Here’s the compilation of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) as regards antivirus software…
What is antivirus software? Why does my business need antivirus protection?
To put it simply, antivirus software is designed to detect, block and remove malicious software (malware). It’s needed to protect systems, networks, smartphones, tablets etc against all kinds of malware.
Businesses today need antivirus protection more than ever before. On the one hand, all corporate data is saved on computers these days while on the other hand sales and transactions are also carried out online now. Thus customers’ personal data is also processed online and also stored. In this situation, it becomes important that corporate data, as well as customers’ personal data, are protected from being stolen by hackers. Similarly, with computer technology and the internet having involved as key to almost every business today, antivirus protection becomes inevitable.
What are the main types of computer viruses that exist today?
There are different kinds of viruses today that affect computers, devices and networks. These can be broadly classified as-
Boot sector viruses– those that infect the boot sector of a hard disk that is run when a device starts up.
File infector viruses– those that infect program files, especially .com and .exe files. These can then infect other files when an infected program is run from a hard drive or the network.
Multipartite viruses -those that infect both boot records and program files, and are difficult to repair, Symantec notes.
Master boot record viruses– those that reside in the memory and infect disks in the same manner as boot sector viruses.
Macro viruses– the most common virus type, those that infect data files.
Other types of viruses include email viruses (macro viruses that spread through emails), network viruses (which spread through local area networks and the internet), Trojan horse viruses (which try to cheat users appearing as a desirable virus, but which in actuality would be malicious) etc.
Which antivirus software to be chosen for my business?
Today, there are lots of options available when it comes to thinking of buying an antivirus software for a business. The choice should undoubtedly be made from among the best ones…because it directly concerns the security of the business and the security of data. The choice, from among the best of antivirus software, should be made keeping in mind the specific needs of the business- the scale and type of protection required, the budget allocated etc.
What about opinions that complete antivirus software protection for PC is not enough?
Times have changed, malware now spreads really fast. There are malware programmers who come with all kinds of new viruses every now and then, and sometimes some of these malware sneak in even before an antivirus software has updated its malware signature database. Thus, it could be said that no antivirus software can guarantee total, 100% protection. Hence going for other security programs, in addition to having an antivirus program, is always good. Moreover, there are lots of threats that can be warded off if employees are cautious enough.
What are the other security measures that may be adopted by businesses?
Firewall protection, cloud security software, endpoint protection, POS security programs etc.
Do I need to uninstall existing virus protection software while installing a new one?
It’s always good to uninstall existing virus protection software while installing a new one, because many antivirus programs, while being installed, won’t install if they detect existing antivirus software on the system.
Would it be OK to use more than one virus protection software at a time?
It’s always better to use only one antivirus program as using more than one could take up much of system memory. It’s also advisable to use only one antivirus program at a time since experts feel that having two antivirus programs could lead to conflicts and file corruption and may even make blocking virus ineffective.
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Related Resources:
https://antivirus.comodo.com/blog/computer-safety/best-antivirus-of-2019/