Antivirus – What’s the Deal?

What Is Antivirus?

Antivirus software is a type of computer program designed to seek out and remove bad software and exploits like viruses, worms and spyware that can infect your computer. These threats are more generally referred to as “malware”, and antivirus is therefore often called “antimalware”.

Malware is dangerous because it can easily allow your confidential data and information to be exposed to hackers.

Effective antivirus solutions provide peace of mind that your systems are protected from various types of threat because they are able to adapt with the ever-changing cyber landscape.

Antivirus is normally high on the ‘bang for buck’ list on our Cyber Health Report. It is quick and easy to implement and needn’t break the bank.

Why Do I Need It?

Whilst the security of your business goes far beyond the basics such as antivirus and firewalls, these solutions provide the key building blocks of a safe and secure system.

And the ramifications of overlooking such a basic protection are significant.

According to a recent article on the SecurityBrief website, 28% of all data breaches involve some sort of malware. Many of these data leaks could therefore be avoided with a good antivirus solution.

Precise Security recently gathered some key information from several high-profile businesses which had suffered data loss in 2019. They estimate that, in 2019 alone, over USD70 billion of losses could have been averted by those businesses if effective antivirus solutions had been in place.

Poor security in these companies resulted in the exposure of 1.7 billion records in 2019; that’s 1.7 billion sets of confidential and valuable information, many of which will have not only eroded away at customer confidence and cost those businesses in lost revenue and time, but may have also resulted in regulatory fines.

What Should I Do?

If your business does not have a good antivirus solution in place, or if you are unsure whether the antivirus you currently use is fit for purpose, feel free to get in touch with us for some advice.

We can provide you with advice based on real world experience, and with numerous different options, including built-in protections like Windows Defender.

Better still, set your company on the path to overall cyber security health by undertaking a Cyber Health Report and getting your own tailored roadmap of priorities and tasks to help make your business as secure as possible for 2020 and beyond.