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Article · May 22, 2019

Antivirus and backup: Why you need both

Color illustration depicting data storage.

Backup ensures that your important documents, photos, and other files are safe from theft, accidental deletion, corruption, and hardware failure. But do you have adequate protection against online security threats like ransomware or other viruses? 

Antivirus is your first layer of defense against cyberattacks. And, you may already have antivirus software installed on your computer. However, there’s a good chance it’s not as effective as you think. Here’s why: if you don’t have the latest version of the software or accidentally neglected to renew your software license, you aren’t protected against the newest threats. This is important because cyber criminals continuously adapt malware and viruses to evade detection.

Plus, there are always new threats emerging. In fact, cryptojacking recently surpassed ransomware as the top cyber security threat. If you aren’t familiar with cryptojacking, here’s how it works. When a victim’s computer is infected, the malware hijacks its CPU (along with hundreds or even thousands of other infected computers) to mine cryptocurrency. It’s a problem, because it slows your computer’s performance and increases power consumption. 

As you may have heard, Carbonite™ recently acquired antivirus provider Webroot™. Webroot delivers protection against viruses, malware, and identity theft. And, because it’s cloud-based, it’s always up-to-date—you don’t need to worry about updating software to keep your devices safe.

Learn more about Webroot Antivirus.

Author

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Andrew Burton

Andrew Burton is a Senior Writer on the Corporate Marketing team at Carbonite. He blogs about Carbonite happenings and IT industry trends.

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