Protecting Your Organization with the Best Anti-Virus

Introduction

Computer security threats due to viruses and malware can make the Internet an unsafe place. If your organization or firm does not have any efficient tools to safeguard itself from malicious software (or “malware”), the Internet can pose a serious risk to the organization. It is thus important for organizations to install the best anti-virus to safeguard their business. Why does this happen so often? Stealing and selling the information of the user’s information, banking and credit card details, and intellectual property is a really popular business for hackers. Malicious software hijacks the computer to send spam messages, display advertisements, or any other illegal activity that harms the computer.

Methods used by hackers are quite sophisticated for infecting computers with malware and trojans. This Malicious software can spread through legitimate-looking application files, links, or pages of websites. Criminals can even buy inexpensive “attack toolkits,” making cybercrime easy at an affordable price.

Nonprofits and libraries need to understand these threats and learn ways so that they can protect themselves from these attacks. This particular article provides an overview to counter malware threats and provides suggestions for preventing infection using antivirus and anti-spyware software and steps to take if you suspect that your computer is infected.

What Is Malware?

The word Malware originates from  “malicious” and “software.” It is often used as a catchall term for threats such as viruses, spyware, adware, and other software installed without a user’s consent or knowledge so it is crucial to have the best anti-virus installed in the computer

Your System can be affected by viruses in various ways. These are as follows-

• Infected emails from unknown users
• Infected media like portable thumbnail drives
• Pirated software downloaded from the internet, including mobile apps
• Spammy links through  social media websites and mail  instant messages

Some categories of malware are

• Viruses are a kind of self-replicating software that not only slow down the systems but destroys the data
• Spyware is software that spies on computer users and steals login and banking credentials, and other personal information. A “keylogger” records what you type and sends it back to the hacker.
• Adware pop-up ads that display on the screen.
• Scareware mimics a legitimate antivirus or anti-spyware service, claiming that the computer has been infected, and then encouraging users to download and buy fake security solutions. The downloaded software is usually spyware.
• Botnets are networks of infected computers used for spamming

Which Organizations Need to Worry About Malware?

You may be wondering if your organization needs to worry about malware. The answer is a resounding yes! It’s not just big businesses or government organizations that need to protect themselves by using the best anti-virus. Be small medium or big any organization is prone to attack from malware.

Just give it a thought about it. Your constituents, volunteers, and views =share their personal information with you. If you’re not taking the initiative to secure your data, including using antivirus and anti-spyware software, their information may not be safe. Information security breaches can cause huge legal and financial losses.

How Antivirus and Anti-Spyware Software Works

Both antivirus and anti-spyware software protect the computer from potential threats. The infected through malware gets automatically quarantined. These threats are far more dangerous and using free antivirus software may not be enough as it has limitations.

Most antivirus and anti-spyware in the market can identify suspicious software based on a list of pre-existing  threats, called “definitions.” Definitions are updated when some new threats arise, and usually, you can download these updates automatically. Up-to-date definitions allow programs to detect and stop new variants. The inbuilt Windows antivirus Microsoft Antivirus Defender can be handy in detecting potential threats but has shortcomings as its features are quite limited compared to paid ones

Preventing Infection with Antivirus and Anti-Spyware Software

To reiterate: Antivirus and anti-spyware software are basic tools that no organization can do

 without.

. You don’t need a lot of tools as you should focus on quality rather than quantity you just need a few good software. Installing too many antivirus or anti-spyware tools can cause your system to hang occasionally 

It is thus recommended that users equip every computer in their organization with comprehensive antivirus software 

Now the question arises which tool is best for organizations. Well the choice of the tool totally depends on how big or small the organization is

• Very small organizations with only a few computers: Install individual antivirus and anti-spyware software like Norton and Kaspersky on every computer.
• Organizations with 10-20 computers: Consider having a security suite. A suite allows you to administer software centrally, rather than installing software individually
• Organizations with 30 or more computers: Choose high-level tools that provide centralized administration of definition updates and other tasks, as well as additional security tools appropriate for huge firms.

Conclusion

No organization can survive or carry out its day-to-day activities without good antivirus software. New threats keep on arising daily, so you should always download up-to-date definitions from your software provider. While nothing is guaranteed against infection, antivirus and anti-spyware software can help long run by protecting the future of your organization. Finally, using antivirus and anti-spyware software is a crucial part of your security plan.