While I’ve never assumed AV software will protect you from all ills on the Internet, new research from SurfRight shows just how bad things are. A sample of just under 110k users ( a very good sample I think ) shows that 32% ( yes 1/3rd ) of all machines running AV software were infected . What’s even more interesting is that the percentage of machines infected that are not running AV software is only 46%. This gives one some idea of how ineffective AV software is in practice. Of the sampled machines with AV installed, 73% had up-to-date signatures and 27% did not.
The report from SurfRight also highlighted the increased coverage provided by OS-level software such as Microsoft’s Malicious Software Tool and Security Pack.
The outcome is as always: defense in depth. Run multiple point products to provide more security, eg. AV software ( with definition updates ), a good anti-spam filter, keep your OS patches current and use an anti-malware/spyware tool. And use your head – if that email looks suspicious, it probably is.