Don’t take your antivirus software for granted

Security news is often sober, especially as of late. Many huge data breaches have come to light this year alone, and security vulnerabilities keep coming at us, too—like this week’s report about a massive issue with Secure Boot, one of the core methods used to keep your PC safe from sneaky attacks.

But while the situation with Secure Boot may sound scary, you can still protect yourself while a fix is worked out. It’s simple, too—just let your antivirus do its job.

That might sound like a no brainer, but some folks change their antivirus settings so that automatic updates are turned off, or worse, they disable the software’s protections altogether. Even if that latter state is temporary, a lot of damage can be done during that time.

Further reading: The best antivirus software

Antivirus will help block common ways that an attacker would try to exploit a vulnerability—like drive-by downloads on sketchy sites, compromised websites, or malvertising. You’re not guaranteed full protection against all hackers (like when the bad actor has physical access to your device, or if for some reason you have a nation-state coming for you), but it provides a decent layer of cover.

If you ever hear an alarming piece of security news, take it as an opportunity for a check-in. Is your antivirus program up to date? Are its virus definitions also up to date? Are you getting notification about critical discoveries (suspicious files, app changes, etc)? Are notifications about data breaches still going to your email address?

Likewise, take a moment to make sure Windows is up to date, too. The security patch you’ll want if your PC’s security is compromised by this discovery—that’ll most likely come through a Windows update. Staying current shouldn’t take you much work (or cause stress). A quick verification that everything is running as expected should be enough. The software will take care of the rest.

Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor, PCWorld

A 14-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.

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