Not so safe: Security software can put computers at risk
Is the antivirus program running on your computer really making your computers safer to use, say, for online banking? Is the parental control software you bought to keep your child off inappropriate sites transparent for the overall safety of your computer? New research shows security software might actually make online computing less safe. Ref. Source 1n.
I don't see security software of itself as unsafe but the over reliance on it can be unsafe. Having antivirus software, as an example, isn't a 100% anti-virus proof if you aren't downloading the updates or the virus isn't yet in the software's database. Vigilance online is needed.
I agree with this article. I think most people don't understand (Or don't want to understand) how their habits also affect their security. For instance, just because you have some anti-virus software doesn't mean you can just open every email attachment or browse every scam website with impunity. As these anti-virus software get better, so do the viruses. We are responsible for our own security and have to browse in appropriate manners.
Also nothing is 100% secure, just because we don't have a virus on our computer doesn't mean that someone can't monitor your activity, steal your sensitive information, or even harm your computer. There are many other ways to gain access to that information than just a virus (For instance spoofing, sniffing, and zombie-ing a computer). It is the age-old trick of sending an email from facebok saying you need to log in to confirm something and then stealing your information without a virus ever being involved (Phishing). We as a society are too ignorant of all our digital footprints and how much information we leave out here for people to steal.