Do I still need endpoint Malware protection?

If you’ve used a computer anytime over the past 20 years, you’ve probably been infected by a virus, malware, or some other malicious piece of software.  You may have been lucky and been able to get it cleaned off without much trouble or maybe you weren’t so lucky and lost data.  Think about today, what would happen if you lost everything on your computer because of something malicious?  Do you have a backup plan to recover?

What is endpoint malware protection?

Endpoint malware protection is a program that runs on your computer and is designed to protect your computer and files from malicious software.  It constantly scans open files on your computer and detects viruses and other malicious software and removes or quarantines the files for your review.  It can also be setup to do a full scan of your computer on a schedule to help protect you, even when you’re not at your computer.

What devices can become infected?

I’m sure you’ve heard the claims that Windows 11 is the “most secure version of Windows ever” and that “Macs don’t get viruses.” The rate of viruses and malware are down a lot from the days of Windows XP. This has a lot to do with how much better the built-in protection of Windows has become coupled with much safer browsers like Google Chrome, which do a much better job of keeping you from having a chance to download viruses. At the end of the day, there’s still a lot of value in being protected by endpoint malware protection.

Any device is susceptible to infection, regardless of who manufactured it or what you have heard.  Every day, hundreds of thousands of new pieces of malware are created and released into the wild.  This malware disguises itself as anything from pop up ads, to fake downloads, to email attachments.  This malware is designed to make your life miserable from minor annoyances to complete loss of your data.

How does Endpoint Malware Protection help?

Malware protection is designed to protect your computers and files from malicious software.  It receives updates constantly via the Internet from the protection vendor with definition updates to detect the latest malicious software and stop it from running and causing headaches for you.  No malware protection is 100% fool-proof but when used in conjunction with gateway protection such as a firewall and safe user habits, it can go a long way toward helping protect your computer.

Think of malware protection like the flu shot; you don’t have to have one, but if you do get the flu, you would have wished that you had gotten the shot. If you have any questions regarding endpoint Anti-Malware protection, please contact one of the knowledge techs at SandStorm IT at 901-475-0275.