Computer viruses are bits of computer code that are designed to perform a specific purpose and are usually designed to propagate from one computer to another on a network. Just like viruses in the human body, a virus on a computer or network can make that computer “sick” meaning it doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to.
Anti-virus software is designed to detect these bad-behaving bits of code and prevent them from doing what they were originally designed to do. Anti-virus software can run on pcs, it can also run on a firewall scanning network traffic, or on a mail server scanning all the attachments on incoming emails. By doing so, this helps take away the risk of installing malware, ransomware, and spyware onto your systems.
Anti-virus software works by downloading “signatures”, which are lists of known virus behaviours on a regular scheduled basis. These signatures are what allows anti-virus software to detect new viruses soon after they are released. When looking for an anti-virus solution, you want something that updates quite regularly, as cyber criminals regularly change the virus’s code or create new ones to try and get around anti-virus software.
Anti-virus software is a must for any business that uses the internet. Viruses can slow down your systems, steal data, and leave your business vulnerable to much bigger attacks down the road. A good anti-virus product will protect your data and files from corruption, protect your devices from being infected by other devices inside and outside of your network, block untrustworthy websites and reduce or eliminate the amount of spam emails you receive.
Whether you are looking to buy anti-virus software, or just looking to improve your overall cyber security posture, trust the experts at QuickProtect to help you. QuickProtect helps SMBs demystify cyber security by including a wide-array of services in their cyber security packages. Check it out!
