If you think you've accidentally opened a phishing PDF, it's important to immediately disconnect your device from the internet, back up your files, run a virus
Updated on October 13, 2023.
Antivirus software is a program you install on a laptop or computer that prevents, detects and removes known viruses and malware before they’re able to infect the devices. Malware is a type of malicious software that cybercriminals sneakily install on devices so they can spy on users and steal their data.
Continue reading to learn more about antivirus software, how it works, and the benefits and limitations of having it installed.
How Antivirus Software Works
When antivirus software is installed, it constantly scans your computer for viruses and malware by comparing your device’s code with information that the antivirus program has in its database of known viruses. Once it finds a pattern that matches with a pattern in its database, the antivirus considers it a virus and quarantines or deletes the malicious file or code before it can infect your computer.
It’s important to note that some versions of antivirus software are better than others, because of the frequency with which they update their databases. The more a software provider updates its database, the better it can protect against the latest viruses and malware. According to AtlasVPN, in 2022, cybercriminals created more than 316,000 malware threats daily. With the pace at which cybercriminals are able to create malware, antivirus providers must update their databases quickly to be able to prevent these viruses from infecting a user’s computer.
Benefits of Having Antivirus Software
Some of the benefits of having antivirus software are that it offers real-time protection, blocks spam sites and advertisements and that it’s easy and convenient to install.
Real-time protection
Antivirus software constantly scans your computer for viruses and malware in real-time. If you happen to get exposed to malware or viruses while you’re browsing the internet, antivirus software offers you good protection against it since it’s constantly scanning for malicious files and code before it can infect your devices. However, even if you have antivirus software installed, you should still be cautious of what you click.
Blocks spam sites and ads
Cybercriminals will often disguise viruses behind online advertisements or create spoofed websites that can 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.
Convenient
Having antivirus software is also convenient 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. Because antivirus software prevents malware and viruses from infecting your device in the first place, you save time from having to recover your device from an infection, which in severe cases, can require that you seek professional help.
Antivirus Software Limitations
Two major limitations of antivirus software are that some antivirus software may not be able to protect you against newer threats and there’s the possibility of security holes being present in the antivirus software.
Doesn’t protect you against newer threats
Since the databases of antivirus software only include malware and viruses that are already known, there is still a risk of newer malware and virus strains targeting your devices. Suppose your antivirus software has yet to update its database to be able to detect the newer threat. In that case, the malware can easily infect your computer and go undetected by the antivirus.
Security holes
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 and viruses to get through and infect it. Software updates not only add new features but also patch security flaws. When those security flaws are not patched, malware and viruses can infect your computer while going undetected by the antivirus software.
If you decide to install antivirus software, make sure it always stays up to date or it won’t be able to protect you to the best of its ability.
Do I Really Need Antivirus Software?
You should get antivirus software to protect your computer from viruses and malware. However, if you want to install antivirus software because you think it’s the only solution needed to protect your sensitive data and online identity, think again. You’ll also want to invest in other cybersecurity tools such as a password manager. A password manager is a tool that aids users in creating, managing and storing their passwords so their online accounts are secure and can’t be easily compromised.
In addition to investing in cybersecurity tools, learn cybersecurity best practices and keep up to date with the latest cybersecurity news.
Some cybersecurity best practices you should be following include:
- Keeping all of your software and devices up to date
- Ensuring links are safe before clicking them
- Making each of your passwords strong and unique
- Regularly backing up your data
Following these cybersecurity best practices and investing in tools like antivirus software and a password manager will help protect you and your data online.