What is Malware & What Provides the Most Protection?

Home cybersecurity is not something to take lightly. You’ve probably heard about malware and the necessity to keep your computer and your entire family network safe from digital threats. We’re here to teach you the basics of what malware is and what provides the most protection against malware. Read this guide for an introduction to cybersecurity and why it’s essential for your home to be protected.

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What is malware in computer language?

Computer-related lingo is riddled with shorthand and abbreviations. Malware is a perfect example, as it’s short for malicious software. The crux of malware is that its code is specifically designed to steal personal information or otherwise harm a computer’s operating system or network.It’s important to understand that you don’t have to go looking for malware to come across it—because scammers will most certainly find you. Malware can hide on websites that have fun pop culture articles, links in your email inbox, online ads, and many other places. For this reason, you need to ensure that your computer is protected with antivirus software.

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Malware can be downloaded to your computer without you ever even noticing it. If you’re not sure if your computer has malware, here are some of the signs:

Your computer and the programs you use frequently freeze or crash.
You notice new files that you didn’t create or download.
Your computer or web browser is running much slower than usual.
Your computer takes a long time to start up.
You get random pop-ups in your browser or on your desktop.
Your computer reports excessive usage.

What provides the most protection against malware?

Choosing the best protection against malware comes down to finding antivirus software that offers the features that you need. There are many companies that make antivirus software, but not all of them do it well. In addition to being reliable and easy to use, you should ensure that your antivirus has the following features:

Readily available support. It’s normal to have questions about software. Antivirus software can be especially confusing because it deals with a critical matter in cybersecurity. Still, the average person doesn’t have extensive knowledge of malicious coding and what it does to their computer. Having support nearby can go a long way to ensuring your computer is fully protected.
Automatic updates. Cybersecurity needs change every day. Hackers are always coming up with new codes, schemes, and techniques to try to get you to download malware onto your computer. Your antivirus software should be updated often to ensure that it’s able to recognize these new threats as they’re made known.
Protection against all kinds of malware. There are about a dozen different types of malware that can infect your computer. You shouldn’t be expected to know each of them by name and how they work. Instead, this should fall on your antivirus software. Verify that your software is capable of defending against trojans, spyware, adware, worms, keyloggers, and other malware before purchasing it.
Auto-scanning and cleaning. You have enough to worry about with your daily life that you shouldn’t have to tell your antivirus to run a scan. What’s more, you shouldn’t have to tell it to delete malware when it finds it. Check that your antivirus software will automatically scan for and delete malware upon detection to keep your computer free of viruses.
Protection for many apps. Your computer is running so many apps and programs that you might not even know what is running at any given moment. You need your antivirus to provide comprehensive protection against malware that can accidentally downloaded through the main apps you use as well as peripheral programs.

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“You don’t have to go looking for malware to come across it—because scammers will most certainly find you.”

How can I prevent malware downloads?

Malware doesn’t often get downloaded onto your computer without you providing some level of consent, which often comes when you click a link or agree to allow your computer to download a program. Although, there are cases when a website will download and install malware without you ever knowing. You can prevent malware downloads by being careful when online by following these tips:

Don’t click any links you’re unsure about.
Don’t trust pop-ups that try to get you to download something.
Don’t automatically download email attachments or images.
Limit file sharing.
Keep your operating system and antivirus software up to date.

Keeping your computer and other devices free from malware goes beyond making sure they operate at peak performance. Malware is often downloaded to your computer as a way for hackers to steal your personal information. Make sure you get the best malware protection for your computer, so you can keep your entire home network safe from scammers.

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