Protect against Malware
There is no one perfect solution against malware threat, because different malware programs operate differently. For this very reason we need different types of protection tools to minimize the malware risk. That said, two of the most potent PC protection tools are a firewall and signature-based anti-virus software.
Effective as the latter is in protecting individual PCs and networks against malware, it is not the best option against a particular type of malware: malware that uses DRM-like technology. DRM is an abbreviation of digital rights management, a technology that until recently was restricted to music files and eBooks only. However, now some malware has started using this technology effectively.
Malware that deploys DRM technology does not spread itself like other malware; instead it locks itself to a particular computer. While this limits the damage as other computers in the network remain unaffected, it also allows the malware to escape detection for a long time.
The conventional signature-based anti-virus software is unable to recognize such threats immediately and therefore fails to take action against it. When new malware comes out, anti-virus software developers collect its sample and use it to develop an anti-virus signature for mitigating the threat. As malware using DRM-like technology does not spread to other computers, it is not easy to obtain its sample. This in turn allows the malware to carry out intended malicious functions for a long time.
Protection software that uses other alternatives such as behavioral protection proves more effective against this type of malware than a conventional protection tool. But this does not mean that you should replace the former with the latter, for signature-based protection anti-virus tool are more efficient overall.
Check for Malware or Virus on PC
What you should do, however, is run a scan using an anti-virus tool using behavioral protection if your PC continuously shows the following signs, even when normal anti-virus software has cleared it of a virus infection:
- Erratic performance, frequent freeze-ups, significantly slow startup or shutdown
- Very slow Internet connection, a new homepage, search results being redirected to irrelevant pages
- Frequent pop-ups, runtime errors, software errors
In addition to a reliable, advanced, and super-fast antivirus software tool, you must also install an advanced firewall. It protects your computer from all kinds of malware, especially backdoor malware and backdoor Trojan, both of which open a backdoor to your PC. Firewall ensures that no unsolicited packets of information leave the network and no unauthorized program enters it.