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Cybersecurity Basics. Antivirus software. For Home View all Malwarebytes products. At Malwarebytes, we're all for precision — especially when it comes to two commonly confused cybersecurity concepts that get used interchangeably all the time: antivirus and anti-malware.

Sure, both refer to cybersecurity software, but what do these terms actually mean? What is the difference between antiviruses and anti-malware, and are they both still relevant in dealing with today's online digital threats? Let's take a deep dive into the world of cybersecurity semantics and unpack these terms one at a time:. For the most part, antivirus software and anti-malware software are the same things.

They both refer to computer security software designed to detect, protect against, and remove malicious software. Contrary to what the name might suggest, antivirus software protects against more than viruses — it just uses a slightly antiquated name to describe what it does.

Anti-malware software is also designed to protect against viruses; it just uses a more modern name that encompasses all kinds of malicious software, including viruses.

That being said, anti-malware can stop an online viral infection from happening and remove infected files. However, anti-malware isn't necessarily equipped to restore files that have been changed or replaced by a virus. Both antivirus software and anti-malware fall under the broader term " cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity, or computer security, is a catchall term for any strategy for protecting one's system from malicious attacks, including both antiviruses and anti-malware. These attacks often aim to do things like hold your computer hostage, steal system resources as in a botnet , record your passwords and usernames, and a whole host of other bad things. Such attacks might occur via your hardware like a backdoor or through your software like an exploit.

Cybersecurity threats and their countermeasures are varied and nuanced nowadays, but the marketplace naturally strives for simplicity when communicating to consumers. In reality, computer viruses are just one type of cyberthreat that happened to be popular when computers were in their infancy.

They're far from the most common threat today, but the name stuck. It's a bit like calling every disease a cold. They both refer to software designed to detect, protect against, and remove malicious software.

It needs to be initiated by an unsuspecting user. Triggering a virus can be as simple as opening a malicious email attachment malspam , launching an infected program, or viewing an ad on a malicious site adware. Once that happens, the virus tries to spread to other systems on the computer's network or in the user's list of contacts. It must be self-replicating. If the software doesn't self-replicate, it's not a virus. This process of self-replication can happen by modifying or completely replacing other files on the user's system.

Either way, the resulting file must show the same behavior as the original virus. Computer viruses have been around for decades. Early viruses occurred on pre-personal computer platforms in the s. However, the history of modern viruses begins with a program called Elk Cloner , which started infecting Apple II systems in Disseminated via infected floppy disks, the virus itself was harmless, but it spread to all disks attached to a system.

It spread so quickly that most cybersecurity experts consider it the first large-scale computer virus outbreak in history. Early viruses like Elk Cloner were mostly designed as pranks. Their creators were in it for notoriety and bragging rights. However, by the early s, adolescent mischief had evolved into harmful intent.

PC users experienced an onslaught of viruses designed to destroy data, slow down system resources, and log keystrokes also known as a keylogger. The need for countermeasures led to the development of the first antivirus software programs. Early online antiviruses were exclusively reactive. They could only detect infections after they took place. Moreover, the first antivirus programs identified viruses by the relatively primitive technique of looking for their signature characteristics.

However, if the attacker changed the file name, the computer antivirus might not be as effective. While early antivirus software could also recognize specific digital fingerprints or patterns, such as code sequences in network traffic or known harmful instruction sequences, they were always playing catch up.

Early antiviruses using signature-based strategies could easily detect known viruses, but they were unable to detect new attacks.

Instead, a new virus had to be isolated and analyzed to determine its signature, and subsequently added to the list of known viruses. Those using antiviruses online had to regularly download an ever-growing database file consisting of hundreds of thousands of signatures.

Even so, new viruses that got out ahead of database updates left a significant percentage of devices unprotected. The result was a constant race to keep up with the evolving landscape of threats as new viruses were created and released into the wild.

PC viruses today are more of a legacy threat than an ongoing risk to computer users. They've been around for decades and have not substantially changed. So, if computer viruses aren't really a thing anymore, why do people still call their threat protection software an antivirus program, and why do you need an antivirus for computers in the first place?

It boils down to entrenched name recognition. Viruses made sensational headlines in the 90s, and security companies began using antivirus as shorthand for cyberthreats in general. Thus, the term antivirus was born. Decades later, many security firms still use this term for marketing their products.

It's become a vicious cycle. Consumers assume viruses are synonymous with cyberthreats, so companies call their cybersecurity products antivirus software, which leads consumers to think viruses are still the problem.

But here's the thing. While virus and antivirus are not exactly anachronisms, modern cyberthreats are often much worse than their viral predecessors. They hide deeper in our computer systems and are more adept at evading detection. The quaint viruses of yesterday have given rise to an entire rogue's gallery of advanced threats like spyware, rootkits, Trojans, exploits, and ransomware, to name a few. As these new attack categories emerged and evolved beyond early viruses, companies making antivirus for computers continued their mission against these new threats.

However, these companies were unsure of how to categorize themselves. Reimbursement does not apply to identity theft loss resulting, directly or indirectly, from phishing or scams. Think you have a virus? Try these tools:. Protect Install up-to-date security software on all your devices to help prevent future malware infections. Need help? Member Services and Support can assist. How do free antivirus programs compare? Is free antivirus safe?

Support With a Norton subscription, support is included, so you get cutting edge antivirus and security technology, plus support when you need it. You might say that with a Norton subscription, you get what you pay for, and a whole lot more.

For cancellation, return and refund information, please visit the Return Policy. Today, the antivirus protection in Norton solutions uses advanced machine learning and emulation to determine whether files are good or bad, but Norton device security also has more ways to help protect your computer beyond antivirus.

Protection for PCs starts at the network-level, with Intrusion Prevention working together with the Smart Firewall to analyze network traffic and help block potential online threats before they get on your computer. The technology that powers Norton protection for PC uses Reputation Protection Insight to analyze reputation data, a tool that uses the reputation information gathered from our global network to classify software application files. The myth that Mac computers are immune to viruses and malware is simply not true.

Mac computers can get viruses and need file-based antivirus protection. Additionally, they need the other layers of protection offered in a device security software suite such as Firewall, Intrusion Prevention and Anti-phishing Protection. We have been helping to protect Mac computers for decades. Today, our advanced security and hour threat monitoring across the globe work to outsmart cybercriminals and help stop the latest attacks before they reach your Mac.

Learn more about Norton device security solutions for Mac. The app also includes a security Report Card and Anti-Theft tools. Your iPhone and iPad carry a lot of important information, and you use them for many different tasks. Wi-Fi Security helps detect and alert you if your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network that is under attack by cybercriminals, which could lead to someone else accessing your device.

Web Protection helps detect and safeguard you from navigation to malicious websites, and Device Security alerts you when your operating system is out of date, which could leave your device susceptible to vulnerabilities. Antivirus, malware protection, and more features to help protect your device. Norton AntiVirus Plus and Norton plans include antivirus and malware protection, plus an array of additional features to help protect your PCs, Mac, Android and iOS devices, including:.

Password Manager Enables you to use strong passwords without having to remember them all. Smart Firewall for PC Helps block unauthorized traffic accessing your computer. What role does antivirus software play in helping protect your devices? Originally, antivirus scanned computer files and looked for patterns known to match computer viruses. Today, the best antivirus engines use multiple methods for identifying known and unknown online threats, and antivirus is still a foundational component of security software.

Antivirus is file-based protection, and after a virus attack, having virus-infected files on a target computer or mobile device is one of the main ways online threats remain on that device after the initial attack. Because of this, file-based protection will always be instrumental in helping detect, neutralize and remove viruses. Antivirus is an important part of what you might call internet security, security software or device security. A computer, tablet or smartphone that connects to the Internet has the potential to encounter viruses and malware.

While you may be careful what you do online, you could still visit a website that has been compromised with malware without even knowing it or download malware from a message from a trusted friend whose account was hacked.

Someone else who uses your device might not be as careful as you. Having antivirus and security software for your computer or mobile device gives you protection against many types of malware that might not be easy to spot. Antivirus and security software will include a scanning function to check for viruses and malware.

Antivirus and security software will include tools for virus and malware removal. For example, you could select a 3-PC license to protect up to three different desktops or laptops used in your family. Yes, you will get the latest version of the software and all upgrades subsequently released during your subscription term. You can download, install, activate and start using the software immediately after your purchase. All transactions on our website are completely secure.

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