As part HIPAA compliance and health care records security, you want to protect your computers and other devises against viruses and malware. However, you may ask yourself what are virus? What is malware? And, what is the difference? Here some basic answers.
What is the difference between a virus and malware? A virus is actually a type of malware. Viruses and all other types of malware can replicate, spread automatically, and compromise and harm your computer. In addition to viruses, malware include trojans, spyware, adwords, worms, and many others.
Do you need both anti-virus and anti-malware software? Yes. You need both. Look at anti-virus software as a multi-vitamin and anti-malware as a vitamin C booster. In the world of computers there it is always a flu and cold season, so a boost of the vitamin C from anti-malware software is always essential.
What anti-virus and anti-malware software is available? Here is a list of common anti-virus and anti-malware software available.
Anti-virus |
Anti-malware |
Norton Anti-virus |
Malware Bytes |
AVG |
Spybot |
McAfee |
Hijack This |
Avast |