The $2.000 billion global antivirus market may be huge, but its size doesn't necessarily guarantee its survival, according to a new report.
After surveying nearly 1000 US adults, Security.org found that confidence in the effectiveness of antivirus software had plummeted, as had overall usage, and the number of new subscribers had halved.
The report says that of all consumers surveyed for the report, only 2% had started using an antivirus program in the last 12 months, compared to 5% just three months ago.
Paid versions work better
Meanwhile, the percentage of users who said they don't plan to get antivirus software in the next six months rose from 61% in November 2021 to 75% in January.
However, usage remains high. More than three-quarters of adults in the United States (77%) currently use antivirus software, and of those, one-quarter (24%) have it on their smartphone.
About 30,5 million households have free antivirus protection on their computers, while 49,8 million use a paid version. While the free version arguably does its job well, paid users were 17% less likely to encounter innovative viruses or malware in the last 12 months.
Additionally, paid users were more likely to find their software highly effective compared to those who opted for the free versions (36% and 24%, respectively).
In January 2022, about two in five (40%) people without an antivirus solution were willing to install it on their devices in the next six months, up from 25% a year ago. These were more interested in solutions that also include identity theft protection, firewalls or VPNs.
"Perhaps encouraged by better patches and updates, or deterred by questionable experts, a telling number of consumers have abandoned antivirus protection and questioned its effectiveness over the past year," the report concludes.
“As emerging dangers threaten security, privacy, cloud data, cryptocurrency trading, and mobile phones, there will be cybersecurity companies ready to appeal to open-minded consumers. Those that offer a full range of efficient and affordable services should do particularly well.