Written by Aranza Trevino
Edited by Anne Cutler
Reviewed by Darren Guccione
Antivirus software is a program you install on your computer that prevents, detects and removes known viruses and malware such as trojan horses, adware, worms and more.
Continue reading to learn more about antivirus software, how it works, and the benefits and limitations of having it installed.
While antivirus software and anti-malware software is often used interchangeably with the thought that they’re the same, these two types of software are not exactly alike. While the goal of both types of software is to protect your computer from viruses and malware, anti-malware software can update its rules faster than antivirus. This means it’s better at protecting against newer strains of malware. Antivirus software, on the other hand, is designed specifically to protect your computer from more established threats such as viruses, spyware, keyloggers and worms.
When antivirus and anti-malware software are both installed on a computer, they are the perfect combination for safeguarding your sensitive information against viruses and malware that lurk on the internet.
When antivirus software is installed, it constantly scans your computer for viruses and malware by comparing its code with information that the software has in its database. Once it finds a pattern that matches with a pattern in its database, the software considers it a virus and quarantines or deletes the malicious file or code before it can infect your computer.
Here are a few benefits to having antivirus software installed on your computer.
Antivirus software constantly scans your computer for viruses and malware in real time, so whenever you’re browsing the internet, there’s little need to worry about known viruses or malware infecting your computer.
Cybercriminals will often disguise viruses behind online advertisements or create spoofed websites that infiltrate your computer with malware. Some antivirus software works against these malicious viruses and malware by obstructing direct access to your network, so spam websites and ads containing pre-known viruses and malware are blocked.
Having antivirus software also comes as a convenience because it will automatically detect the virus and remove it, which saves you time from having to detect the virus or malware on your own.
Here are some limitations of having only antivirus software installed as your online protection.
Since antivirus software’s database only includes malware and viruses that are already known, there comes the risk of newer malware strains targeting your computer. If your antivirus software has yet to update its database to be able to detect the newer threat, the malware can easily infect your computer and go undetected by the antivirus software.
It’s important to understand that having antivirus software alone is not going to protect your computer from ALL kinds of online threats. Cybercriminals will try to find ways to evade software that attempts to block them. If you fail to keep your protective software up to date on your computer, it opens up a hole for malware to get through and infect it. Updates not only add new features, they also patch security flaws. When those security flaws are not patched, malware can infect your computer while going undetected by antivirus software.
If you decide to install antivirus software, make sure it always stays up to date.
If you want to protect your computer from known viruses and malware, then yes, you should get antivirus software. However, if you want antivirus software because you want to safeguard your sensitive data and protect your online identity, you’ll also want to invest in other cybersecurity tools such as anti-malware software and a password manager. Besides investing in cybersecurity tools, you’ll also want to learn cybersecurity best practices and keep up to date with the latest cybersecurity news.
Some cybersecurity best practices include:
It’s important to understand that antivirus software alone won’t protect you from all the threats that come with being online such as identity theft, phishing attacks or password attacks. For these types of threats, you’ll want to invest in a password manager.
A password manager is a tool that gives you the ability to securely store, share and manage your usernames and passwords in a cloud-based vault. With a password manager, you’ll never have to worry about creating or remembering passwords again because it remembers them all for you, and all you have to remember is your master password. Try Keeper Password Manager for free today and start securing your online accounts.
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