Nowadays, it’s pretty standard practice to have some form of antivirus software protecting your computer. However, even having antivirus protection doesn’t always mean your computer is nearly as safe as it should be.
Whether it’s your basic Windows Firewall or even something as hardy as McAfee Total Protection, it’s important to know the limits of antivirus software so you can know exactly where your weakness is.
1. Updating your antivirus now will save you a huge headache down the road
Updates can be extremely annoying to deal with, especially when it seems like they happen every other day. Even though they may be a pain now, you’re only doing yourself a favour by going through them.
Your antivirus can only detect known viruses, and if your antivirus isn’t up to date it won’t protect you against the latest threats.
2. Small changes to viruses can allow them to sneak past your antivirus
Evolution doesn’t need to take millions of years, at least when it comes to malware. Malware is changing at a rapid pace – it really only takes a slight adjustment in the programming of a virus for your antivirus to read it as non-threatening, thereby allowing it onto your computer.
If you think you can get ahead by having multiple antivirus programs installed – think again. While different types of antivirus programs have differing virus definitions, it’s important to stick to one antivirus software. Having more than one antivirus program usually just makes the software cancel out, leaving you completely unprotected.
3. Hackers often use antivirus as a target
Pretty much anything can be found on the internet, even the weakness of your antivirus. There is a huge catalog of knowledge surrounding the security engines each company uses, which inevitably gives hackers insight into which specific threats are capable of finding and exploiting the gaps.
4. Having antivirus is only one layer of defense
Imagine having a grand castle – you’d probably want more than just a measly moat to defend yourself against intruders. You should have the same mentality when it comes to your computer.
While antivirus is great at protecting your computer, it’s really only one layer of defense. But with that being said, there are still a few more things you can do to really boost your computer’s security.
What you can do to boost your security
Using multiple antivirus programs on your computer can cause the programs to cancel each other out, effectively leaving you unprotected and susceptible to malware.
This is why you need an external device for additional security – which is where the FixMeStick comes into play.
The FixMeStick is an external virus removal device and comes equipped with multiple embedded scanners, and additional antivirus engines in the cloud. Together, these provide the FixMeStick with a faster response time to new threats. And because it runs externally the viruses can’t hide!
In partnership with using an up-to-date antivirus like McAfee Total Protection, the FixMeStick can provide a double layer of security for all your files, programs, and memories.
Check out the FixMeStick here!
Check out these other steps you can take to ensure you’re protected:
- Use more than one security product: run the FixMeStick every few weeks, in addition to installing an antivirus like McAfee Total Protection on your system.
- Always keep your antivirus software up to date: never skip the updates! This takes some extra time, but it’s worth it!
- Multi-factor authentication: many programs have the option for multi-factor password authentication. This usually involves a secondary step of entering a code from your cell phone. When possible, opt-in for this! This is what we use at FixMeStick HQ.
- Use ad-blockers on browsers to prevent pop-ups: Click here to learn more about pop-ups and learn more about which ad-blockers are recommended for your browser!
Technology moves fast and so does malware — new and more powerful viruses are being created by hackers every day. Make sure you’re protected and informed!
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