Malware and Your Business Malware. Chances are you have heard the term by now. You may have even been affected by one form of malware or another. But many Los Angeles business owners and managers still have lingering questions about malware: a) what exactly is malware, b) how does it affect your business, and c) what can a business do to protect itself from malware?
What is Malware?
Malware (malicious software) is a term used to describe several forms of software that infiltrates a computer in order to gain access to private files or data or interrupt the computer’s processes. Common forms of malware include:
Viruses. Viruses are the form of malware people most often think of. A computer virus infects your computer and can be used to destroy or steal data; send out spam emails from your account; or even launch attacks on other websites.
Trojans. A Trojan horse is a malware program that disguises itself as something innocuous in order to get people to download it. Once a user has downloaded it, the Trojan can then be used to carry out a number of malicious tasks.
Spyware. Spyware is used to gather information about the computer user without their knowledge. The information is then transmitted to the creator and then used to target the user with advertising.
Ransomware. Once a ransomware program infiltrates a computer, it restricts the user’s access to the system or data and demands money for it to be removed.
There are many forms of malware out there. A majority of them are used to steal personal data, disrupt a computer’s operations, or gain access to a company’s system.
How Does Malware Affect My Business?
Malware can be detrimental to a business. Some of the potential consequences of malware for a business include:
Decreased productivity. A lot of malware programs not only compromise data, they can slow down a computer or, in some cases, severely damage the computer to the point where it is unusable; this ultimately leads to a decrease in employee productivity.
Downtime. In addition to decreasing your employee’s productivity as they try to fix their computers and recover files, malware can also lead to prolonged periods of downtime for your website or email. This means that potential and current clients cannot access your website or email you.
A damaged reputation. If your business is the victim of a malware attack, it can drastically impact your company’s reputation. Since most malware attacks are engineered to steal data, even a single breach could lead to a damaged reputation among clients.
Economic costs. Between fixing damaged hardware and software; lost employee productivity; downtime; and lost income due to a damaged reputation, malware costs businesses across the world billions of dollars each year.
What Can I Do to Protect My Business From Malware?
There are a number of actions a business can take in order to protect itself from malware. Common preventative measures include firewall installation, use of anti-virus software, access controls, and intrusion prevention and detection systems.
One surefire way to drastically reduce the chances of being a victim of a malware attack is to hire a computer support company to handle your IT security needs; in particular a Managed IT Services Los Angeles provider. While it is certainly possible for a business to perform the security measures mentioned above on their own, outsourcing the management of their IT security to a Managed IT Services Los Angeles provider makes things a lot easier. That is because a computer support company is equipped to install and manage a wide range of security features and technicians can perform security-enhancing tasks that require a deeper knowledge of IT than the average user has. Some of these security services offered by Managed IT Services providers include around-the-clock network monitoring, access controls (such as firewalls and login interfaces), antivirus software installation and management, malware removal, and intrusion prevention and detection systems. Additionally, many Managed IT Services Los Angeles providers offer data backup and disaster recovery services to ensure total protection of your business’s data. About Author: Heather Jung is the Communications Coordinator for SACA Technologies. She has vast experience in writing, with a background in journalism, blog content, press release, and website content writing. She also manages the SACA Technologies social media presence.