What is an Antivirus?
An antivirus program specifically designed to protect your device (desktop computer, laptop, or smartphone) from hackers. Cybercriminals use malicious software to corrupt data, demand a ransom, and even steal credentials (logins and passwords) and user ID. In 2021, hacker attacks are more advanced and dangerous than ever before. New threats include spyware, phishing attacks, and keyloggers.
Boot sectors and vital system files are also targets. The most vicious viruses penetrate the OS defense layer and “hide” deep inside your device. It’s almost impossible to detect and eliminate them once they’ve embedded themselves in the system. In some cases, the only thing that you can do is reinstall the operating system.
Why Do You Need an Antivirus Solution?
Antivirus software is the only thing that can truly protect you from cyber threats. They use cloud computing, black and white lists, behavioral-recognition algorithms, and other advanced techniques to detect malware and block it before it’s too late. Sometimes, antivirus programs quarantine malicious files and let the user decide what to do with them (remove or try to cure). But, in most cases, security products delete any potential threats the second they identify them.
As mentioned, there are many types of viruses out there, including malware, spyware, ransomware, phishing, adware, rootkit attacks, keyloggers, and more. Without a proper, up-to-date antivirus, you’ll likely fall victim to more than one hacker attack and lose your data, money, or something worse like your identity.
Disclaimer
We hope that our reviews will help you learn the ins and outs of choosing the right antivirus, and you’ll make an educated, deliberate decision. Most leading modern-day antivirus solutions are a safe bet. Still, there are a lot of differences between them, and to find the perfect fit for your situation, you’ll need to at least know what to look for.
FAQ
Here, we have a list of the most frequently asked questions about antivirus protection, viruses, why anyone would need an antivirus, and more.
Does antivirus software slow down the OS?
In a way, yes, it does, just like any other program installed and running on your operating system. An antivirus requires RAM (200-500MB on average) to work in the background and a little CPU power to carry out tasks. During a full system scan, the impact increases, but not dramatically. Modern-day computers/mobile devices are technically advanced and can easily handle even the most demanding software.
What does an antivirus protect from? What are the main threats?
Compared to what we all had to deal with twenty, or even ten years ago, the 2021 threats are more dangerous than ever. The list includes:
Viruses, Trojans, and worms. These are the “classic” types of malware that have been around for many decades.
File-based viruses. These try to infect data files and mostly come in the form of attachments. So, always scan any email you receive, especially if it has an attachment.
Ransomware. Blocks (encrypts) vital data on your device and demands a ransom for the unlock key. The criminals usually only accept Bitcoins or other untraceable types of currency.
Spyware. Plans itself deep into the system and, well, spies on the user to steal logins and passwords.
Boot-sector attacks. These viruses strike boot sequence firmware (BIOS or UEFI). Only advanced antivirus products can protect against this threat.
Rootkits. Known as one of the most hard-to-track types of malware, rootkits give hackers access to your device remotely.
Is an antivirus enough in 2021? Or do I need something else to be secure?
A traditional antivirus that only protects against malware won’t be able to safeguard you fully. A security suite, however, will. We’re talking about suites that include protection against spyware, ransomware, and all the other threats mentioned above. The most advanced software includes file shredders, password managers, and parental controls for increased security.
A firewall is also essential, especially when you’re connecting to a less-than-secure network. Last but not least, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will turn you into a digital shadow by hiding your activity online. That will make it significantly harder for hackers to breach the OS and steal your data.
Can I run multiple antiviruses at once? Will I be more secure?
No, and we strongly recommend against doing that. The reason – two antivirus programs running at the same time can significantly slow down the system and cause numerous errors. Plus, they’ll most certainly flag each other as malware, forcing you to delete both. We have also to mention that certain types of security suites that heavily rely on cloud computing can go hand in hand with the more traditional solutions. But that’s rather an exception to the rule.
Who makes viruses? Why would somebody do that?
Hackers are the tech-savvy people who penetrate a computer’s defense and take control over it. That allows them to steal bank accounts, credit card numbers, IDs, and demand a ransom. Government agencies are also known to create viruses. They use it to attack rivaling countries (like the US did with the Stuxnet worm that rendered an Iranian nuclear facility useless).
Is an antivirus really necessary?
Yes, it is, and without an advanced antivirus, you’ll be defenseless against outside attacks. Even mobile platforms like iOS and Android that don’t require anti-malware protection are still vulnerable against ransomware, spyware, adware, and keylogger threats. Macs are also under constant attacks, while the Windows OS is and always has been the most targeted one.
