Many people get confused with the terms “antivirus” and “anti-malware” and miss to understand the difference between them.
In a perfect world, there would be no Viruses or other diseases, and no one would ever get sick, but since little nasties that make you feel lousy to exist. Prevention seems like a pretty good idea, for people the solutions are pretty well established but online it’s not always so clear. Computer nasties can be hidden in links, downloaded files and even pop-ups or other advertisements, so you will need a software to protect yourself, but how do you know which one? Most internet security companies try to market their service as one of two things antivirus or anti-malware.
What are the differences between “viruses” and “malware”?
Viruses are a particular type of malware (designed to spread), while malware is a general term used to represent all sorts of unwanted or malicious code. Malware can contain viruses, spyware, adware, trojans, worms, and more. However, because viruses made headlines a few years ago, most Internet security companies sharpened their marketing on them, which is why they’re named “Antivirus.”
Which one should you choose?
There is no one tool can catch everything, which is why security specialists recommend a layered approach. It’s better to have more than one set of eyes looking at threats from separate angles. Do your research and check out the latest reports on the effectiveness of the various software’s out there because they are changing all the time.
In the end, good browsing practices and general knowledge should be your first line of defence against viruses, malware, and spyware. But, we recommend running a good Antivirus in the background with a malware tool at the same time to cover everything else. This way you’re always protected, and you can scan your system for malware or viruses whenever you want to.