Google’s senior security engineer and tech experts say that antivirus solutions are ineffective and it doesn’t help genuinely.
Antivirus Tools Are Useless, Says Google’s Security Engineer
There are still many people who think that having good antivirus solutions are must-haves for any computer users because it provides defense against malware, viruses, and various hacking attempts. However, Google’s senior security engineer doesn’t think so.
Google’s senior security engineer Darren Bilby is not one of them who keeps the mentality that having good antivirus solutions makes you safe on the internet. Furthermore, he thinks that antivirus apps are simply ineffective and the security world should concentrate on the things that actually make difference.
Darren Bilby had asked fellow hackers to expend less effort on tools like antivirus and questioned the overall effectiveness of them while speaking at the “Kiwicon” hacking conference in Wellington.
He recalls the incident when he was charged with researching very advanced attacks including the 2009 Operation Aurora Campaign that made several computers vulnerable to attacks. Darren Bilby said that there is no need of “magic” through ineffective antivirus.
Darren Bilby said “We need to stop investing in those things we have shown do not work. Sure, you are going to have to spend some time on things like intrusion detection systems because that’s what the industry has decided is the plan, but allocate some time to working on things that actually genuinely help.”
“Antivirus does some useful things, but in reality, it is more like a canary in the coal mine. It is worse than that. It’s like we are standing around the dead canary saying ‘Thank god it inhaled all the poisonous gas.”
Darren Bily suggests fellow hackers and security experts concentrate on things such as intrusion detection system that can make a real difference in protecting users even if they access websites that are malicious.
Darren Bilby said, “And sure you are going to have to spend some time on things like intrusion detection systems because that’s what the industry has decided is the plan, but allocate some time to working on things that actually genuinely help.”
He also told the conference that networks are not stable enough because individuals can use a mobile network to upload data to various cloud services that are not adequately protected.
He later said that suggesting users practice safe internet was “horrible” and it shifts blames to the users themselves and away from those who manufactured the hardware and software.
“We are giving people systems that are not safe for the internet and we are blaming the user.”
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