Having an antivirus installed is important. That cannot be doubted. However, you should know that a security program is not infallible and it will not protect you from everything. Therefore, in this article we explain why antivirus does not always protect you and what you should do in order to increase security. The goal is to prevent password theft or that they can take control of your device without you realizing it.
Why the antivirus does not always protect you
Antiviruses are used to detect malware and processes that may put the security of a device at risk. For example, you could mistakenly download a file that is sent to you by email and it is actually malware. The antivirus detects it, launches a warning or eliminates it directly so that it does not put you in danger.
The problem is that the antivirus is not going to protect you from all attacks. First, there may be some virus that is not able to detect. This mainly happens when it is a very recent threat and it is not yet inside your search engine. A virus could sneak into you without you knowing it.
But you should also keep in mind that there are attacks that an antivirus cannot prevent. For example, you may suffer a Phishing attack. Basically it is that you receive an email with a false link where they ask you to enter certain information or log in. Although there are security programs that can recognize certain false pages or dangerous files, in many cases they will not protect you and you may fall into the trap.
Nor will it prevent you from connecting to a dangerous public Wi-Fi network and your data is stolen or you mistakenly put personal information where you shouldn’t in a forum or website. On these occasions you could compromise your privacy and security, but the antivirus will not act to protect you.
What to do to improve security
So what can we do to improve security beyond using an antivirus? Something that cannot be missing is the common sense. Keep in mind that most hacks are going to require you to make a mistake. They need your interaction. For example, they will need you to click on a fake link or download a file. If you avoid those mistakes, you will be able to keep yourself safe from many attacks.
Another very important factor is have the equipment updated. In fact, many hackers will manage to steal your passwords or data because of having outdated programs or outdated operating systems. What you should do is make sure you always have the latest versions installed and that will save you a lot of trouble.
It is also a good idea to install software only from official sources. Whenever you are going to install a program, make sure that you have downloaded it from its official page and that it is not software that could have been maliciously modified. That will also help you avoid a lot of trouble.
In short, as you can see, having an antivirus is important but it doesn’t always protect you. It is essential that you take other measures to protect yourself and avoid attacks that could steal passwords or data. That will be of great help to you. You should always keep in mind the differences between antivirus and antimalware.