Does your business need an antivirus solution to keep threats out of your network? It’s a simple question with a simple answer, but some companies still don’t see the need for antivirus software on their computers. They might think they are immune, but hackers know the truth--and it’s all too apparent in the face of a data loss incident that hindsight is 20/20.

The reason why businesses might not want to implement an antivirus solution is a rather silly one. They might believe that they are too small of a target to be noticed by hackers, but this is simply not the case. Even the smallest of businesses have data that is of considerable value for hackers. That’s the reason why information like Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and other personally identifiable information is sold on the black market. Therefore, any organization that stores this information is at risk to threats--and let’s face it, pretty much all companies have this information somewhere on their infrastructure.

Basically, there’s no reason to put your company at unnecessary risk. Antivirus is an ideal way to mitigate common threats that your organization could come into contact with. Antivirus is a bit more reactive compared to other security measures, but it’s an important one nonetheless. The longer you let threats linger on your network, the more danger your company is exposed to. Here are some of the many cyberthreats that can be eliminated with the use of antivirus software.

• Viruses: Viruses are bits of code that can be anything from funny, to inconvenient, to downright threatening. There are too many varieties of viruses to share here, but know that just about all of them will harm your network.
• Malware: Malware, or malicious software, comes in a huge variety, and as such, it’s hard to truly prepare for all of them. You can be certain of one thing, though; the name “malicious” software is no joke.
• Spyware: Spyware is a variant of malware that is designed to infiltrate and lurk on a network to steal information. As such, it’s capable of being a considerable issue for your organization.
• Trojan: Like spyware, a trojan is designed to hide on a network and open up the way for a future attack at a later date. This provides you with the opportunity to root it out and eliminate it before it causes problems.

More advanced threats are a bit more difficult to remove from your network. Ransomware is almost impossible to remove. This always highlights the importance of a multi-faceted security system that includes not just reactive software like antivirus, but proactive solutions like firewalls, spam blockers, and content filters. Thankfully, these enterprise-level solutions are easy enough to take advantage of, and it’s all thanks to a Unified Threat Management (UTM) tool.

A UTM is a valuable tool that lets your organization take advantage of powerful enterprise-level solutions without breaking the budget. To get started with a UTM, contact Argentum IT at (502) 473-6407.