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Malware Versus Viruses: What's the Difference?

By DynaSis

Anyone using a computer has heard the warnings about malware and viruses—and probably other, inscrutable names like "Trojan" and "spyware." What are these threats, and does each require a separate defense strategy?

The term "Malware" covers all of types of malicious software, including viruses, Trojans and spyware. If a program is harmful in nature—whether it captures information on your operations (spyware), masquerades as a helpful program but delivers a destructive payload (a Trojan) or corrupts your hard drive (usually a virus)—it is malware.

Researchers have created different names for the various types of malware because they work through different mechanisms and/or cause different problems. However, all are intended to be harmful and can potentially disrupt or destroy your business.

More important than these distinctions, for businesses and their users, is to consider that malware (and especially insidious spyware) is exploding at a nearly inconceivable rate. The AV-TEST laboratory—a recognized malware testing lab—records approximately 5 million new malicious programs every month.

To reduce their odds of becoming victims, companies—especially those that allow workers to use Android devices (where malware and spyware are rampant)—must enact a stringent defense against all malware—from spyware to viruses and everything in between. The good news is that a single, well-designed solution will protect against the great majority of malware threats, including the ones mentioned above.

DynaSis has always offered its customers protection against malware, and we are upgrading our protection package to make it even more vigilant regarding malware and spyware. Stay tuned for more information!

 

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