More and more PC security experts have spoken out against antivirus software in recent months. Why? Well, antivirus software may be irrelevant in the age of cloud computing.
Today, more and more hackers are targeting cloud networks through email and web-based attacks. Normally, server-wide antivirus software is good at detecting these attacks and eliminating viruses once they are discovered. However, on the cloud, even the world’s best antivirus software can be undermined by a single weak link: the individual users.
Hackers have learned that instead of directly targeting the corporate cloud network, it’s far more worthwhile to target individual users with email and web-based attacks. The physical computer – the one that the user is sitting at – never becomes infected, which means that the installed antivirus software won’t detect an infection.
Instead, today’s viruses attack virtual computers like cloud storage systems. These viruses are more difficult to remove than a traditional virus, and most antivirus software gets failing grades in terms of protecting cloud storage systems after they become infected.
That means corporate networks are losing data to external attacks and finding it increasingly difficult to protect themselves.

The problem of privacy protection on cloud storage websites

Another problem with the age of cloud computing is that people are entrusting more data than ever to third-parties. Think of services like Dropbox or Google Docs. How much of your life is stored on these servers? What about SkyDrive or even Facebook?
We use cloud computing to store pictures, files, work data, and other aspects of our lives. Although these cloud storage companies are relatively secure, they’re not bulletproof, and they pose an increasingly more attractive target to hackers.
Most major cloud storage companies have experienced data leaks of some form or another. How long will it take before your information gets stolen?

If antivirus software doesn’t work anymore, what does?

A new type of security system called ‘cloud security’ is becoming more and more useful at defending virus attacks and other online security problems. Cloud security refers broadly to all software that defends cloud networks in some form or another. It can include:
-Cloud network antivirus software
-Virtual private network encryptions that protect data sent and received over public Wi-Fi
-Employee training to recognize­ virus and malware threats before they can infect a computer

What does all of this mean for you?

Here are some key points to get out of this article:
-Businesses generally overestimate the security of cloud storage systems
-Traditional antivirus software can’t effectively protect data stored on the cloud
-Cloud-based antivirus software
-The weakest point in any network is always the individual employee, which is why business networks and individuals who are concerned about security should focus on training employees as well as purchasing good cloud network security software