virus threat in new win 8.1 tabs?

[akthelonelyman]

I have been considering getting a full win 8.1 tab . An attractive prospect for sure considering the price but im confused by one thing.
How secure is it from malware attack? Yeah it depends on my usage but i have installed a kaspersky on my win 7 laptop and it offers good protection and doesn't slow down the system.
My question is can I use a windows 8.1 tab without antivirus?or should i install something like kaspersky? Will that slow down the system?

 

[Laura Knotek]

You could use the built-in Windows Defender.

 

[andrewkeith5]

If you use Windows RT (Surface (not Pro), Nokia 2520) then I think you're pretty much reliant on Windows Defender, but then viruses are pretty rare for RT as far as I'm aware

If you have full Windows 8.1, then you have Windows Defender, but personally I install Kaspersky anyway just to be sure

 

[xandros9]

If you get a Windows RT tablet (not full Windows, just the Lumia 2520 or Surface 2, including some first gen models) then you have nothing to worry about since almost literally no virus written for Windows will run due to fundamental hardware differences.

As for the normal ones like the Dell Venue 8/11 Pros, you *can* forego AV if you're careful, but id just stick to the built in Defender at the least.
You could always load up Avast!, Kapersky, whatever floats your boat. Performance on the current gen tablets is good (no gaming rig though) and the performance hit will depend on the AV used.