What is Anti-Malware Software & What Does It Do?
With up to 70% of medium sized businesses experiencing some form of cyber attack, protecting your devices and data against malicious software is an essential part of any business’ IT management.
Ensuring cyber threats such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware can’t infect your devices prevents costly downtime, damage, and security breaches. Read on to learn more about how anti-malware software protects against malicious software attempting to compromise your data.
What is Anti-Malware?
Anti-malware software are a part of cyber security service that is designed to prevent, detect, and remove malware that can harm your IT systems and PCs.
It works by scanning your device for any suspicious files or activities that could indicate a malware infection. Once detected, the anti-malware software takes action to either quarantine or delete the harmful files to keep your computer safe.
It's essential to have anti-malware software installed on your devices to ensure that your sensitive data and overall system security aren't compromised by cyber threats.
What is the Difference Between Anti‑Virus and Anti‑Malware Software?
Both anti-virus and anti-malware software protect your devices by detecting and eliminating cyber threats. However, the key difference between the two is the type of threats they target.
Anti-virus software is specifically designed to identify and remove viruses; viruses infect your system by attaching to legitimate files, and can replicate themselves to spread.
On the other hand, anti-malware software can detect various types of malicious software, including spyware, Trojan horses, and ransomware, all of which act in unique ways.
Anti-virus and anti-malware software can be used together for optimal security.
What is Malware?
Cybercriminals are constantly developing harmful programmes to infiltrate IT systems and compromise your data. Malware, short for malicious software, comes in various forms. and accounts for around 17% of cyber attacks on UK companies.
These malicious programmes can disrupt your computer's operation, steal sensitive information and even control your system remotely. Malware can enter your system through infected websites, email attachments, removable media, or software downloads.
Once inside, it can cause serious damage to your data and compromise your privacy.
Common Types of Malware
Some of the most common types of malware include:
Adware
This type of malware automatically displays online advertisements or downloads them onto your device without your consent.
These ads can be intrusive, disruptive, and sometimes even malicious, leading to a negative user experience. Adware may be unknowingly activated as it often comes bundled with free software or downloads, making it difficult to avoid.
It can slow down your device, consume bandwidth, and compromise your privacy by tracking your online behaviour.
Spyware
Spyware is an intrusive software that tracks your online activities, captures keystrokes, and even accesses your sensitive personal data without your knowledge.
Once the spyware has collected this information, it can be used for malicious purposes such as identity theft, financial fraud, or privacy invasion.
Worms
Worms spread quickly from device to device; they don't need to be attached to a software application to spread, making them particularly dangerous. Once a worm infects a device, it can cause a variety of issues.
Rootkits
Rootkits can silently infiltrate your devices and are designed to hide their presence on your system, allowing them to operate undetected while collecting sensitive information.
Rootkits can be especially dangerous as they have the ability to bypass traditional security measures and gain privileged access to your device. Once installed, they can monitor your activities, deactivate anti-malware software, steal your personal data, and give remote attackers control over your device.
Trojan Horses
Trojan horses, or Trojans, disguise themselves as harmless files or programmes, tricking users into downloading them before causing damage to your device.
Once inside, Trojan horses can carry out a variety of harmful actions, similarly to other forms of malware.
Ransomware
Ransomware may be considered one of the scariest forms of cyber-attack, since it encrypts your files and holds them ransom.
Ransomware restricts access to your files or computer system until a ransom is paid. It typically enters your system through malicious email attachments, infected websites, or software vulnerabilities.
Once your files are encrypted, you may receive a message demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key. Paying the ransom does not guarantee that you will regain access to your files, and it may encourage further criminal activity.
How Does Anti-Malware Work?
Anti-malware software works by using various techniques to detect and remove different types of malicious software from your computer.
These techniques include digital signature detection, behaviour-based detection, and sandboxing.
Digital Signature Detection or Definitions
Digital signature detection identifies the presence of malicious software on your device by matching its functions with known malware definitions.
When anti-malware software scans a file or programme on your device, it compares the digital signature of the code against a database of known malware signatures. If a match is found, the software can flag the file as potentially harmful and take action to quarantine or remove it.
This method is effective for detecting common types of malwares that have been previously identified and added to the database. However, it is important to regularly update the malware definitions in order to stay protected against emerging threats that may have different digital signatures.
Behaviour-Based Detection and Heuristic Analysis
Digital signature detection identifies the presence of malicious software on your device by matching its functions with known malware definitions.
When anti-malware software scans a file or programme on your device, it compares the digital signature of the code against a database of known malware signatures. If a match is found, the software can flag the file as potentially harmful and take action to quarantine or remove it.
This method is effective for detecting common types of malwares that have been previously identified and added to the database. However, it is important to regularly update the malware definitions in order to stay protected against emerging threats that may have different digital signatures.
Sandbox
Within a sandbox, potential threats are isolated and analysed to determine their behaviour without impacting your IT system.
By running suspicious files or programmes in a controlled environment, anti-malware software can observe how they interact with the system without allowing them to cause any harm. However, it is important to note that some sophisticated malware can detect when they are in a sandbox and behave normally to evade detection.
Removal
To effectively protect your system, it's crucial to ensure that removal methods are thorough and efficient in eliminating any lingering threats to safeguard your computer and systems.
Removal involves getting rid of the malware completely from your system, preventing it from causing any further harm.
The anti-malware software uses advanced techniques to identify and eliminate various types of threats, ensuring that your system remains safe and secure.
Antimalware Software and EDR/MDR
As technology advances, new methods of cybersecurity are emerging. While antimalware software plays a crucial role in defending against cyber threats, it's important to understand the advantages of more modern solutions like EDR and MDR.
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) is a type of security tool that continuously monitors and responds to possible threats on network endpoints such as computers, phones or servers. When it spots potential risks, it swiftly responds by isolating the affected endpoints. This quick action helps to prevent the spread of harmful software or security breaches.
MDR (Managed Detection and Response), on the other hand, is a service where an external company manages an organisation's security. It combines the technology used in EDR with added human expertise to monitor, detect and respond to threats on a company's behalf.
Why are EDR and MDR Preferred?
Continuous Monitoring and Response: EDR and MDR solutions offer continuous monitoring and response capabilities. This means they can detect threats in real-time and respond immediately to mitigate any damage. Traditional antimalware software often relies on scheduled scans and can miss new threats that don't match known malware signatures.
Behavioural Analysis: EDR and MDR solutions don't just look for known threats, they also monitor for suspicious behaviour. This can help to detect new or unknown malware that hasn't been added to known malware databases yet.
Expertise: With MDR, you have a team of cybersecurity experts managing your security. These teams have advanced knowledge and experience in dealing with cyber threats, which can be invaluable in the fast-paced and ever-changing world of cybersecurity.
Advanced Threat Hunting: EDR and MDR solutions can proactively search for and isolate advanced threats before they can cause damage. This is a significant advancement over traditional antimalware software, which is often reactive and can only deal with threats once they have been detected.
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