Computer viruses are an unfortunate yet very present threat to small businesses these days. Indeed, there are a great many viruses around that can not only cause serious damage to your IT infrastructure; they can actually bring down your computer set-up completely.
With this in mind, we here at GRWTechnology thought we would provide you with a list of reasons why antivirus protection is essential for your small business.
Viruses can Force you to Experience Long Periods of Downtime
Having a virus on your computer system can cause it to slow down and become woefully inefficient. However, perhaps even more importantly, not having effective antivirus measures can cause your computer to suffer with the dreaded ‘Blue Screen of Death’ (BSOD). This truly unwelcome event can result in your computer crashing and experiencing significant data loss. Unfortunately, restoring this data (assuming you do not have online data backup) will lead to a considerable amount of downtime, and therefore, a loss in productivity.
Antivirus Measures Enable you to Quickly Diagnose Performance Problems
If you do not have antivirus protection then you cannot be sure if your computers are performing slowly because of a virus or as a result of another problem. Slow operation isn’t always related to viruses; however, if you don’t have antivirus measures to rule out that option, you can end up wasting a lot of time trying to solve a problem that effectively does not exist.
Antivirus Protection Stops you from Being Spied Upon
Spyware enables unscrupulous individuals to gather information about you and your business without you realising they are doing it. This can include sensitive information, such as business data and client bank account details. Unlike other types of viruses, spyware will not necessarily slow down your computer. So, if you don’t have antivirus measures in place, you are unlike to know you have been infected with spyware until after your system has been compromised.
Antivirus Protection Prevents you from Spreading Viruses to Other Users
Once you have a virus on your computers, it can easily be spread onto other computers. Indeed, what can start out as an isolated infection on one PC can quickly spread to all of the devices in your company (as well as those of your clients and customers). To be sure, the prevalence of USB flash drives makes it relatively easy for unchecked viruses to spread from one device to another these days. Naturally, this infection can run and run and do even more harm if other devices in your operation do not have suitable antivirus measures installed.
So, it really is clear to see just how integral effective antivirus measures can be to the safety and security of your small business’ IT operations.
Fortunately, we here at GRWTechnology are well qualified to provide you with best antivirus advice and IT technical support. To find out more, contact us.
