

Version 2 came out a couple years before that. The release of version 4 in 2019 was the first whole-number update since version 3 in 2016. While many security companies release product updates every year, Malwarebytes only does so when necessary. It can't help with attacks that do permanent damage, such as ransomware, but it's a handy tool when other approaches fail. Malwarebytes Free exists to wipe out attackers that get past your main defenses or that already compromised your PC before you could install protection. Or you might have an existing malware infestation that prevents installation of any full-scale antivirus. Some zero-day innovative malware attack might elude your protection, and then disable it.

People write software, including antivirus software.

