Washington: One out of every four computers do not use up-to-date antivirus software, a report has said.
According to Microsoft`s twice-yearly Security Intelligence Report, without vital protection layer, computers are 5.5 times more likely to be infected with malware.
Tim Rains, director of trustworthy computing at Microsoft, stressed that surfing the Internet without up-to-date antivirus is like leaving your front door open to criminals, the Enterprise Innovation reports.
According to the report, most people do not realize their computer is unprotected commonly because a trial period has expired or the software is out of date, and simply because people do not install antivirus.
Microsoft detected and removed malicious email attachments from almost 3 million computers in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Rains said that regardless of whether you use a free or paid-for solution, the importance of antivirus cannot be overstated.
By taking the proper measures to protect your computer, including the most basic step of installing antivirus, you can dramatically reduce your risk of becoming a victim, he added.
ANI
