What Is Antivirus and Why Should You Use It?
Antivirus is cybersecurity software that protects computers, laptops and other devices from malware (viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, ransomware and more). It monitors the behavior of these programs and alerts you to any suspicious activity. It can also detect and remove malware once it’s discovered on your device or in a network.
Malware is code that can damage or alter data on your computer or laptop, and it’s the most common cause of a data breach. It can spread from one device to another in many different ways, including by email attachments and infected websites. Once a virus or other malicious program infects a device, it can start to spread quickly, causing serious problems and potentially costing you big money.
A robust antivirus solution helps prevent malware infections from spreading to your devices and can keep you safe from expensive, time-consuming data loss. It can protect you from cybercriminals looking to steal your personal information and identity, as well as help you comply with data protection laws.
The best antivirus programs have a high detection rate. This metric looks at how many viruses and other malware the program finds during controlled tests, and it’s an important number to consider when choosing a package. Some programs look for known signatures of malware, while others use behavioral analysis or even cloud-based AI to find new threats and variants.
Most antivirus solutions offer several other security features in addition to detecting and removing malware. These include: