Does Windows 7 Need an Anti-Virus Program?

If you've recently installed Windows 7, chances are you paid a lot of money for it (and if you, er, "avoided" the fees for the OS, shame on you). You want to keep your new installation running smoothly, so you may have bought an anti-virus program. However, you might have simply assumed that it wasn't necessary--after all, Windows 7 has some much-touted UAC features designed to keep it safe. What more could virus protection do?

Quite a bit, actually.

Here's a look at whether Windows 7 needs an anti-virus program installed in order to stay secure.

UAC - The UAC features of Windows 7 are promoted on the company's press literature, and they're a significant reason to own Windows 7. Basically, UAC ensures that anything installed or ran on Windows 7 is ran with the user's approval. Potentially malicious programs are therefore prevented from running, and the incidence of viruses that are allowed to attack a computer are greatly diminished.

Diminished, but not necessarily eliminated. The UAC of Windows 7 is great at preventing some viruses from taking hold, but while Windows 7 may have better virus protection than older versions of the operating system, as Slashdot reports, it's not perfect. Tests on the operating system showed that many bugs and worms will still get through if no anti-virus software is enabled. Now, how often you'll come across these sorts of trojans, viruses, and worms will vary. If you use your computer to visit Nigerian porn banking sites, then, well, you'll have problems, but in standard use, the current UAC will protect your computer fairly well.

Viruses And More - In the past, though, the makers of malicious software have done whatever they could to attack whatever version of Windows that Microsoft has put out. Windows 7 will be updated to prevent attacks by the latest and greatest viruses, but anti-virus software actively scans each incoming and outgoing file constantly. Not only does anti-virus software prevent malicious software from being installed, but it disinfects files that are attacked.

For that reason, it's a good idea to install anti-virus software on Windows 7, regardless of your surfing habits. You'll have better protection on your computer, and with high quality software, you'll eliminate the risk of file damage from nasty viruses and trojans. Install anti-virus software, and more importantly, keep it up to date so that it's able to deal with the newest attacks as they arise.

Do you have any questions about the anti-virus capabilities of Windows 7? Post in our comments section below.

Source:

Kdawson, "In Test, Windows 7 Vulnerable To 8 Out Of 10 Viruses", Slashdot.com