 months.. Keeping your important information on another device is best.. Re-installing my Linux takes about 10 minutes. The nice added benefit is, as the system gets updated as the days go by the system tends to get jumbled or things don't always work as nicely as they did in the beginning.. . It is nice to start fresh!! Of course, you cannot do this in Windows as easily.. Bottom line - do as mentioned in the video and most importantly.. start using Linux!.. You will thank me later..

[@8crafter]

bruh, this video is fake, ALWAYS USE AN ANTIVIRUS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT SOMEDAY.

[@chevyno1740]

I agree Rob. I've been in Information Technology since the 80's, and I don't use it either. I now run a computer repair business after spending years in corporate America, and I recommend the same to all my customers. What I DO recommend to them (and use myself) is a good popup/ad-blocker, including shutting off windows notifications from browsers. This avoids the majority of phishing attempts.

[@scottmatznick3140]

You should apply the same logic to mRNA vaccines.

[@RocketPipeTV]

It’s gene therapy, not a “classic (nonsense) vaccine “.

[@SDsc0rch]

yeah imma gonna have to upvote this

[@runeheadah]

In b4 massive shadowcensoring and personal attacks

[@jeromehugues]

not mRNA ones but *all* vaccines actually...

[@RocketPipeTV]

@@jeromehugues mRNA shots are gene therapies.

[@korndogz69]

I was an IT professional for 20 years as a server/network admin, and break-fix tech. Although I've been out of IT for nearly 10 years, the measures I take against infection are still effective. Mr. Braxman is using the same approach I take, which is to prevent execution rather than reactionary software like an antivirus. I lock down my browser, and I don't click anything in emails. If you're using Google Chrome as your browser, you're exposed by default, and it can't be locked down since Google has hard coded ways to access your information which an attacker can take advantage of. I still repair PCs on occasion, and the last 3 were recovering from an attack. In all 3 cases, the users were clicking on attachments/links in garbage emails. So, if you can lock down your browser, and just use common sense on websites and emails, you have thwarted the attack vectors for the vast majority of attackers.

[@HouseAndLotFinderph]

thanks!

[@korndogz69]

@@HouseAndLotFinderph One more bit of advice: I have 3 email addresses. One of them is specifically for personal correspondence (friends, family, etc.). Another is professional (job related, banking, buying/selling goods and services, etc.). The third address is my trash account. This is the account I use for any site that requires an email address to use the site. This is also the address that will be sold by those sites to people who will send spam, or attacks. When I check the trash account's inbox, I don't read anything. I just delete all messages since I know for a fact that nothing in that inbox is important. That's another layer of protection.

[@millanferende6723]

When you say "lock down your browser", do you mean using browsers like Brave, or do you mean using a browser in a sandboxed environment? If so, how are you supposed to save your bookmarks or even cookies? Or even have a download? (booksmarks can be solvable and cookies can be solvable by logging in, into things you use most, before activating the sandboxing.)

[@korndogz69]

@@millanferende6723 By locking down your browser, I mean using blockers (such as uBlock Origin) that prevent popups, executables, and things of that nature. Those won't affect your bookmarks, but you should limit cookies for it to be more effective. You could of course also run a VM environment, but you wouldn't be able to save any bookmarks, or cookies once you close the session. While running a VM is the most secure, it's also going to remove some conveniences. There's a trade-off you have to make to balance security with user experience on websites. Most of the website attacks seem to be launched via automatic executables from visiting a page, or clicking on a page's content. I've tested my configuration by going to sites that are known to be sponsored by hackers such as pirate sites with video to see if their attacks get through. The blockers have halted every attempt thus far over the years. Some blockers are better at blocking some things better than others, so I use several.

[@pepeshopping]

Dumb people like you “trust” that all your “trusted” web pages and services will never get hacked, which is not the most logical or bright idea!

[@npsit1]

"Could" is always the operative word. If that's the case, you can't use technology at all because it COULD always track everything you do all the time. The biggest issue corporations or businesses or schools have is the end user. People are not smart. You can tell them over and over and over again not to do something. They'll still do it. My organization just had someone compromise their email because they got a link that required them to enter their email credentials into a google doc. Fortunately it's easy for us to resolve, but people continuously do stupid things.

[@bobking7347]

If using windows I strongly disagree, pretty much the same thing as saying "I don't need updates because I'm careful" good take tho, like seeing opinions, enjoyd watching it.

[@Lanise-m24r]

Brax is right it does nothing whatsoever to clear, warn or stop viruses. What it does though is collect your data.

[@halifaxlithos2488]

And your money.

[@Michael-qy1jz]

How about like chips and hardware from manufacturing installed on the phone spying on you? Now way govt agencies dont secretly have something on there?

[@babyvlad007]

What constitutes clicking on "something" other than attachments please? For example, if I am reading an article displayed on Google News that includes a photo, is clicking on the photo to enlarge it risky? Thank you.

[@anthonychurch1567]

Not for an image displaying you should be ok. If the site is hacked and you clicked through to the article and then another link a hacker added to look legit. It could be a trusted brand.@@babyvlad007

[@notyourpapa]

As an IT security specialist, an antivirus is definitely an essential tool and its proven time and time again to be effective. Nothing is 100% including relying on not clicking on anything. A modern antivirus will work partially in the cloud so its up to date automatically. They also will have behavioral checks like EDR and Access protection. They come with firewalls. Properly configured firewall will block access of the malware from calling home. We look at security like an onion where there are multiple layers of security each doing certain tasks. Whether it's email with dmarc or spf checks or firewall rules or endpoint security like an antivirus. You mentioned not clicking on links or attachments, many of the 0day attacks that target browsers or email programs will download and run without interaction. One of the best defenses is an antivirus to prevent the java script from launching.

[@MrLinights]

Anxiety inducing, yes. But your content is VERY helpful in today's technological mine field. Thanks!

[@destrozar]

Worked as tech support for an AV company. None of us techies ran AV. Guess what we were fine!

[@WarringHostMakinSatanToast]

Thanks so much, Rob! I was questioning using antivirus software, so I'm here.

[@WarrenStarCat]

Excellent topic Rob, I realized this years ago around the time when AVG totally destroyed their product.

[@tvs3497]

I've owned a computer repair business for 17 years, customer count of over 4k. I tell my customers don't waste your money on Norton, McAfee, etc. and if they get a virus, bring it to me, I want to see it and I'll fix it at no charge. Haven't removed a virus since Windows 8 was realeased.

[@rlwings]

So the most common malware is the most common malware. Which means that you will encounter it the most. So an antivirus will protect you in the majority of cases. Add not clicking on links and you have a comprehensive plan.

[@-Jason-L]

I think the bulk of this video just went by you. I quit using AV at least 15 years ago, and have had zero issues.

[@gothixxx12]

The bulk of the video is lies

[@tweed0929]

Thank you for explaining things in simple terms for such lamers as me. Very useful video, Rob.

[@MalhaIIa]

it's not a useful video. he is giving terrible advice. running a computer without antivirus is only for the most experienced that also doesn't do an elaborate amount of testing. and perhaps for those who only use their computer to check the clock.

[@jn2002dk]

@@MalhaIIa You are completely wrong. Beyond what he covered in the video, it also increases the attack vector on your system. Only tech illiterates should use AV software. Also, what kind of testing do you run that requires AV present? Unless you are actually testing AVs, in which case i'd hope you'd be using a container or VM

[@MalhaIIa]

@@jn2002dk FYI. windows, games and general software half the time come bundled with malware. what are you, tending to the protection of your crypto farm?

[@jn2002dk]

@@MalhaIIa So you have no answer to my question? Figures. Also, no, games and software does not come bundled with malware half the time. Wtf are you on about? What tests do you run that requires an AV? I would love to hear your answer but i suspect i will never get it because it would expose that you have no clue about opsec and infosec

[@MalhaIIa]

@@jn2002dk if you are looking to argue maybe choose a better place. you were answered. you even replied to it with gibberish.

[@standtallvets5386]

Thought about that too for quite a few years until finding a program called Shadow Defender. It makes only a shadow of your OS and what ever attacks that is completely gone on a reboot. Even worked on a ransomware that locked up files and folders. Same thing with garbage that changes the registry or adding to the temp files or anywhere else. And I respect what Rob is talking about, especially NOT knowing what the virus programs are actually doing with the info while scanning everyone's devices. In that regard it is better to have none of them at all. The clonezilla back up is also another good idea.

[@duplicake4054]

​@BOGDAN SERBANyou just enable it, and if it's not safe reboot, and if it is safe flip the switch and turn it off.

[@duplicake4054]

@BOGDAN SERBAN Himself?! Btw I think I made a mistake. To turn it off I think you have to reboot and it will get rid of all the changes anyway

[@user-oi6gy1sp5w]

I Use Reboot Restore. It's free.

[@ТоварищКамрадовСоциалистКоммун]

reboot restore, and any kind of sandboxing cannot undo stealing of your passwords, credit card numbers and so on. It's just a protection of your OS, like a virtualization, or a reserve copy. Good but not all the protection that you might need

[@phil2768]

If you get infected with malware then just reinstalling your OS is no guarantee of eradicating it. Sophisticated malware can hide in firmware, like in your bios or hard disk firmware and even hide itself. Anyone who assumes they are safe because they have a cleanly installed OS is fooling themselves and if you are infected with a zero-day rootkit it might be in your pc for years until AV companies are even aware of it. If you're running Windows, Android or An apple OS then assume that you are already compromised at the OS level anyway and all your data is being sent back to those companies, after all, you did agree to that in the TOS!!

[@gothixxx12]

Exactly. This guy just acts like he knows what he is talking about but hasn't a damn clue

[@charleshines2142]

I remember back in the early 2000s I had Norton Internet Security. It seemed to cause problems rather than prevent them. It also didn't help that a lot of computers were still 32 bit and single core. They just didn't have the extra resources that all of those extra services would use and so sometimes they would slow a computer down quite a bit. Then one time I had malware and Norton did not seem to find it or get rid of it even though it was annoying. Thankfully it was just annoying and didn't appear to steal data. I think in those days malware was more of an attempt to annoy someone more than anything. Coincidentally I do not use any extra antivirus software either. I just have Windows Security (was Windows Defender) and it seems a lot less intrusive. Just realize that it too is a man in the middle and what it sends to Microsloth is a mystery. It seems to be made a permanent part of Windows so that if you want to run Windows you are stuck with Microsloth stealing your files. Rob, for a PC or any device that can run Linux, what distros do you like? I am likely going to want one I can install software on more than a privacy oriented one such as Tails. I have tried out Linux Mint Cinnamon on a spare computer (a NUC) and I have not really experimented with that yet but it has installed seemingly flawlessly and seems to work well. I just don't know if is the best one. There are many and everyone will tell you a different answer. You can imagine the confusion that asking everyone will cause you.

[@mrlk665]

You can delet windows defender with a script

[@ibXCVs-Mom]

I switched to Linux 2 years ago and am using Zorin OS. I'm not super techy just a user who does things on his computer, browsing, email, writing, FB etc. I installed Zorin because it works so much like Windows and the UI is beautiful. I also run Virtual Box from Oracle (creates virtual machines) and installed Windows 7 Pro on it. If there is anything I must have and its only available on Windows I can install in on the virtual machine.

[@namenlosNamenlos]

Norton is a computer virus of itself. Remember from year 2000s in school days Norton scan all your data also displays shown it own Norton files being as affected. Which is why I never buy Norton products.

[@user-iv1qz1tx7u]

Yes, I agree. Zero day threats will infect your system regardless of you using or not using an antivirus, but lets be fair: Even I that use the internet every day of my life have NEVER encountered a zero day threat. You usually need to be searching for some shady stuff to do so, and if you are doing it, you shouldn't be doing it in your main computer with all your other devices connected to that network. That's why you have Kali Linux (and obviously knowing how to use it) and VPN's that don't store your data. I would recommend even hiring another network service to do so and not connecting anything to it. Then you would be safe. Do whatever shit you want. I use antivirus because I have nothing to hide from authorities. I live in a democratic country and I don't yet fear losing my freedom yet. But yes, I do fear ransomware/my data going to criminals a lot and having a good AV will help you out regardless. What is important is KNOWING how to be safe from authority IF you need it. Don't need to live your life in a paranoid state.

[@stefanl5183]

"Yes, I agree. Zero day threats will infect your system regardless of you using or not using an antivirus" That's not at all what he said in the video. What he said is that antivirus products typically don't protect you from zero day exploits and depending on them for protection puts you at risk. What he's advocating for is being smarter in how you use your devices and this is the best protection against zero day exploits. Malware always has to do at least 2 things to infect a system. It has to somehow get onto the system. Then it must execute. If you don't allow those 2 things to happen even a zero day exploit is no threat. If you do allow those things to happen, it's questionable, at best whether any antivirus software can undo the damage. "I use antivirus because I have nothing to hide from authorities" As long as you completely agree with everything the "authorities" say and obey their every command, you'll be okay, but the moment you beg to differ, things change. " I live in a democratic country and I don't yet fear losing my freedom yet." Democracy, assuming of course it's even real and not just an illusion of democracy, doesn't protect you from tyranny. History is full of examples of the majority willingly supporting tyranny and oppression.

[@user-iv1qz1tx7u]

@@stefanl5183 No. What he implied was that you shouldn't use antiviruses at all and your own discretion can keep you from being infected. I disagree, just as most IT experts in the market. "What he said is that antivirus products typically don't protect you from zero day exploits and depending on them for protection puts you at risk". Yes, they can't defend you properly from something no one has seen yet and I agree their products should be more effective on the heuristics analysis. But this is the exception, not the rule. Most people WON'T find zero day threats. "Malware always has to do at least 2 things to infect a system. It has to somehow get onto the system. Then it must execute. "..." if you do allow those things to happen, it's questionable, at best whether any antivirus software can undo the damage" The idea of the AV is to prevent the damage, not repair it. Yes, if you got infected, you are probably f***ed. Norton power eraser can only do so much lol. Also, I agree. That's why I said you should KNOW how to defend yourself on the internet. But you see? Most people don't have the slightest idea of how the internet work nor how their device work, and we can't force the common guy to do so. So, what are we gonna do? Tell this guy to not use antiviruses even if he is a normal person i.e not insurgent? Tell him not to use it and leave him at the hands of criminals? Also, how do you deal with a threat if you are in a shared network with people that don't know how to use a computer, but insists on not using an antivirus regardless? If he is infected by a strand of petya/notpetya, wannacry or others YOU will be infected too. Prepare your acess control really well and do it really carefully, else you WILL lose your data. Let's be frank: no one's system is perfect. You will need to do compromises to your security to use some apps, acess some sites (for example, I know a bunch of educational sites that don't work at all with a browser other than Chrome) etc. And when this happens? What is your protection? Also, one must be *very* paranoid to keep track of every single connection your device does, because this is how you will be able to see if you really are safe. For me, there is a sweetspot between safety and fully blown paranoia. "As long as you completely agree..." Completely agree? In any healthy democracy I can criticize the govt. This enters in my confort zone since I am a lawyer where I live. You can talk whatever crap you want IF you don't commit crime while you do so. You also can't accuse someone without having proof, it's crime. You can't threat the supreme court just like a congressman from my country did a while back because you can't threat no one, enters the category of crime as well.

[@user-iv1qz1tx7u]

@trixiek942 Ah god... Read my first comment and try to grasp the idea. Specially the last paragraph. It has nothing to do with the concept of democracy, it has to do with something else entirely: knowing how to hide from abusive authorities. You can't live in total anonimity unless you are a criminal using fake documents so... yeah. You don't need to be paranoid at all. It sounds hella cool to be all anonymous and have this "out of the box" view of the world, but this, in practice, is madness. Learn the paths. Know your sh1t. You will be safe. Everyone is a Marighella until the govt breaks down and the state's iron fist punches society's face. Then those "i'm out of the box" guys vanishes like piss being flushed down the drain, cuz they are kids.

[@michaelkranyak4525]

not USA@trixiek942

[@SlyNine]

​​@trixiek942and how does that help protect you. Democracy is just mob rule.

[@LunchboxFamily765]

Thanks for the post Rob appreciate the videos 😊😊

[@Cat-sv7zu]

Your secret made me smile. I expected something too techy for me to understand. Thank you

[@teefhennessy]

What about other "type" (if you may say so) of endpoint security? EDRs? XDRs? They claim apart from traditional approach (handle known threats), they monitor the memory (which you mentioned AVs don't do) and various system activity - to determine something is off/suspicious and block it. I'd like to hear your opinion. As a reference I'm talking about products from companies like Crowdstrike, SentinelOne etc.

[@CRSolarice]

Well, AVs actually do monitor for malware in memory. The difference is that usually the free versions of the software won't have this option. You actually have to buy a subscription to get that in most versions of AV. Thing is that they can be fairly pricey unless you shop around. You have to actively search for the bargains and usually you won't be able to find the bargains when it comes time to renew. So if you find a reputable one (do the research first) then get it for the 2,3 or 5 year subscription and don't renmew, just rebuy it ir a different version, Its well worth it; I'm very tech savvy but to be frank there is just no way that I could find the time to manually look for a malware infection on any of the systems that I am responsible for. (Some brands are not ever going to be reputable, after they pull some of the sideways stunts like mentioned in this video. Yes there is 'some' truth to what he says in the video but really he's just pushing his opinion way past what I would assert is responsible, in my opinion).

[@nex7053]

His video is full of crap. It would be maybe partially true if we would be still in 90s. Antimalware is doing loads of useful things and in comparison to EDR is more file oriented, thats true but sometimes the line can be bit blurred. EDRs are great in detecting process behavior and containing executions - in solutions like crowdstrike or carbonblack you can set pretty robust policies on how software/system your company is using should behave and with introduced machine learning this creates pretty solid armor. Personally i would not take this as AV or EDR decision as in enterprise you will need to use both. Modern AVs are often packed with features filtering out common threats, safeguarding your network connections, ports, SSL exposure, now even ransom protection capacity and many many more, while EDR is setting constrains on process and service behavior and monitoring chain of events, also in crowdstrike detections are generating nice visual representation of whole chain of custody on particular detection.

[@jamesyoung151]

I stopped using antivirus programs in 1999 when Symantec decided to change to a subscription model for updates. I was convinced back then that Symantec was writing some of those "viruses."

[@flinch622]

Great topic. A program capable of blocking normal admin termination of process is in and of itseld quite an attraction to hackers: capture that, and the user has no remedy [other than wipe and reload the os].

[@ВиталийОвчаренко-и1н]

Common problems that arise when trying to choose an antivirus program include reliability, false positives, and the need for comprehensive protection against various types of malware. The decision-making process involves assessing criteria such as reliability, Internet security features, and the level of protection provided against cyber threats. It is important to consider factors like the frequency of software updates, compatibility with devices, and customer support when selecting an antivirus program.

[@TheJackal917]

I don't use antivirus since 2006. Never had problems.

[@SergiuCosminViorel]

me too! and i was more and more desperate. All started in 2001, i was in an University campus, and what i did not know back then, some students, later to be recruited for intelligence agency, they were schooling us in the need for antiviruses. Nothing was even decent patch. I grew desperate. In 2006 i abandoned all and any antiviruses. Learned to do some neat configurations, and all worked much better.

[@SergiuCosminViorel]

@@RStark-ek7mh Norton was making problems, and was signaling solving problems it did not solve

[@PaulG.x]

@@RStark-ek7mh How nice of Norton. Microsoft often call me on the phone to tell me I've been hacked and help me fix it - even though I have been using Linux based systems for 20 years. The nice people that call me don't appear to know what Linux is and they persist in trying to help me . Then they get horribly confused that I don't have all these Micro$oft utilities installed and give up. They waste hours of time but are very nice about it.

[@stackflow343]

That you know of, lol.

[@TheJackal917]

@@stackflow343 nope. I still gave more than one neuron to be able to spot a problem when it's there.

[@teegees]

This is the most sounds advice I’ve heard in a long time. The tip to keep your files on a separate drive is a good one. What about creating restore points before installing potentially malicious free apps?

[@robbraxmantech]

Not a bad idea

[@tracyrreed]

The Year of the Linux Desktop was 1995 for me. I've had root access to hundreds of thousands of Linux boxes. I've never used antivirus and I've never had a virus or seen a virus in any of those hundreds of thousands of linux systems over all these years. I've heard of countless instances of viruses/malware/ransomware from corporate IT on Windows boxes.

[@williambaldwin9346]

Also with the Linux permissions points, the protected mode for users helps a ton, so if one user does somehow do something, the whole system isn't in danger.

[@ryzlot]

GREAT matter-of-fact honest and logical content - THANKS JR

[@Ed209sect32]

On Windows i' just use the Default defender. After watching your videos. ANd I don't normally surf unsafe sites. So I haven't had any issues in over a decade. And last few years stopped purchasing AV software. ANd my Mac I don't run AV at all. No issues there either.

[@lyfandeth]

Air conditioner maintenance, model trains, Barbie dolls, even background chech (credentialing) sites. I've found malware lurking in the most unlikely web sites. Virtual machines and sandboxes are still your friends.

[@xCheddarB0b42x]

There are some really good open source solutions out there like Clam AV, Sigma, and Nextron Systems Aurora Light EDR. There is nothing proprietary, so you can inspect every element of the tools.

[@josephfilm73]

Still garbage. They miss too much & give a false sense of security.

[@Auguur]

Telling reckless users to not use anti virus is like telling reckless drivers not to use a seatbelt, it will end badly.

[@l337pwnage]

I tend to agree. It's to protect people who are going to do really dumb things with their computer. I don't trust AV programs and don't use them often, but I have also seen them fail when people have used them. I think most viruses are taken out on the internet, these days, unless you seek them out. I know I rarely run across them these days compared to years ago when I helped tons of people "clean" their PC's.

[@unAgorist]

no it is telling people to stop being reckless, which using av is. should tell them to switch to linux too.

[@wchen2340]

Seatbelt manufacturers pitch there product as (perceived) substitute for traffic sign awareness. Which qualifies as malicious imo. Framing software manufacturer responsibility into a customer recklessness metric doesnt help at all. my tinfoil hat even thinks theres a pricetag on the hidden file extension default policy. Could be illegal but what do i know.

[@l337pwnage]

@@wchen2340 Reminds me of a seat belt ad the state paid for that I heard. (gov't ads are a grift, but that's another story) They made the mistake of putting statistics in the ad and I would point out that the statistics say that more people die _wearing_ their seat belt, than not wearing it. The ad wasn't up long, lol.

[@wchen2340]

To be safe from terrorist attacks on a plane you should carry a bomb, because is statistically very unlikely to have two people carrying bombs on the same aircraft. :-P That translates to malware terms almost intuitivly^^ @@l337pwnage

[@saskloppers1]

I don't use. And when I did, I was crashed by randsomware. So I changed my server and router privacy in a number of ways, and got rid of my AV. A waste of time. Thanks for the advice. I was never ever penetrated after that. It's been 7 years...

[@brianbrian5842]

Only exception I would say might be acceptable to run antivirus products would be for novice computer users and the kids computers (yes your kids need to have their own computer/ device). Reason is the methodology of being safe without antivirus relies on the user 100%.

[@noanyobiseniss7462]

Have never installed anitvirus software and its the first thing I remove when getting a system. But I use best practices and have been a expert since the 80's.

[@Ancientreapers]

13:52 There are certain circumstances where a reinstalling the OS will not clear an infection. I worked on a friend's computer a long time ago and turns out he ended up with a rather malicious piece of malware/worm. It attached itself to the boot sector of the hard drive and the only solution was to low level format the hard drive. A normal formatting and reinstall would not clear it. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of this particular malware/worm but it was known due to I was able to find information on it at the time. It was picked up by the malware detector/cleaner and even that couldn't clean it. Damn if I can't remember the name of it.

[@robbraxmantech]

Boot sector stuff should be handled by the Clonezilla solution. And yes a reformat may be necessary if you're installing from scratch.

[@charlesrichards5389]

@@robbraxmantech The only reason I've been using Avast! is because it has a Boot Scan feature, but I'm thinking of uninstalling it after you demonstrated it making a fake certificate (in another video). But isn't there a way of running it from a thumb-drive (as a portable) and not have to actually install it?

[@KNIGHTJUMPS]

​@@charlesrichards5389I am going to research this question.

[@_droid]

Just wait until you get malware in the firmware of your system or a device. Or worse, hardware malware installed in supply chain attacks. Good luck.

[@CRSolarice]

Thats alright. I believe you and you are absolutely right about that. There are also worms that will spread to network shares or other computers in a network. You will get no argument from me, I know better. Thing is about these folks who don't use AV: I am left wondering how they could ever know whether or not they have malware running on their system. They could be going for years acting as if they are fine until one day someone has all of their info and is either using their credit cards or a bunch of credit cards that they used their info to obtain... Seems a bit unreasonable to me.... One would never really know for certain so how can they claim success? Where I have known when malware has attempted to run on my system; it only takes that one time that you don't expect it, which is always if you swear by never needing AV in todays world. Nope, not me and I am tech savy, just a bit more humble than most, apparently and have no problem admitting it.

[@jpt3640]

I banned McAfee and co from my computer 20 years ago. But i still use clamav on linux. I think it does not fall into the category "worse than a virus." What do you think? My experiences with viruses mostly date back to dos times, when they where spread through floppies or BBS.

[@BobnothingelsejustBob]

y😮

[@MichaelAussie05]

Awesome segment thanks Rob for your time and efforts on these subjects, I find this informative and entertaining and you saved me money much appreciated. Cheers.

[@Randy-tp5lm]

Don't listen to the haters.. Who don't know what the heck they're talking about. Or even know what any techie already knows. Of what non-techie people who aren't sophisticated - like me - who are computer illiterate.😅 Seriously. Yikes! Degoogled smartphones are a start. Problem is,HOW do you start looking what works and what doesn't? This is especially true for people who really want to learn as much as they can. So many things that almost all popular, well-known brands like 🍎 and what? Other computer software and hardware companies WON'T ever tell you. Thanks.

[@TradersTradingEdge]

Superb explanation. Thanks for this.

[@sirmiluch6856]

Firewall with custom ruleset (especially if it's asking you about every connection if you trust it) is more than enough. I didn't use any AV software for more than 15 years already.

[@TruthSeeeker777]

Thank you for this awesome education. Because of your intelligent way of explaining the anti virus hoax I got rid of it a year ago and I don't click on any suspicious emails or anything else and my computer runs great! Thank you!

[@8crafter]

bruh there is no antivirus hoax, this video itself is a conspiracy theory.

[@DosonTheGreat]

This is exactly why I stopped using antivirus years ago. When I've met people who tell me I'm wrong I just let them have their way and move on. No sense trying to change the mind of one who does not want it.

[@CD-vb9fi]

Same here... it's been well over a Decade since I have used AV software. At most, I will use "scanners" from time to time but I usually just use my eyeballs and sysinternals. The easiest method is locate the virus files, set "everyone" denied permissions and then restart your system. That solves the vast majority of malwares. I have never had a system compromised for long either. But... I also like to reinstall windoze often enough as well.

[@auriuman78]

Lol 😆 yeah it's a hard role for me. I work in IT and I'm really not allowed to tell people this, but it is absolutely true. I do not use AV at all. I don't even like MS Defender. People do not need anti virus. People need to learn and understand how to internet. Before everyone starts trolling me, I'm not saying everyone needs a networking degree to internet. That's ridiculous. Everyone should have a basic class and license process though, just like we do cars. We don't let just anyone drive cars, for very good reasons. For the same very good reasons, there should be a similar process in place. I have had one "virus" in the last ten years, and that's because I was stupid enough to let my guard down and install a pirate OS scanner, which was actually itself bad news, a detector for pirated os'es sounds bad. The rest have been avoided because I know internet basics. Besides, the vast majority of exploits are just social engineering and not some guy in a dark basement somewhere in Russia or whichever country scares you the most.

[@CRSolarice]

I'm the same way about it, except I use AV software and not the free versions. But no sense trying to change someones mind when they are convinced that they know better... My question is how do you know that you've been successful? Malware doesn't alert the user to its installation, as far as I know.

[@CD-vb9fi]

@@CRSolarice We find out about the same way you find out your AV has failed. "Odd" system behavior" I have cleaned MORE malware off systems that had AV than systems without AV.

[@CRSolarice]

@@CD-vb9fi That is actually not a very reliable method of detection because someone who is skilled at writing malware would basically do so in such a way that it would exhibit no strange behavior of any kind. Essentially, 'well' written malware would be like any other software on a person's PC because that's all it really is, a computer program just like, any other. Generally speaking its the unskilled malware writer's software that exhibits buggy behaviors... Not trying to say that you aren't entitled to your opinion or anything like that but it seems to me that if you use a PC in conjunction with any sort of personal information then that is a bit risky to do, especially for people who aren't dedicating parts of their lives to diagnosing and repairing computer problems, just saying.

[@RobKHere]

On windows I just use Defender and run Super anti spyware and that is it. I also use Linux on my other box. Good videos.

[@sireuchre]

OK, so... heuristics is NOT how most AVs detect malware. They use signatures - bits of code from a piece of malware to identify the malware files. Heuristics examines the behavior of software, and although many, if not most AVs also can and do use heuristics to try to block malware, this is not how they primarily block KNOWN malware. Zero day exploits are most effectively found by heuristic scanning. Your description of 'no click attacks' are better known in the past as 'drive by attacks', where the automatic parsing or execution of files is exploited. This is usually done in the browser, but also in email clients or any other software that uses such automation to do its job. This is another case where an AV (or other security software) doesn't need to know a signature, but can use heuristics (behavior based detection). It can also secure you by knowing the source of such malware, like the site you're trying to visit, or the remote server meant to deliver a file as remote content or an attachment. Creating an image of your OS install you assume is 'clean' isn't a sure bet, and has a MAJOR flaw - you're now using an out of date copy of the OS, which lacks patches and updates to remove exploits that have been found after the version you originally installed. The idea that AV and security software doesn't try to inspect what is in memory (RAM) is also incorrect. Many do, but at great cost to the performance of the machine. Saying 'there is no file' isn't really right, either - your RAM is managed through a page file, and that's where some AVs look to inspect what's in RAM. The file may be written directly to volatile RAM (vs persistent storage like your hard drive, SSD, eMMC, flash drives, etc), but that's still a file, and can be inspected. Human behavior is definitely as critical or more critical than all other security software, but using inaccurate or incorrect reasoning is now how to convince someone to use or reinforce the use of safer computer use disciplines. The most common point of failure of any AV or security software is the human user, often ignoring prompts or overriding it. That is basically ignoring your second line of defense, after you failed on the first line (your behavior of not touching unrequested files, and using skepticism and critical thinking to evaluate what you think you want to do). Paying for 3rd party AVs and security software for Windows is largely unnecessary at this point, yes. However, suggesting that one should disable Microsoft's own included AV and other security software is very bad advice. It is sufficient to be your second line of defense after your careful behaviors.

[@Vilematrix]

Dont forget its really common for windows users to be affected by wpad attacks and CRX droppers. There are plenty of tools that can copy all fields of a SSL cert without it being flagged.

[@l337pwnage]

Well, antivirus programs _most definitely_ intentionally mark non-virus programs as viruses because companies don't like certain programs.

[@raistlinmajere5741]

You forgot one other important bit of information. MS hates competition so much that they are willing to semi-brick devices they find it on. A Windows update put my laptop into the blue screen boot loop from Hell. It turns out Windows Defender didn't like one of the DLLs installed in the system folder by Kaspersky (the free version, anyway). Adding insult to injury, MS's own web site failed to properly diagnose the issue, and led me on a wild goose chase re-installing completely unrelated files. I was eventually able to delete the file in question from command line mode. I uninstalled Kaspersky and have not installed another AV since. Lesson learned -- Defender hates competition. After all those reboots, I also learned to hate Bitlocker with a passion, and "manage-bde -off c:" is one of the first things I run on systems I didn't build myself.

[@AndreasC81]

Many thanks for your knowledgable videos. I was wondering if you suggest that one should deactivate the inbuilt protection against viruses in Windows?

[@randydietmeyer5883]

I have a Firewalla Gold between my modem and router and am amazed at how much random traffic it blocks.

[@lindarhoads9101]

Please explain what Google LLC running in the background means.

[@DevilbyMoonlight]

I remember what the real term for Zero DayZ or 0-dayz meant, it came from the reputation based Warez scene, it referred to the 'age' of an application or game that was released and usually cracked before it was, a lot of very busy BBS's 30 years ago would only accept 0 to 3 dayz or 0 to 7 days old files in that particular scene, uploading older files would end up with them being 'nuked' and a shaming message from one of the sysops damaging your reputation in the file listing for all to see... so anything zero days is less than 24 hours old.

[@Dhruv-qw7jf]

Next video request: How to delete Windows Security (Defender) from your computer?

[@davidhardaker192]

My technique also, plus anti virus takes a chunk of your CPU powerand slows down your PC. Do regular system image backups to save having to do a clean reinstall incase of trouble.

[@grayisgood]

After you do a clean install, do the settings the way you like, install the software you like and use regularly, and MAKE A BACKUP. Keep the backup somewhere safe, on a portable drive. Keep all your personal files on a different drive/partition from windows. No more clean installs. Problems with windows: reinstall the backup to the windows partition and you are good to go. You don't need any more backups of that partition, just of your personal files which you can copy/paste. I like redo rescue.

[@ImYourHuckleberry76]

What are your thoughts about malware repair programs that only run upon request? For example, setting up a flash drive with ventoy or medicat?

[@nehemiah1976]

Would it be smart for a CNC machine to have anti-virus?

[@stephenbaldassarre2289]

I realized about 20 years ago that anti-malware and malware were essentially the same thing.

[@selvakumarm4382]

😅 still u got avg

[@SonuCRX7]

Hi All, Sonu this side I works in PwC India as a TL in Cybersecurity Domain, we have seen the defender is not good enough against today's highly design antivitus, therefore I highly recommend everyone to have a good antivirus to minimize the risk, we have seen multiple instance where this defender skip the threat, defender is good to protect windows component against virus not your file and identity

[@bikeny]

Good video. I too haven't run any antivirus for years. I like that you didn't have any music playing while you spoke. I am now subscribed.

[@StarAccount-km1rt]

Thanks! You really know your stuff!

[@Somewhat_Damaged]

Mcafee said this in one of his last interviews. He said antivirus is worthless you have to target the individual hackers creating it

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

You will notice there days that banks and things like utility companies never send you attachments. If they invite you to look at your account they will link to their website. I think the only time you might get an attachment is if you do something like send off a freedom of information request to your local council and they may send you a Word or Excel file. What i do is use a cloud email address so the cloud provider will have strong anti-virus to start with and it may be possible to convert some file attachments into HTML so the original file never touches your computer. This happens at least on my system with picture files, which are the most common attachments.

[@lastfirst3291]

Wow! I feel vindicated. I stopped using AV a few years ago

[@SlyNine]

Kinda falling into confirmation bias. Just because one rando on the internet agrees doesn't make it correct. Personally, I think it's a fool's errand. Many viruses can enter through security exploits while following all the rules, without any noticeable trace. So pick your poison.

[@Jeremiah_Johnson139]

Rob, I like your fresh install and clone approach to prevent future attacks, but how are you supposed to sanitize your system, for present or existing threats, if you can't trust Symantec or Windows Defender?

[@robbraxmantech]

A fresh install guarantees that. Windows defender can run to clean up kiddie viruses.

[@marvinwaleed]

It is wonderful that you are willing to tell the truths that others are afraid to say. Just fabulous! You have courage!

[@threadripper979]

I'm not sure using John McAffee as a reference is the best idea. He made his millions with anti-virus software. He was also totally insane, a chronic drug user, and a murderer (allegedly).

[@zeljkoklepac3180]

No internet no virus or malware and no problems offline

[@Ben24-7]

If you have a shared computer with kids using it , see how long your PC lasts following this guys advice , id rather have a computer that works than worry about some of my data being shared , If your using the internet your data is being shared no matter if you have Antivirus or not

[@cpufrost]

It's annoying how hard it is to truly remove Win Defender from latest releases of Win11 too!

[@gregmark1688]

Corporations certainly _should_ be worried about privacy. If Kaspersky can read files, they can see any and all corporate secrets.

[@ivanrivera777]

That's not how it works, it can read how a file is executed, not what a file has inside it.

[@gregmark1688]

@@ivanrivera777 Nah, to scan files you have to actually read the individual file and compare it against a table of virus signatures.

[@SynKronos]

What do you make of Zone Alarm?

[@CnCDune]

Depends on what's advertised. I hear Comodo AV and ZoneAlarm stop code from being injected into running programs system-wide. I only know this because a game-extension that works that way needs to be listed as an exception to Comodo/ZoneAlarm. But other than that, I do not know if they're actually more useful than standard Windows Defender or other system-protections.

[@HouseAndLotFinderph]

Antivirus = data collector.

[@dmknght8946]

i think you mentioned the "process injection" or sort of things like that. afaik many av vendors have different mechanism to detect and protect system from that. some vendors also provide anti-exploitation using function hook combines with other stuff. meanwhile Windows defender has a great system emulator so it can have good detection rate against obfuscated/encrypted malware

[@CnCDune]

@@dmknght8946 Ares DLL works without any issues with standard Defender - it doesn't seem to care. Comodo & ZoneAlarm will *instantly* complain and block Ares.

[@8crafter]

@@HouseAndLotFinderph that is only the case for some antiviruses, there are a lot of really good ones though that do not collect your data.

[@talkingthetalk3640]

​​@@HouseAndLotFinderphbruh you are on YT, the internet and a computer. It's all data collection.

[@mickwolf1077]

I remember the days where norton and others once installed can't be removed without something breaking in your os. What a headache.

[@ssdkkkk7114]

Hello Rob, please share your experience about VPN protocols

[@PatbroBro-sn8yo]

Very informative, thank you

[@moetocafe]

For Windows users Antivirus AND antimalware tools are still absolutely needed. Because chances of getting a virus / malware, that already circulates in the wild are much greater, than having to face a zero day attack. It's a flawed logic, like saying you won't take a preventative cure for one disease, just because there are also other diseases out there, and what's the point. See the flaw in such thinking?

[@robbraxmantech]

Sure whatever makes you happy. My flawed logic works great for me. Have not had any malware. Enjoy your client side scanner

[@moetocafe]

@@robbraxmantech it works for power users, who don't run Windows. It does not work for average Windows users.

[@dutchymcdutchface9974]

@@robbraxmantech Sure whatever makes you happy. Looking forward to your video where you try and recover your data when it has been encrypted by ransomware. Enjoy your flawed logic while you can

[@ТоварищКамрадовСоциалистКоммун]

"survivorship bias"

[@TonyKirkland]

All of your points are 100% accurate. The flaw to your logic is this: Generally antivirus software usually protects the ignorant from themselves. Anyone who is watching your content likely understands all of the concepts you reference prior to watching your video. That all said, your points were valid and spot on. Kudos.

[@Satans_Reject]

*Very informative info. I am interested in your app, but it's for older versions of Android devices. Plus, I was interested in De-Googled phones.. Do you have any more info regarding any updated ones ??*

[@robbraxmantech]

You can just go to the website brax.me also. You can download an app directly from brax.me site or from apkpure.com

[@Satans_Reject]

​@@robbraxmantechIt's saying also that the APK file may be harmful...🤔🤔

[@AndreaBorman]

I used to use Windows and I never used any anti virus program and my computer was fine. Though having said that that there is always the risk of malware on Windows so most people would use some anti virus program. If you use Linux you don't need any anti virus software because it is much more difficult for anyone to infect a Linux computer. So long as you don't use Wine which runs Windows software. I did enable the Firewall on Windows just in case of hacks. On Linux you don't have to enable Firewall but the option to do so is there if you want it. I now use Linux Mint full time and I will never go back to Windows because Windows 11 is terrible.

[@dprelate7285]

What's your advice on blocking network traffics of certain apps, including those of windows.

[@PescaitoFrito]

So what do you do when a computer is compromised, with a virus or malware. In this case we just backup data, and reinstall the OS? And avoid at all cost any malware/antivirus tool?

[@robbraxmantech]

Why is it that I never get a virus? All I do is NEVER click on an attachment. In any case, if you want a more active protection, you can use a OS clone (Clonezilla) or a virtual machine

[@MichaelDillin]

I’ve been saying some of this for years!! Thanks for making an in-depth video and adding so much more knowledge to my brain. Your brain is the only safe place for info 😂🇺🇸🤠👍

[@tonynes3577]

I do renew my antivirus for my Windows 7 PC, one of my PCs, even though you are right. Windows 10 doesn't really need an antivirus since it has its own windows defender.

[@northwestrepair]

i dont use it either. i made my own monitoring utility that will monitor any program that i do not know attempts to run and stop it giving me prompt to where it is and other options.

[@J40JesusIsLord]

What about open source virus scanners like ClamWin and ClamTK (for linux). Those are just file scanners-but do they take your data like the mainstream products?

[@caerffili_callin]

Stopped using antivirus 10 years ago when i switched from Windows to Linux, never had a problem. Of course i am careful not click on attachments etc.

[@henrytwigger2245]

Anti-virus is safe and effective ! Remember, my anti-virus protects you and your anti-virus protects me ! :p

[@TheNefastor]

That would be in a perfect world where anti-virus aren't just spyware.

[@imqqmi]

Same logic can be applied to any software you install though. Should you remove everything then? It's about trust. If you trust the AV you chose I think it's fine. You weigh the risks. Without AV you're more at risk generally, for the average user. Of course having a good backup strategy or reinstalling windows every other day, there are also people who just want to use their pc. Worms are still a thing, drive by attacks, leaks in modem firewalls, windows, linux etc. Ransomware etc. 9k so an AV may be behind new threats for a few days, but it beats reinstalling and often restoring a backup. Yes common sense defeats most threats but at the end of the day when you're tired and expect an attachment and accidentally click a forged email link and it's done. Script and ad blockers are great layers of protection as well and sandboxes too, though not perfect. Nothing is perfect.

[@josephfilm73]

Go to sleep earlier then & don't click things when you are tired. Problem fixed. You are relying on a technological crutch to save you from your own laziness/incompetence/negligence.

[@auriuman78]

I really like the way he...speaksss. It is very reminiscent of a matrix agent 😅 This is the kind of basic internet class people should get before getting to use the internet.

[@Aldebaran_Whiskey]

I disagree, the use case may need anti virus, its very usefull because it helps with spam, scams, bots, zero day in some cases, depends on the features and product. Now if you have a home network with a dedicated router (more pricey) that can filter traffic & have good FW and ad blocking / algorithms to detect suspicious traffic then you may not need AV. Again, depends on what your doing/using.

[@robbraxmantech]

Sure. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. I don't use one and I have not been hit with these spams, scams, bots and zero days. But worse, I don't want an MITM

[@SlyNine]

​@@robbraxmantechyou could have a known virus actively logging and capable of using your computer as a zombie net and not even know it. If you don't want to run a live one, you should at least run an offline one.

[@odin823]

i like the "the more you know" type music at the end.