Antivirus Software

Cyber threats are one of the most spoken on subjects during these difficult times where working from home has become essential. Cyber-criminals are taking advantage of the situation and we need to be prepared. One of the most common and safe ways to do that is to have an antivirus on your computer to protect your professional and personal data.

Antivirus software is a type of program designed and developed to protect computers from malware like viruses, spyware, botnets, rootkits, key-loggers and such. Its functions are to scan, detect and remove viruses from your computer and there are many versions and types of antivirus programs that are on the market. However, the prime objective of any antivirus program is to protect computers and remove viruses once detected to protect your computer against malware and cyber-criminals.

Antivirus protection is essential, given the array of constantly emerging cyber threats. If you don’t have protective software installed, you could be at risk of picking up a virus or being targeted by other malicious software that can remain undetected on your computer and mobile devices.

Most antivirus programs incorporate both automated and manual filtering abilities. The instant scanning option may check files - downloaded from the Internet, discs that are embedded into the PC, and files that are made by software installers. The programmed scanning process may likewise check the entire hard drive on a day-to-day basis. The manual scanning system enables you to check single documents or even to scan the complete network at whatever point you feel it is necessary.

For devices like Iphone, Ipad and a Mac, antivirus software are important, but not critical and the odds of infection are almost non-existent if you only run Apple approved software – especially because Apple has a limited number of software developers approved. However, if you are using Windows computer or an Android device it is important to have a software antivirus – they have a wide range of software and users, so it is nearly impossible to monitor each one of them, making it easier to suffer a cyber-attack without an antivirus.

But how exactly does an Antivirus software works? Here are some of the ways it will keep your computer safe:

- You can run a manual scan any time you suspect that your system may be infected with malware of any kind.

- Some antivirus companies also offer browser extensions that protect you where most virus infections take place, while you're browsing the internet. It'll warn you when you're visiting a dangerous website, and many extensions even alert you to all privacy issues, such as whether the site includes tracking cookies.

-Most antivirus programs also monitor your network traffic to and from your computer. It'll recognize when new, suspicious software is communicating over an unauthorized port on your system and will alert you to the activity. On many corporate networks, the IT department needs to add special "exceptions" to allow business software to communicate between computers and servers on specific ports.

For the most part, even if you're using an Android or a Windows computer, modern systems are already fairly well protected. For example, Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender, which includes a firewall and an antivirus component. However, Windows Defender may not be enough.

An antivirus software is not only to block viruses from infecting your computer from the internet, but also to protect your computer from your own mistakes.

If you already have antivirus software, you may believe you’re all set, but it might not be that simple. With new and savvier cyber threats and viruses surfacing, it’s important to stay current with the latest in antivirus protection, because if there’s any crack in your cyber security defenses, cyber-criminals likely will try to find a way in. Ensuring your antivirus software is up and running and up to date is a good place to start.

As new threats appear every day, Antivirus software needs to continually evolve and update to keep up. When setting up your umbrella of protection, it’s important to understand the more common antivirus programs available. The most common types are:

- Malware signature antivirus: Malware signature antivirus software detects malware signatures, which are digital fingerprints of malicious software. Antivirus protection can scan for specific malicious codes, identify specific viruses, and disable these programs.

- System monitoring antivirus: This antivirus protection can monitor software and computer systems for behavior that is suspect or atypical of the user. For instance, alerts are created when a user connects to unfamiliar sites or attempts to access a large number of files, or when there’s a significant increase in data usage.

- Machine learning antivirus: Another form of protection can be machine learning techniques, which monitor “normal” computer or network behaviors. The machine learning antivirus software is able to limit activities by programs or computers if they look suspicious. More specifically, machine learning detection implements algorithms to facilitate malware detection that is broader in scope.

Here at Wappo the number one antivirus that we advise all clients to use is Webroot. Webroot Secure Anywhere is an efficient antivirus that focuses on security and speed. Its unique approach to detection and monitoring allows it to perform scans with little to no performance impact while maintaining one of the most robust databases of malware out there.

Webroot is among the best antivirus software, because of its security measures and resource efficiency.

Contact us to know more.

Sources:

https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-antivirus.html

https://antivirus.comodo.com/security/define-antivirus.html

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/does-your-mac-need-antivirus/