"For every potential pitfall that malware hunters expose and neutralise, there seem to be five more waiting for a careless PC user to plummet into. Failing to take precautions against the current wave of threats is akin to driving cross-country without a spare tyre - you might get away with it, but setting off unprepared for trouble can be expensive and very inconvenient," Lutz says. "Security software's job is to anticipate and evade a vast array of cleverly devised booby traps meant to catch the unwary, and is as essential to any computer user as a spare tyre is to the driver of a car."
This is especially true of businesses, which are increasingly under attack. IT departments have much to keep track of, such as anti-virus, anti-phishing, anti-spam and file backup, that finding a security solution that will do it all is the best way to keep ahead of the threats out there.
"Avira's range of business solutions will do it all by providing comprehensive protection with tools that detect and prevent any threats from reaching a user's PC. The System Scanner detects all the viruses, worms and Trojans while the other tools filter out unwanted and phishing e-mails, block hacker attempts to take over a computer and protect against identity theft," says Blaeser.
In addition, the software stops users from landing on malicious sites, blocks software downloads while surfing and boasts a powerful firewall to add an extra layer of defence against intrusions. This combination of features provides protection for a solid security combo that offers complete peace of mind.
However, even the best security measures are not enough if the company's computer users fall prey to common threats such as social engineering. Education is therefore vital. "The most dangerous crooks use clever marketing to get you to do their dirty work for them and infect your own PC. Lots of social engineering attacks are laughably crude, with misspelled words and clumsy grammar, but that doesn't mean you should dismiss the danger. Every now and then, a well-crafted attack can slip past your defences and lure you into opening a poisonous e-mail attachment or downloaded file. A targeted attack might even use your correct name and business title," says Blaeser.
Similarly, phishing remains an ever-present danger. With many fake sites increasingly hard to distinguish from the real ones, effective protection is essential. "The best approach, and the most straightforward, is never to click a link in any e-mail message to access your financial accounts. Instead, always type the URL or use a bookmark. That one habit will protect you from almost every phishing attack," Blaeser concludes.
