The dangers of modern life
With modern technology, it is impossible to get through even a single day without venturing online. Whether you use the internet for work, emailing, gaming, watching videos, or any other manner of activity, anti-virus protection is a must. With every advancement in technology comes with it an advancement in malicious activity. Cyber criminals are always lurking in an effort to infect your system with malware for monetary gain, or some other form of personal reward. Whether it comes in the form of ransomware, adware, Trojans, spyware, exploits, scams, or any other type of online attack, your own wits are simply not enough to protect you from attack.
Without anti-virus software installed on your system, your computer is essentially just a target waiting to be found, and the cyber criminals will sniff you out in no time! Viruses cause 7% of all computer data loss every year, and sometimes, you may not even know you have been attacked. Some malware, for example spyware, is specifically designed to infect your system without alerting you in order to steal information such as your credit card details, bank account information, and passwords.
With botnets and specifically designed malicious programs, cyber criminals can literally attack hundreds of thousands of victims in seconds, and if you are not fully protected, you will be at the top of their list.
What are the most common types of viruses?
Ransomware – A malware infection that holds your system or files to ransom, locking you out until you pay a fee.
Adware – Malicious adverts designed to infect your system upon clicking
Spyware – Malware designed to infect and spy on your computer activity, looking to pinch passwords and credit card details.
Virus – An infection that can corrupt or destroy data, before copying itself onto other machines.
Worm – Like a virus, but a worm uses a computer network to spread from system to system.
Trojan – A malicious program that misleads the user, acting as one thing when in fact it is another.
Scam – A hack designed to get money or information from you, usually a hacker pretending to be calling from a reputable company.
What is anti-virus software?
Anti-virus software comes with an extremely small price tag compared to the costs of being infected with malware. This software is designed to sniff out malware, dodgy websites, and infections, warning you of each before mitigating any risk to your computer.
If you do not already have any form of anti-virus or anti-malware software installed on your system, it is likely that your computer has already been infected. By investing in such security, you will be able to automatically scan, disable, and remove any unwanted viruses found on your computer, as well as blocking any future attacks.
The benefits of having anti-virus software installed
- An advanced firewall to protect your system from attacks
- Real-time virus and malware scanner
- Virus removal from your computer
- Protection from spam and junk emails
- Instantly quarantine viruses
- Safer internet downloads
- Protection from hackers
What would we recommend? BullGuard Internet Security
There are an endless number of anti-virus programs out there for you to choose from. One that we can highly recommend is BullGuard Internet Security, voted best buy which in 2016 as the go to anti-virus solution. Furthermore, BullGuard offer 24/7 customer support to all their customers.
Not only do you get great anti-virus protection for your computer, but you are also given real-time monitoring, system optimisation, parental controls, vulnerability scanning, safe web browsing, advanced firewall protection, game booster functions, and more.
Get 60 days free anti-virus from BullGuard Internet Security click here.
For more information about anti-virus software and the dangers of the internet, contact our experts on 01226 971373.