If so, what are your experiences?
Sometimes, not seeing a picture is worth a thousand words.
When I’m going to be the sole user on a computer, I don’t run one. As an experiment, I once went 6 months without using an antivirus or malware blocker. After that time, I scanned using different versions of both and didn’t come up with anything more malicious than tracking cookies.
Now that I have 6 different people using my laptop and desktop computers, I run both on both computers, plus have a hardware firewall going. Also have firefox with adblock and noscript as the only browswer on the guest accounts, so that there’s very little chance of anything malicious getting on.
I haven’t run anti-virus software on any of my computers for the last five years. Now, I have become a Mac user, so that has something to do with, but I haven’t found any need for it on my computers. I am not opining on the security of Macs, whether it be through obscurity or design, just answering the question as stated.
I run it but can absolutely go without it. My computer is fast enough to handle it though so I just leave some on for added safety.
In the past I’ve had more problems with legitimate AV softwares than with malware or viruses so I don’t run one - I’d rather have some problems every few years with the latter than daily annoyances with the former. YMMV.
I do run noscript, but it’s hard to tell how much that does or does not help.
I have a firewall but no virus protection. Not yet caught a malevolant one.
I have three Macs.
No, but I’m on Linux so no need.
I don’t. I maintain safe web habits and know all the processes that are supposed to be running. I also check my msconfig file often to make sure nothing snuck its way in. I will use an online scanner I trust if I feel I may have been exposed to a virus, but with adblock and remove it permanently, I haven’t gotten a virus in years.
I just don’t like running AV programs. I prefer a minimalistic startup that doesn’t bog down my boot time or interfere with program launching and downloads. My mom has a bunch of crap that runs on her pc (avg scanner, cc cleaner, zonealarm firewall), and it’s a pain in the ass to use that computer. Popups, requests for an exception, and scans running all the goddamn time in the background? No thanks.
I mostly use Linux, so I don’t need to worry about viruses, but on my Windows installs I use anti-virus software and firewall software.
Not since June 2011 when I got my MacBook Pro.
I read email on my office computer (which is Linux based), using Putty, so the email never come to my computer, which is behind a firewall. I don’t download anything unless I know what it is. And I have never had a virus.
I don’t. Not since I flushed windows.
For a non-techie like me, switching to Linux isn’t simple, but it’s doable; and once you get things set up…well, using Linux has actually improved my “quality of life.”
Flushing windows = flushing a universe of headaches. Best computer-related decision I ever made.
Nope. iMac.
I read that something like 30 to 40% of small businesses run their PCs without.
At home, I’ve been running this Windows 7 64-bit box for 2 years now. I do have an anti-virus installed (Avast), but it has strictly never reported anything. UAC is active. I never use Internet Explorer. I don’t lurk much in the shady corners of the Internet, and when I do download slightly-suspicious software I run it and scan it in a virtual PC first.
Before that, I ran a Windows XP box for 4 years without an anti-virus, no trouble. And I was an administrator of my PC.
At work, I ran Windows XP, Vista and 7 for 5 years, no anti-virus, no problems on my PCs. But we did have some users get infected all the time by being careless and clicking YES all the time, so eventually we did institute a company-wide anti-virus policy a year ago. Still no alerts on my PC, though. Again, UAC active, no IE.
Still, even when you know what you’re doing, there are exploits out there that could allow an attacker to take control of your computer without your intervention. So use Windows Update regularly, disable the stuff you don’t need, back up regularly, etc.
No. We have Macs. Never had a problem.
I use OS X, so no need for anti-virus. However, I occasionally run an AV program on my Windows XP virtual machine.
I put a condom over my RJ45, so I think I am pretty safe.
This prevailing attitude is going to bite some of you really hard back one day. Macs are still vulnerable, it’s just rare for anyone to craft a virus for them. Don’t get too complacent.