Reasons Why Antivirus is No Longer Enough to Protect Devices

Cyber threats are malicious acts that seek to damage data, disrupt digital life, or steal digital data. We use Antivirus Software to protect our devices from viruses, Trojans, phishing attacks, spyware, malware, rootkits, spam attack, and other online cyber threats. Here, we will let you know why antivirus alone is not enough to protect your devices.

Reasons Why Antivirus is No Longer Enough to Protect Devices

Why an Antivirus Alone is Not Enough to Protect Devices

Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities

We are living in a world where almost everything is dynamic and evolving at a fast rate. The threat landscape has not been left behind.

Cyber threats are security incidents or circumstances that seek to damage data, disrupt digital life, or steal data in general, and to have a negative outcome to your network or data management systems.

The most common types of cyber threats you should be aware of include: Phishing, Hacking, Ransomware, Data leakage, Insider threat, Trojans, Botnets, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), Wiper Attacks, Intellectual Property Theft and Advanced Persistent Threats.

Vulnerabilities are the gaps or weaknesses in a security program that make threats possible and tempt threat actors to gain unauthorized access to an asset.

A cyber threat landscape is a collection of threats in a particular domain or context, with information about identified vulnerable assets, risks, threat actors, and observed trends.

Internet attacks, viruses, and infections are becoming increasingly complex nowadays. Before you even understand how an attack is launched, a new one is already looming and eating off businesses and individual data. 

This evolution has proven difficult to keep up with for many antiviruses. At least not as fast, as is necessary for high efficacy. And because we are living in a world of interconnected networks and devices, it is, therefore, necessary to introduce other security tools that will help you minimize risks. 

Today, we look at the main threats affecting the public, reasons why they are difficult to minimize using an antivirus only, and some of the best security tools that will help you to up your security preparedness. 

Major Cyber risks in 2020

Phishing

This attack happens when a fraudster poses as a legitimate contact or institution and sends malicious emails or messages to unsuspecting users. 

Once clicked on, the malicious links redirect you to fake sites where your user data is stolen. A link may redirect you to a page where attackers collect your passwords and confidential information. The information may then be used to access and or compromise your accounts without your knowledge. 

Following the outbreak of coronavirus, for instance, hackers created a fraudulent phishing website with the domain name coronavirus map.

Unsuspecting internet users followed this link in a bid to get news on the live tracking of the global pandemic. What was unknown to many is that a visit to the site was an instant way of infecting the visitor’s devices with Azorult Trojan. 

AI-enhanced cyber-threats

Although AI has proven handy in threat identification, things can go south. Here is why. To identify threats, AI relies on constant tweaking to detect malware without causing unnecessary alarm with some false positives. 

Hackers, to avoid detection of their malware can compromise this threat identification feature. They can also cause fake alarm by flagging legitimate files as malware. 

Flood attacks

These are attacks targeting your domain name or IP address. Here, the attack is launched using botnets that channel a flood of malicious requests to your domain name or IP address making the service delivery to all the users within the system impossible. 

Flood attack leads to DoS or DDoS attacks like the one which was attempted on the website of the US Department of Health and Human Service in March 2020. The attackers used the downtime to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why an Antivirus is Not Enough to Fight Cyber Risks Today

There are many vulnerable devices

We cannot exhaust the number of smart gadgets that rely on internet use. Think of watches, smartphones, smart TVs, routers, laptops, and other devices used in the medical field. 

The use of these devices daily makes us more vulnerable compared to years when the computer was the only device that exposed our data and privacy. 

New threats are constantly on the rise

Traditional viruses and malware were quite predictable and easy to combat. Today's releases are difficult to note let alone deal with. They keep evolving and advancing. Some target applications, other target devices, servers, and so on. 

No single antivirus can handle all these kinds of advanced threats.

3 Security Tools to Protect You from Sophisticated Threats

Utilize a VPN

Consider downloading a VPN app to keep off spies and snoops. A VPN provides encryption for all your online activities.

The encryption process makes the traffic you send or receive invisible to third parties. You can, therefore, access the internet over any connection without the fear of leaving any traces behind. 

Set up a firewall

A firewall is a security tool that monitors all your incoming and outgoing traffic to ensure that it abides with the defined security rules. You can customize the firewall filters to fit your security needs. 

For instance, you can add exceptions of sites that keep reporting a false positive. 

Use a vulnerability analyzer

Attacks happen when hackers notice vulnerability ahead of a device user or software developer. It has become an unending war between software engineers and malicious individuals.

A vulnerability analyzer helps you stay ahead of the attackers by giving you a timely report of all the possible exploits and loopholes in your systems. 

Uncovering the holes before the attackers will allow you enough time to set the best security measures; thus preventing attacks that could end up causing you damages related to data theft and other cybercrimes.

Conclusion

Hackers can prey on anyone’s data. They may come for your credit card information, your work account, or your smart gadgets. Consider using the above tools to add an effective layer of defense.