The Importance of Antivirus Software

Today, there exist many brands of Antivirus software. You may have heard of or experienced the scourge of ransomware. In this scenario, the entities who installed ransomware on your computer demand money to make your computer functional again. Even if you pay up there is no guarantee that they would implement their promise. The solution to this problem is using antivirus software to identify and prevent ransomware attacks.

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Types of Viruses

For your information. there exist many different types of viruses. Below are a few types.

• KEYLOGGERS- Some viruses record your keystrokes. They are called keyloggers and they can capture your login id’s and passwords.
• SPYWARE- Tracks your online activities and transmits the same without your consent.
• TROJANS - A Trojan Horse Virus is malware masquerading as a legitimate program. There are viruses that steal details pertaining to your identity. This is used in identity theft.
• WORMS- Computer worm self-replicates as well as infects other machines.

Spam emails are also a threat which can be effectively dealt by the antivirus. Note that pop-up ads are a common way for viruses to enter your system.

How do Antivirus Software Work?

Antivirus software are designed to identify malicious programs and/or files. They either delete the program/file or quarantine it. A quarantined file is kept under observation to see how it behaves. The parent company which developed the antivirus constantly monitors the web for new threats. The antivirus company updates its database regularly. The antivirus package periodically scans the computer for viruses. Viruses may either be active or dormant. The antivirus identifies and deletes both kinds of viruses and ensures the safety of your system.

Most Antivirus Software are Economically Priced

With the emergence of IoT (Internet of Things), there are more avenues for malicious actors to attack your computer systems. You just cannot afford not to have antivirus software. Fortunately, there are several antivirus software of good quality available at reasonable prices. At the very least you can use the free versions if you are short on funds.

You are Vulnerable even if a Single Computer lacks Antivirus

It is not enough to install antivirus packages on your computer. In an organization, the antivirus software should be present on all machines. Even if one machine lacks antivirus system then you are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Note that you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Prevention is always Better than Cure

Purchasing antivirus systems is analogous to purchasing insurance. It is much more expensive to repair a computer affected by viruses than to purchase good quality antivirus software. Just purchasing and installing antivirus on each machine is not sufficient. Your staff needs to be trained to best use the antivirus program. Awareness needs to be spread about good cybersecurity habits. These include having hard to guess passwords, restricted access to company data and not allowing unauthorized individuals to use the organization’s computers. A good safety measure is to have both hardware and software-based firewalls present in the company infrastructure. Make sure to install updates and patches of your operating system whenever they arrive. They are specifically designed to make your system robust as well as secure.

The Problem of Phishing Attacks

Antivirus software functionality is to detect and eliminate cyber threats such as Trojans, malware, spyware, viruses, and others. Today sophisticated phishing attacks are common. In these attacks a person may receive emails that resemble legitimate emails. They earn the trust of the individual and attempt to make the person disclose confidential data. Other techniques of phishing attacks include suggestions to download innocuous appearing files/attachment or to click on links. This type of cyber threat is difficult to recognize. Thankfully antivirus software is designed to identify phishing attacks and alert the user of the same.

USB Drives

Many people don’t scan the USB drive when transferring data from the USB to their computer. This is certainly a risky and unsafe practice. Most Antivirus systems scan the USB drives for potential threats before permitting data transfer.

Objective of Viruses

Viruses are nothing but computer programs with a malicious intent. Generally, viruses are created by skilled coders. Sometimes, the latter create viruses for bragging purposes. There exist both benign and harmful viruses. Among other things, viruses are created to slow down computers, bring the system to a halt, steal valuable data or money, destroy or corrupt data and other nefarious objectives. Certain viruses gain remote control of your machine leaving you helpless.

How to buy an Antivirus?

First, identify your unique/specific requirements and budget. Do research on the available products. Read the reviews diligently. Ask your friends, family, acquaintances, and colleagues for references. Have a list of questions/clarifications ready to ask the seller. Only if you are completely satisfied go ahead and buy the product. You may get a discount in case you are purchasing multiple licenses.

Your Business Reputation Matters

Viruses can gain access to your confidential customer/client data. Once they collect the details of your contacts, they may dispatch unsolicited emails. This can cause damage to your credibility and reputation. You can avoid this scenario by investing in quality anti-virus software. It is recommended to buy the paid versions as the free versions may lack some vital security features. This is cheaper than spending on restoring your damaged credibility and reputation.

Home based Individuals are also Vulnerable

Even if you work from home your computer needs antivirus to be installed. They can also restrict your children’s access to your computer as well as monitor their cyber activities.

As cyberthreats are evolving and improving, you need the best and latest antivirus software to protect your individual machine or your organization’s machines. The importance of this step is significant and non-negotiable.