Experts Only: Time to Ditch the Antivirus?
To the average IT security practitioner, the idea of disabling antivirus on new machines might seem blasphemous. After all, weren't we all told in IT Security 101 that everyone needs AV to keep the malware and data thieves at bay?
Perhaps, but for some who moved beyond IT Security 101 eons ago, AV is more than simply obsolete. It's an obstacle to a more perfect defense. And so they've chosen to disable it.
Among those who feel that way is David Litchfield, a leading database security expert who has authored such books as "Oracle Forensics," the "Oracle Hacker's Handbook," the "Database Hacker's Handbook" and "SQL Server Security." Like the media players and toolbars he also chooses to disable, such as Real Player, Adobe Acrobat/Flash and toolbars from Google and Yahoo, Litchfield simply doesn't trust the AV programs out there.
