What is malware protection?
Malware protection is a robust cyber security solution that adds an extra layer of security to your computer to protect against cyberattacks. Once downloaded to your device, malware protection periodically scans your computer to identify, quarantine, and eliminate any malware to keep your systems secure.
Most common types of malwares
There are several types of malwares, but 4 of the most common are:
1. Worms – Entice users to click on malicious links, usually sent by email, to gain access to a system in order to replicate itself and spread to other computers.
2. Trojans – Malicious code that downloads onto a device disguised as a legitimate program in order to gain access to a users’ system.
3. Ransomware – a type of malicious software that infects a system and locks the user out of their files until a ransom is paid.
4. Spyware and adware - a predatory software that hides a device and monitors activity to steal sensitive information such as bank details and passwords. It can also gain access to microphones and cameras.
Incorporating malware protection within your email security strategy
In a world where companies routinely fall prey to hackers, malware protection has become critical to business success.
The headlines are full of businesses whose malware protection let them down. From viruses and Trojans to phishing and spear-phishing attacks, email security threats are among the biggest risks confronting organizations today. 1With email-borne threats responsible for more than 90% of hacking attacks, malware protection for email must be a cornerstone of IT strategy.
The right solution for malware protection must be easy to use and affordable, and it must stop 100% of threats before they reach the network. For a growing number of organizations around the world, Mimecast provides malware protection that delivers on each of these counts, and more.
12016 Data Breach Investigations Report
5 Best malware protection practices
To protect yourself against malware, include these best malware protection practices in your security protocols:
1. Install robust cybersecurity solutions on all devices
2. Enable two-factor authentication for all passwords
3. Always keep software up to date
4. Limit access privileges to only the relevant users
5. Administer security awareness training for all users annually
Malware protection with Mimecast
As one of the world’s leading secure email providers, Mimecast provides fully integrated subscription services for email security, continuity and archiving.
Mimecast offers a comprehensive cloud-based email threat protection and compliance solution on the market today. The Mimecast Secure Email Gateway features a massively scalable mail transfer agent (MTA) offering multiple layers of spam and malware protection to stop known and emerging email threats before they reach the network.
Mimecast email security provides:
- Spam protection, stopping 99% of spam with 0.0001% false positives.
- Secure Messaging, improving data security protection by allowing employees to send secure emails without needing to worry about encryption keys or encryption technology.
- Content Control and Data Leak Prevention, with the ability to scan all inbound and outbound email and compare content for compliance with administrator-defined policies.
- Large File Send, which enables employees to email file attachments up to 2 GB in size directly from their standard mail box application.
Mitigate targeted attacks with Mimecast’s malware protection
Mimecast also provides malware protection for targeted email attacks such as phishing, spear-phishing and whale phishing attacks. These threats use malicious URLs, weaponized attachments and social engineering techniques to fool recipients into divulging sensitive information or taking actions that could harm the company. Mimecast improves targeted attack protection by scanning all email for suspicious links, attachments and signs of social engineering, and blocking, quarantining or tagging suspicious emails with a warning.
Learn more about malware protection from Mimecast.
Malware protection FAQs
What is malware?
Malware is a type of malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, and gain unauthorized access to a network and its linked devices.
How does anti-malware software work?
Anti-malware software scans, detects, prevents and removes malware threats. It does so in the following ways:
- Signatures – scans a system to detect and flag malware that matches the defined signature
- Heuristics – detects threats by identifying behaviors and characteristics of malware
- Sandboxing - runs a program suspected to be malware through a protected space on a computer called a sandbox to prevent it from reaching external areas of the device
- Removal – quarantines and eliminates malware as soon as it is detected
How to remove malware?
How you remove malware will depend on the type of operating system you use. Removing it manually whether you have a Mac or PC is a multi-step process that may not yield definitive results. Instead, remove malware by using a robust anti-malware protection solution.