Getting a Computer Virus is Like Catching the Flu

Grab your tissues, it’s flu season! Just like biological viruses such as the flu can cripple an entire office, digital viruses can cause a lot of trouble for businesses too. Both downtime-causing virus scenarios can be prevented if proper safety measures are followed, like sanitation and cybersecurity.

The point of cybersecurity is to keep the viruses (and other threats) out of your network. One would think that keeping viruses out of your network wouldn’t be too difficult. If you have a reliable firewall solution, then, for the most part, it’s simply a matter of not clicking on malicious links or downloading files attached to phishing emails. However, in the same way that the flu virus spreads because one person does something stupid, like fail to wash their hands or sneeze all over the place, all it takes is one employee on your network to be dumb and download a computer virus for it to spread and infect every company workstation.

While a computer virus won’t leave you gripping your porcelain throne in the middle of the night, it can certainly prove to be unhealthy for your business. Malware can do several different things, all sickening in their own ways: destroying network files, stealing sensitive information, or even holding your data ransom. Whatever hackers try to do with your systems, you can bet it’s a big, warm chunky mess that you won’t want to clean up.

The spread of the flu virus in the office is a perfect example of how a virus can cause serious downtime. All it takes is one unsanitary employee to sneeze on a door handle, and then another worker catches it, then another. Before you know it half your staff has called out and the other half are shuffling around the workplace like a bunch of zombies. Translation: a microscopic virus just decimated your operations. In the same way, all it takes is one small and malicious code to breach your company’s firewall, infect your computers, and cause serious downtime. In a worst-case scenario, your business is hit with both virtual and biological viruses.

When it comes to viruses, you need to take preventive measures and keep as far away as possible. As seen by real-world viruses, as soon as they infect one person, they can spread if not controlled properly. Therefore, the best approach to cybersecurity is to keep viruses outside of your network at all times.

One of the best solutions out there to protect your company from digital threats is to integrate a Unified Threat Management device (UTM) into your tech infrastructure. Preferred can provide your business with this comprehensive security solution, which includes a firewall, antivirus, web content filtering, spam blocking, and more. It’s engineered for the sole purpose of protecting your network from the dangers that lurk in the underworld of the Internet. The firewall protects your network on the outside, while the antivirus and anti-spam technology protects your business on the inside.

It’s also important to emphasize the importance of security best practices with the rest of your team. All it takes is just one mistake to undermine your entire security infrastructure. If you’re not careful, a virus infection could turn into an epidemic. Call in the IT paramedics at Preferred. We’ll help you integrate powerful security solutions to keep your business infection-free.