Do you use an anti-virus software?

[Hyrax]

i'm nearing 10 years infection free, with no protection.

And many times over the years I was scared into installing protection thinking that maybe I just got too cocky and overconfident, only to find nothing and waste hours testing different products thinking maybe it would find something others didn't.

That is why I said that browsing habits are a big part. I guess I simply do not partake in activities that could potentially infect my PC.

Ignorance is bliss. How do you know you're infection free without protection?

Besides false positives, I've rarely see anything. A good safe practice is to revert to a clean drive image annually.

 

[GanjaStar]

Ignorance is bliss. How do you know you're infection free without protection?

Besides false positives, I've rarely see anything. A good safe practice is to revert to a clean drive image annually.

I can account for every running process on my rig, there's no suspicious cpu/network/gpu activity. Games and apps all run great.

If i'm infected and I don't know it, they are certainly using so little of my rig's resources that I can't even notice.

certainly less than a running AV app would take.

If I get burned in the future, I will start using protection apps, but atm, for me they're not much more than bloat.

 

[t3hl33td4rg0n]

keyloggers aren't resource intensive.

 

[GanjaStar]

keyloggers aren't resource intensive.

but they are bank account/credit card resource intensive

 

[Lupine]

If I get burned in the future, I will start using protection apps, but atm, for me they're not much more than bloat.

You're not looking at the issue correctly. Look at a virus in medical terms, and you're on the right track. Running anti-virus software is similar to being up to date on your inoculations. Skip a step, and you're not just a danger to yourself, you're a danger to everyone around you.

We're no longer in a disconnected world, so your choices impact others. Each person who chooses the head in the sand route (if, then) increases everyone else's risk level.

There are plenty of options from which to choose. You can spend little to nothing, if financial concerns carry weight, and you can choose options with a low processing footprint. There really are options for everyone, without resorting to the naked option that puts everyone at risk.

 

[GanjaStar]

that certainly is a compelling argument. now I feel like a bad person though

 

[Lupine]

that certainly is a compelling argument. now I feel like a bad person though

Not my intent at all, but I think our connected reality requires that we move away from the "it only effects me" mindset, when it comes to protecting against vulnerabilities.