Anti-Malware Software

An essential requirement for any computer that has access to the Internet today is the use of anti-malware software. Attackers are constantly creating new methods and techniques to infect your system with malicious software (malware).

Years ago, malware was less focused. It would sometimes wait until a specific day and pop up a relatively harmless message like "Legalize Marijuana." Other malware would delete data or corrupt the hard drive. However, malware is much more focused today. Attackers want money and data.

Most malware today has the specific goal of gaining information about you or your organization. The information about you may be used to steal your identity, impersonate you, or hack into your online bank accounts. The number of people who have lost money from Internet-based attacks continues to grow. Other times, corporate or governmental espionage is used to gain secrets. Malware is commonly used to exploit weaknesses and unpatched vulnerabilities in systems.

Anti-spyware Anti-spyware software is intended to protect against spyware. Spyware is software that can install itself or run on your computer without your knowledge or consent. It often is used to monitor your online activities, collect personally identifiable information, and report this back to the attacker.

Antivirus Antivirus software is intended to protect against viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, and other malware. Many current antivirus software products also protect against spyware.

Malware is identified through definitions. Each piece of malware has a specific signature similar to a fingerprint that can be used to identify it using anti-malware software. Just as it's important to keep systems up to date, it's also important to keep anti-malware definitions up to date.