Difference between Antivirus and Antimalware
Antivirus is a program that is created to search, detect, prevent, and remove software viruses from your system that can harm your system. Anti Malware is software designed for scanning, detecting, blocking, and preventing malicious programs from accessing our system. In this article, we will discover differences between Antivirus and Antimalware.
What is Antivirus?
Antivirus is a type of software program that helps protect the computer system from viruses. It detects the viruses in the computer system and destroys them. It protects the computer system from specific malware. It is used for protection from some traditional and simple threats that can harm the computer system. It is mostly used in personal computers for safety purposes. Examples: Avast, QuickHeal, AVG
Benefits of Antivirus
- Spam and advertisements are blocked.
- Virus protection and transmission prevention.
- Hackers and data thieves are a threat.
- Protected against devices that can be detached.
- To improve security.
- Password Protection.
Drawbacks of Antivirus
- Slows down system’s speed.
- Popping up of Advertisements.
- Security Holes.
- No customer care service.
What is Antimalware?
Antimalware is also a software program but it protects the computer systems from all kinds of malware i.e., viruses, trojans, worms, etc. It protects the computer system from all kinds of malware. It is used for protection from some new, sophisticated, and more dangerous threats that can harm the computer system. It is mostly used in organizational computers for safety purposes. Example: MalwareBytes, SpyBot Search & Destroy
Benefits of Antimalware
- Protection Against Malware.
- Improved System Performance.
- Data Protection.
- System Maintenance and Updates.
Drawbacks of Antimalware
- Resource Consumption.
- Subscription Fees.
- Complexity and Maintenance.
- Security Vulnerabilities.
Difference between Antivirus and Antimalware
| Parameters | ANTIVIRUS | ANTIMALWARE |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Antivirus is a software program that protects the computer system from viruses. | Antimalware is a software program that protects the computer systems from all malware i.e. viruses, trojans, worms, etc. |
| Protects | It protects from traditional viruses. | It protects from all malware including newer and sophisticated ones. |
| Rule update | It does not update its rules frequently. | It updates its rules frequently so that malware detection is easy. |
| Danger | It protects from predictable danger. | It protects from unpredictable danger. |
| Used in | It is mostly used in personal computers. | It is mostly used in organizational computers. |
| Cost | It is comparatively less costly. | It is more costly. |
| Detect | It detects and destroys viruses which is a type of malware. | It detects and destroys all malware including viruses too. |
| Features |
|
|
| Techniques |
Techniques Used by Antivirus software-
|
Used by Anti-malware software-
|
| System compatibility | It is more used as it has system compatibility. | It is less used due to its high rate and system compatibility. |
| Protect | It protects against common types of viruses. | It can scan and detect new iterations of infections. |
| Reliable | It is not reliable with the overall cyber protection of the computer system. | It is reliable with the overall cyber protection of the computer system. |
Frequently Asked Questions on Antivirus and Antimalware – FAQs
Do free anti-malware tools work effectively?
Many reputed free anti-malware options like Avast, AVG perform on par with paid solutions in terms of core protection against mainstream threats. But they may lack extra specialized features offered in premium suites.
List down common sources of computer virus infection.
The sources via which you can infect your system with viruses are:
- Downloading programs/software from internet.
- Emails
- External devices like pen-drives
- Using an unknown CD to Boot data
- Bluetooth
- Cracked Software
How do I test if my anti-malware is working correctly?
Many vendors offer free online malware samples that can be downloaded to test if your anti-malware responds by quarantining/blocking them correctly. This quickly validates operational effectiveness.
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