So, you’ve been researching online security, and you’re faced with the Anti-Malware V’s Anti-Virus protection confusion. But what is the difference between the two?
What is a Virus?
A virus is a section of code that is more than capable of multiplying itself several times in order to damage your computer. It can do a whole heap of damage, just a few to mention; corruption, deletion and destroying data.
What is Malware?
Malware, is a complex umbrella term which includes a variety of ‘malicious softwares’ such as; Trojans, Spyware, Worms, Adware, Ransomware and in some cases Viruses too.
Anti-Malware V’s Anti-Virus
Having said this however, it gets far more complicated than this. Viruses are classed as ‘legacy threats’; this means that due to their ‘ancient’ – like nature in comparison to malware, they aren’t a common method of attack by modern Cyber Criminals. As a result, you guessed it’s, forms of Malware are the favourite.
So why do Anti-Virus companies still exist, you may ask? It’s down to marketing. Most people both know and understand the dangers associated with Viruses and what they can do. However, in contrast, the majority of people are sadly not aware of the dangers related to different types of Malware. The term Anti-Virus is still in use to ensure that the maximum amount of people are aware of the potential dangers and how to act upon them.
The real difference…
Beyond the semantics there are some real, technical, differences. What usually differentiates companies between the two is the type of softwares they specialise in and what methods they have as a result.
Anti-Virus most commonly deals with the older, more traditional and established threats, whereas Malware deals with the newer stuff. A way to describe the difference is; Anti-Virus protects users from lingering on potential yet predictable and still dangerous threats. Anti-Malware protects users from the most current and ‘wild’, unpredictable threats.
Sadly, no one tool can protect you from everything…
This is why we recommend a layered approach to anti-virus protection. To enable the highest level of defence we advise to use both Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus protection. Making sure that you have as much protection in modern day is so so important – we cannot stress it enough! Here’s why…
- Due to the vast expansion of the worldwide-web nowadays you don’t have to ‘click to get hit’. Just simply by visiting a trusted site but on a ‘bad day’ you can be the next target.
- Concluded from studies, it is said that traditional Anti-Virus software is too slow in some cases to catch the potential threat before it does the damage. This is where the addition of Anti-Malware comes into play.
- Threats are EVERYWHERE. Websites and concepts such as Java and Flash that was created ‘way back when’ are now not cut out to deal with the current exploits of today.
Contact us, to protect yourself today. At Arden IT, we can offer both advice and the correct software solution to protect you against these everyday threats.
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September 15th, 2016
