antivirus needed on Windows 11?

Almighty1 said:

And in that list, Gen Digital formerly known as Symantec actually owns Norton, AVG and Avast as I learned earlier today so looks like the amount of competitors is getting smaller over time.

Click to expand...

Interesting

Been using Windows Defender/Malwarebytes Premium steady for years

Started using Defender full time in 2018, Previously used Avast Free before that, and before Avast Windows Live Onecare, and Before that Mcafee or Norton off and on.

Since switching to Defender/Malwarebytes Premium on all systems

*Experience no system crashes
*No Noticeable slowdown in my daily tasks of gaming, productivity tasks, music listening, light video editing, and etc
*Defender updates always go smoothly, no messing with restarting or start menu not working, or something going wrong with a Windows version update and 3rd Party Antivirus breaking possibly

In General I for one am very happy with the performance of Defender, along with Malwarebytes Premium (Which never finds anything when its scans are run)

Many years ago i had major infection in 2005, so i feel along with good Protection by Defender and Malwarebytes Premum, system image backup is just as important and making sure to keep the Backup External drive disconnected and in a safe place to prevent loss in case of Fire, Flood or any other natural disaster.

My longtime (10 years, plus) security suite is Bitdefender Total Security, plus Malwarebytes Premium, with Windows Defender enabled to do periodic scans.

It is a personal choice, as @kelper has said. I aim for the maximum possible protection, coupled with weekly system images via Macrium Reflect Home and Easeus Todo Backup Home, copies of which are stored on an external drive, which is always offline, except when copying backup images to it. Emergency boot disks for each product have been created and are kept updated.

A good backup strategy is even more important than the choice of security software. No security suite is 100% bulletproof!

Moreover, hardware fails, power surges happen and damage computers, etc. If you don't have a sound backup strategy, you are risking your data, most importantly. Apps can be reinstalled and reconfigured, but priceless photos, documents, music, videos, etc., could be lost forever.

The weakest link is always the "interface" between the chair and the keyboard! Practice "safe hex." Don't click anything unless you know it to be safe. Avoid Torrents.

Just my two cents. Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil