Fifty-three percent of computer users have been affected by a computer virus at some point in their lifetime. Take that percentage in reference to the number of employees you have. About half of them have likely had a virus on their personal computer before. What makes you think they’ll be any more careful while at work? Viruses along with malware are continually being created to steal financial information and harness computers for botnets, which makes anti-virus software almost a necessity for every business. That being said, here are some answers to questions you might have about the “why.”
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How Do Viruses Happen?
If you were to ask an average person that is familiar with computers how they think viruses happen, they’d likely bring up downloading suspicious files, clicking on links, or visiting sketchy websites. While those actions are all likely suspects for trouble, malware and viruses can also come from ordinary activity on your computer. Trustworthy websites can be compromised through things such as advertisers and infect your computer. All that malware and viruses need to find is a security flaw in your computer such as a Flash plug-in. Once that flaw is discovered, keyloggers, rootkits, and other harmful things can be installed on your computer even while you think you are safe.
Are Macs Immune to Viruses?
Many people who have a Mac believe that they are incapable of getting a virus. While statistics would show that Macs do rarely get attacked, a few instances do happen each year. The only reason Macs tend to be safer is that fewer people try to attack them than those who attack PCs. Just in 2016, McAfee discovered that cases of malware in Macs grew by 744% and is expected to rise in the coming years. While the number of cases is still lower than that of PCs, we recommend anti-virus software for both.
What If I’m Super Careful?
A common misconception is that just because you are careful online means that you are invincible to viruses and therefore don’t need anti-virus software on your computer. Unfortunately, it takes more than just common sense to avoid computer viruses and malware. Plus, are you willing to trust that all of your employees know how to be careful? Anti-virus software is your final layer of protection that goes beyond your careful computer habits. For example, you may know how to drive, but there’s a reason we still wear seatbelts. No one plans on ever getting into a wreck, but we’re happy that seatbelt is there when something bad does happen. Anti-virus software is meant to act as your seatbelt for online use. It’s always better to be safe than end up wishing you’d had the extra safety in place.
Why Wouldn’t You Have Anti-Virus Software?
This is a question from us. In a world where our lives live online and information is commonly stolen, why would you ever not have anti-virus software that could protect you? Yes, you can be super careful, but what if you miss something? One visit to the wrong site could compromise your computer. The argument against anti-virus software used to be that they would slow down your computer. This belief is no longer the case now that computers have gotten fast enough to handle anti-virus software. Also, Microsoft now has its own built-in Windows Defender and Windows Firewall which won’t bombard you with ads or urge you to upgrade. And since they are integrated into the OS, they won’t burden your computer and are kept up-to-date against all the latest threats.
Regardless of how secure your operating system is or how careful you are, people are always finding new ways to attack computers by looking for security flaws. So, yes, you do need anti-virus software, especially for a business. Just keep in mind that most programs are not perfect and you will still need to exercise those common sense practices while on the web. Keep all of your software updated, uninstall vulnerable software, don’t install sketchy free software, and download files only from trustworthy sources. Viruses are everywhere, so download anti-virus software today to give your business its best chance at success.
Have any other questions about anti-virus software? Our goal is to keep IT simple. Feel free to reach out to our team today.
