Welcome to the 3rd and final entry on our blog series “Malware 101". If you haven’t read our other posts in this series, take a look at our first two posts: "Malware 101 What is Malware?" and "Malware 101: Avoiding Infection & Limiting Spread".
Moving beyond the basics of what malware is, let's examine why it's important for your organization to have anti-malware software. It may be hard to imagine, but data is flowing continuously every second, every hour of the day. This data is integral to your organization and keeps it operational. There is large potential for loss if this data is not protected in an appropriate manner. Anti-virus or anti-malware is a first step in protecting your data, devices, and users.
The reality is that as technology continues to grow, so do the threats. Just as organizations continue to expand their digital capabilities, cybercriminals continue to expand theirs. By 2025, the expected cybercrime price tag worldwide is $10.5 trillion annually, with an average of $200,000 per incident impacting small businesses. This does not include the cost of remediation if you are a victim of a ransomware attack. Recovering from an incident is a very costly endeavor and having the proper prevention controls in place can mean the difference between recovery and ruin.
Keep some of these stats in mind when thinking about the importance of cybersecurity
43% of cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses, but only 14% are prepared to defend against them
Every 1 in 3,000 emails that pass through security filters contain a form of malware
Average downtime after a ransomware attack is 19 days
In 2019, there was a ransomware attack every 19 seconds
Malware has multiple ways to get into your network, such as malicious email at
tachments, file downloads, and malicious websites to name a few. Having some form of anti-virus on all endpoints, critical devices, and servers can help prevent infections if malware is successfully sent or received by a device in your network. Catching an infection before it spreads is crucial in preventing data breaches, information loss, and financial disaster. Having preventative protocols in place such as active file scanning or quarantine when the anti-virus engine recognizes a malicious file signature, can detect threats early and keep your organization running.
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