Small businesses are becoming increasing targets of viruses and hacking attempts. We’re all so busy running our businesses that antivirus software is something that can easily be taken for granted whilst everything is working properly.
All too often we see antivirus software which is out of date, not working properly or not even installed.
It’s a thing that is easy to ignore, it’s also easy to dismiss spending money on it and opt for a free program, but you generally get what you pay for, it takes a lot of ongoing research and updates to keep antivirus software effective.
But with antivirus software, it really is a case of prevention is better than cure. If you get a virus on your network, you (or your IT Company) are likely to have to spend a great deal of time tracking it down. How long is this going to cost and how much disruption will it cause? Once the virus has been found, if it’s a particularly clever one you may need to have PCs reloaded to make sure it’s gone. Then there is the effect of the virus itself, stealing bank details and confidential information, sending out Spam from your systems and getting your IP address blacklisted so you can’t send emails, these are just some of the many effects a virus can cause.
Keeping your System Safe
– Buy a good, business class antivirus solution (it’s worth the investment) – it is worth seeking expert advice to get a good package that is effective and won’t slow your system down.
– Research how to set it up properly or get an expert to do it for you
– Make sure you check that your antivirus software is updated on a daily basis
– Run regular scans of your systems
– If your computer is misbehaving or you have any suspicions that you have a virus, get it checked by an expert
Free Tools to Help
Sophos provide a couple of useful and free tools to scan your system if you are worried you have a virus:
Virus Removal Tool
This is an online virus scanner that runs in a web browser. It is useful to check if you already have a virus and remove it if you do.
https://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/virus-removal-tool.aspx
Rootkit Removal Tool
A Rootkit is malicious software which hides in the background and enables viruses to install. This online scanner helps to detect Rootkits and remove them.
https://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-anti-rootkit.aspx
Buying Sophos
For continuous protection, Sophos are based in the UK and provide a range of high quality and effective business class products. We are a Sophos Silver Partner so can provide fantastic pricing on Sophos products. If you buy from us, we’ll provide a significant discount on installation.
How we can help
Free Advice
We can provide free, no obligation advice on antivirus solutions so you get the best solution for your business. Give our IT Security expert, Billy a call on 01473 851460 or email [email protected] for help.
Professional Installation
We can professionally install your antivirus software and make sure it is working properly.
Virus Removal
If you are worried you have a virus, we can check and professionally remove it for you, so you can be sure it’s gone.
Smart IT Support
Our Smart IT Support Starter edition starts from just £40 per month. Included in this is our pro-active monitoring software which automatically checks the status of your antivirus software every 60 minutes. So you are informed of any problems straight away. You also get a daily report which includes the state of your antivirus software on all your PCs and Servers.
