Stop Paying for Pop-Ups: The Antivirus Industry’s Dirty Secret
If you’ve ever bought a new computer, you’ve probably seen names like Norton, McAfee, or Kaspersky pop up. They promise complete protection—but what you often get is a flood of pop-ups, endless upgrade prompts, and features you don’t really need. Most of these tactics feel less like security and more like fear-based selling.
The Dirty Secret?
To sell you as many add-ons as possible and rope you into recurring auto-renewal contracts so you forget about it—and they can slowly creep up the bill and earn as much as they can per client.
The Scare Tactics They Use
I’ve seen pop-ups screaming things like:
“People can see what you do online!”
Seconds later, they push you to buy an expensive VPN or extra tools to “fix” the problem.
Most of these warnings are exaggerated—or flat-out misleading. It’s all about context, and they rarely explain that which in my mind is a borderline scam.
A Real Story That Says It All
Recently, I got a call from an elderly client who had just bought a new laptop online. She was terrified—convinced she’d been hacked.
When I arrived, she was too scared to even use her computer. Why?
Her antivirus (a well-known brand) kept bombarding her with messages:
- “People can see what you do online!”
- “Your computer has hundreds of issues!”
- “You need a VPN now—click here to buy!”
She thought her brand-new laptop was riddled with problems. In reality:
- She was on a private home broadband network with a secure password. No one was spying on her.
- The “hundreds of issues” were nonsense—mostly outdated drivers and other minor things that didn’t matter. Some things in fact were just plain untrue.
- The antivirus was trying to sell her clean-up tools and extra services she didn’t need.
It was all fear marketing, and it worked—she was ready to spend more money just to feel safe but then thought better of it and called me.
The Bigger Problem
Manufacturers encourage this behaviour by bundling aggressive antivirus programs with new computers. Instead of protecting users, they scare them into buying more products. For people who aren’t tech-savvy, it’s overwhelming and stressful.
Why often the Antivirus pre installed on your new computer Falls Short
Most big-name antivirus programs pre installed on new devices:
- Slow down your computer with heavy scans
- Constantly push upgrades and add-ons
- Bombard you with pop-ups and renewal reminders
- Lock you into auto-renewals at inflated prices—then offer discounts only when you try to leave
Yes, they protect against viruses (although some aren’t great at it)—but they’re scamming you along the way. Controversial? Maybe. True? From my experience, absolutely.
Our Recommendation: Malwarebytes
If you want simple, powerful protection without the nonsense, we recommend Malwarebytes. Here’s why:
- No annoying pop-ups or sales prompts
- Lightweight and fast—won’t slow down your PC
- Excellent protection against modern threats like ransomware and phishing
- Easy to use—set it and forget it
For home users, Malwarebytes is a breath of fresh air compared to traditional antivirus.
For Businesses: Malwarebytes EDR
If you run a small business, Malwarebytes also offers Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)—a next-level solution that:
- Stops threats in real time
- Isolates infected devices automatically
- Gives you full visibility into security events
- Includes patch management for compliance
This is the kind of protection businesses need—not just antivirus, but active defense.
Why Buy Through Us?
When you buy Malwarebytes through Cranfield IT Solutions, you get:
- Better pricing than buying direct
- Expert installation support with custom configuration for your needs
- Ongoing advice to keep your devices secure
✅ Want antivirus that actually works—without the hassle, Talk to Cranfield IT Solutions today.
📞 Call us: 01435 897 155
📧 Email: Matt@cranfielditsolutions.co.uk