If you’re a diligent computer user, you make sure to keep your antivirus software current. It’s the only way to protect your computer from viruses and malware, right? According to a recent story by MIT’s Technology Review, no.
Antivirus Software: Unreliable?
The story says that the antivirus software we have all counted on to safeguard our information is no longer as effective as it used to be. More and more sophisticated viruses are being developed daily that cannot be detected by current antivirus software. This can be very concerning as many of us use the Internet on a daily basis.
Burned by Flame
One of the most complex examples of malware to date is Flame. Flame copies documents, audio, network traffic, and keystrokes made on a computer that’s been contaminated by it. The scary thing is, Flame has been active for a couple years now. During all of this time, no security software has been developed to detect this malware.
An Industry Under Siege
Wouldn’t it be nice if Flame was the only malware that could get by antivirus software? Unfortunately, this is not the case. There are quite a few that are more than difficult to detect and as soon as antivirus software gets upgraded, malware is developed that challenges it even more. This does not mean it’s not necassary to take all measures available to protect your computer, like keeping your antivirus software up to date. You should just be aware that there are viruses out there that may creep through. Hopefully the antivirus industry will ultimately catch up with the development of viruses and malware.
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