What’s the Difference Between Antivirus and Antimalware?

Difference between Antivirus and Antimalware

Last updated on August 20th, 2023 at 2:44 am

From desktops and laptops to our tablets and smartphones, all the devices are vulnerable to today’s increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks. Being in the Cloud Generation, everyone and everything is always connected and easily accessible. With the constantly innovative cybercrimes we need software programs to keep our devices secure in this highly dangerous digital world. The cybersecurity industry promotes security products to protect PC under two names: Antivirus and Antimalware. 

While there is huge list available of best antivirus and antimalware products, Choosing the best antivirus makes a huge difference to system security and data protection. The most common question asked is which one to choose and what’s the best antivirus for PC?

Difference between Antivirus and Antimalware

Before picking the best antivirus for PC, let us focus on understanding the difference between Antivirus and Antimalware.

“Antivirus scans the device for files with similar signature as that of a virus. It then disconnects the offender file from the system. While Antimalware is designed to detect, remove and protect against broader spectrum of malicious software including newer cyber-threats like ransomware and zero-day attack.”

First of all, let’s unveil what exactly are viruses and malware.

What is Malware?

Malware is short for Malicious Software. Malware is an umbrella term used for all kinds of intrusive and hostile software like adware, spyware, trojans, worms, ransomware, etc. A malware attack has a great impact on the user causing huge loss of financial data, passwords, etc.

What is Virus?

Virus is a specific type of malware that is programmed to self- replicate and spread from one network to another causing havoc to the system and stealing all the data and information. It can spread through the Internet, infected email attachments, via malicious downloads.

A virus is a malware but a malware may not always be a virus. Hence, malware is a generic term while virus is more specific.

What is Antivirus?

Antivirus is a software program that is designed to detect and remove virus to protect PC. It scans the device for files with similar signature as that of a virus. It then disconnects the offender file from the system and quarantines or totally deletes it to cease the PC from getting infected any further. It also protects the system from any potential threats in the future. Automatic updates for the antivirus program are essential to track and detect new threats. 

In the early days of computing, viruses were the most infamous malware. However, in today’s age, we have a plethora of malware. Most of the current antivirus products have evolved to fight not just the “viruses” but other infectious malware too like worms, trojans, ransomware, phishing attacks, etc. Some of the best antivirus products for PC, for example- Bitdefender, provides effective malware detection and eradication and fast real- time system scans.

What is Antimalware?

Antimalware software is designed to detect, protect against and remove malicious software promptly. It is enabled to cover a broader spectrum of malicious software to protect PC from newer cyber-attacks like ransomware and zero-day threats, etc. that can prove to be more dangerous. 

How Antivirus and Antimalware Work?

Antimalware claim to be doing things very differently that the best antivirus for PC does not do. It runs scans in the background and attempts to stop threats before they are actually there. Antimalware tends to update a lot more frequently owing to the fast speed of malware development. Antimalware does not try to replace a user’s antivirus software, rather complements it and provides multiple layers of protection.

Antivirus, mostly, deals with older, more established threats like viruses, worms, trojans, etc. Antivirus offers protection from malware attacks at a limited level. Antimalware, in contrast, detects and removes the latest and more advanced malware that are even more dangerous. Its focus is to provide proactive security against malware threats and exploits.

Antivirus is more effective on the classic type of threats that are easily predictable, while antimalware is best for current and more sophisticated malware and provides enhanced security.

Antimalware program is truly compatible with antivirus software. Antimalware can provide an extra layer of protection when used along with the best antivirus for PC to boost online safety.

Conclusion

The ever-growing malware attacks have put user’s privacy at very high risk. Antivirus and antimalware are important tools to protect all devices against cyber criminals and threats. The antivirus and antimalware programs now come with advanced features like Cloud based protection, auto sandbox technology, Host Intrusion Prevention, etc. for even more robust security.

With so many new threats cropping up regularly, it is wise to use antimalware software in addition to the best antivirus for PC to enhance system protection. Antivirus like Bitdefender is a highly comprehensive tool for virus as well as malware detection and eradication thus keeping the PC secure and safe.

Nothing is 100% secure but as it is commonly said, Prevention is always better than cure!

Author Bio:

Dinesh Lakhwani

Dinesh Lakhwani, the entrepreneurial brain behind “TechCommuters,” achieved big things in the tech world. He started the company to make smart and user-friendly tech solutions. Thanks to his sharp thinking, focus on quality and the motto of never giving up, TechCommuters became a top player in the industry. His commitment to excellence has propelled the company to a leading position in the industry.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Post

Recent Post

How to Share Your Location in Google Maps?

By TechCommuters / February 4, 2022

Google Maps is a valuable feature available for people to quickly and efficiently find locations, plan routes, and avoid traffic. The application is an essential tool for tracking delivery and movement to any place via a detailed map. However, while this application is widely used, many people do not know the real-time location sharing feature. […]

YouTube Marketing Trends For 2024

By TechCommuters / February 3, 2022

YouTube has been the largest video platform since 2006 and is now the second-largest search engine in the world. As well as being a popular video platform, YouTube remains the second largest search engine in the world. So what will the future of YouTube look like? You won’t believe how many people are using YouTube […]

How to Create a Windows 10 Bootable USB Drive (3 Methods)

By TechCommuters / February 1, 2022

Alone the word “Windows 10 bootable USB” sounds daunting. Creating a Windows 10 installation media with lots of steps and terminal commands seems like a complicated thing. But, let’s break a myth – it is not hard to create a Windows 10 bootable flash drive. In fact, it takes up a few simple steps to […]

Is SD WAN a good fit for your startup?

By TechCommuters / January 31, 2022

SD WAN, or Software Defined Networking as part of a Wide Area Network, has been causing quite the buzz in the world of business IT. You might have heard some of this for yourself if you have interest in the area. The problem is, there is just so much questionable information on the internet surrounding […]

Top 5 Best Cloud Gaming Services In 2024

By TechCommuters / January 30, 2022

The gaming craze is increasing like never before. Many video gamers have started it as a hobby and now all the leading games are a part of their mobile devices, systems, laptops, etc. The main needs of the gaming include hardware that is the minimum system requirements or recommended system requirements. All the RAM and […]

Let’s See How to Block Adverts and Stop Pop-ups on Chrome

By TechCommuters / January 29, 2022

Adverts and pop-ups are simply annoying. Suppose you are in the middle of searching for quick information for your project. And suddenly, adverts after pop-ups keep on appearing in your Chrome browser. You will definitely want to pull your hair in frustration after this! But, hey, don’t be dramatic when you can easily block adverts […]

Here’s How to Stop Receiving Spam Emails (Top 4 Tips)

By TechCommuters / January 27, 2022

Spam emails are simply annoying. They clutter your inbox, hide your important emails, and, importantly, threaten your privacy. But unfortunately, spam emails are something that you can’t avoid either. Whenever you subscribe to a newsletter or use your email to create an account on a third-party site or app, it is an open invitation to […]

10 Best Google Chrome Extensions in 2024

By TechCommuters / January 24, 2022

Google Chrome is the most popular, clean, and fast web browser of all time. On the top, several Google Chrome extensions are available to improve your browsing experience.  Using the Chrome extensions, you can perform multiple operations without downloading a full program like password storage, control mouse gestures, run antivirus scans, and more.  However, downloading […]

Ways to Completely Clear Search History on Your Mac

By TechCommuters / January 23, 2022

People use their Mac devices for various reasons, one of the most prominent ones being for browsing purposes. However, after visiting any website on the device, the browser version stores cache and other records of the query in the system. This affects the performance of the system as the excess records can lag the disk […]

Best Y2mate Alternatives- A Comprehensive List In 2024

By TechCommuters / January 22, 2022

Videos are one of the most popular media types among consumers currently, for posting promotional or informative content. This is why YouTube has one of the biggest user-bases currently, and people search for tools to easily download these files. However, YouTube features a strong algorithm and legal guidelines that stop people from downloading or using […]