"61 Percent of Americans Rely on Free Antivirus Programs"

According to a new report on the antivirus industry from Security.org, nearly three-quarters of Americans strongly believe computers require antivirus to protect their devices, and 61 percent rely on free solutions such as Microsoft Defender. The percentage of people who choose free solutions has remained stable, falling by only one point since 2021. Just 8 percent of free antivirus users had encountered a breakthrough virus in the last year, compared to 10 percent of paying users. An estimated 33 million households pay for antivirus software. Several paid programs are delivered in Internet security suites that include extra features to improve Internet security, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), password managers, and secure browsers. According to the report, which is based on a survey of more than 1,000 people in the US, 7 percent of people will be in the market for antivirus software in the next six months, amounting to an estimated 16 million Americans, indicating that this is still a large market despite the popularity of free solutions. The study's authors concluded that antivirus programs remain a dominant protection solution for American computer users. Yet, there has been a progressive shift toward using proprietary security products instead of paid security products. This article continues to discuss findings from the new report on the antivirus market. 

BetaNews reports "61 Percent of Americans Rely on Free Antivirus Programs"