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What is malware and anti-malware?
Today, cyber-attacks are more widespread and dangerous than ever. While these attacks can be carried out using several different methods, malware is one of the methods hackers use to achieve their goals. Malware or malicious software is essentially a computer program that executes some sort of action on your computer. Different kinds of malware include computer viruses, spyware, worms, Trojans and more. On the other hand, anti-malware is a computer program that can protect your computer or network by detecting malware, isolating it and deleting it before it can do any harm.
Is anti-malware the same as an antivirus?
As stated above, a computer virus is just one of the types of malware, there are other kinds of malicious software out there. Therefore, anti-malware and antivirus are also different things. From a technical standpoint, antivirus programs look for signatures of specific known viruses, they are not effective against other types of malware or previously unknown viruses. On the other hand, antimalware programs detect anomalies that previously didn’t exist in the system. Plus, an antivirus usually only works on the device where it is installed, while a robust anti-malware system can protect your entire company and all the devices and networks in it together with your clients. Even if you install commercial antivirus programs on all your employees’ devices, the level of cyber protection will be much lower compared to using anti-malware software.
What if my business doesn’t have anti-malware protection?
Failing to protect your business’ computers and networks by anti-malware can have disastrous results. In the wors case scenario, your business can be completely destroyed by just one attack. For instance, hackers can steal your clients’ private information, which can be very damaging to your brand. Alternatively, they can steal your company’s sensitive information, including details about employees, business bank accounts and more, causing significant financial damage.
How to choose anti-malware solutions?
There are lots of things to consider when looking for an anti-malware service. For instance, if your company is fairly small and you don’t have a dedicated IT person on staff or they are not proficient in anti-malware protection, you need to look for an anti-malware service that is easy to implement and that includes full support of the system for the entire duration of service. The best service providers offer continuous, easy-to-reach customer support that is ready to help you 24/7 in case of issues or cyber-attacks. The list of services offered by the anti-malware software is also an important thing to consider: does it include only system monitoring and detection, or does the software also remove malware as soon as it finds it? All of these things need to be considered when choosing an anti-malware service.
