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How do I remove malware?

Written by Sara Uzer | July 20, 2022

It's a question far too many people are asking today: "How do I remove malware?"

Cybercrime cost global businesses $6 trillion in 2021, and that number is expected to climb to $10.5 trillion by 2025. However, there are solutions available to keep your organization safe. The best medicine is preventative medicine, but we'll take a look at what to do if you're hit with malware.

Malware removal tools are necessary in today's computing environments. They protect your computer or system from the devastation of a malicious hack. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of malware removal techniques. Plus, find out how to strengthen your organization's protection with a HIPAA compliant email provider.

 

What is malware?

Malware is any type of software purposefully designed to disrupt a computer, system, or network. Most of the time these incidents occur without a victim’s knowledge. There are various types of malware. These include viruses that modify code of legitimate files, as well as spyware that tracks and intercepts sensitive information.

Ransomware is one especially harmful form of malware. This rapidly evolving threat involves holding files hostage until a victim pays to have them decrypted.

 

Why are malware removal tools important? 

Malware removal solutions detect malware, remove it, and address any damage. These tools go beyond scanning files for viruses to assess all incoming data. This lowers the risk of future incidents down the road. They are also equipped to defend against more sophisticated forms of malware.

 

Cyber security is critical in the fight against malware

Malware removal tools are particularly valuable for organizations because they can prevent employees from accessing malicious websites and spreading harm to others. Anti-malware solutions offer insights into attacks  as well, like amount of infections and the specific ways that systems were compromised.

 

3 key tools for malware removal

  1. Use a standard malware removal solution to check for suspicious activity that uses a database of known definitions known as signatures. Signatures outline what the malware does and how to identify it.
  2. Include a behavior-based solution that detects malware based on its behavior, rather than its appearance. These programs offer faster and stronger threat detection by taking an active approach.
  3. Sandboxing is another common form of malware removal. It involves isolating potentially dangerous files from the rest of the system and eliminating them before they can create any issues. For example, an employee may open a document in an unfamiliar email attachment. In this case, the sandbox would run the document in a virtual environment which limits its access to a small set of programs. If the file tries to access other resources, the sandbox is able to block and terminate it.

The best malware removal tools will work across multiple levels and use a combination of techniques to safeguard your system and network.

 

Five malware removal tools to check out

  1. Restoro
  2. Advanced System Protector
  3. Malwarebytes
  4. HitmanPro
  5. Emsisoft

Email security needs to be iron clad

While malware removal tools are a smart way to protect your organization from cyberattacks, they are not a foolproof solution. Therefore it is equally important for organizations to train and educate staff on cybersecurity best practices.

These include using strong passwords, conducting regular software updates, and avoiding opening emails from unknown sources. Healthcare providers need to go one step further to safeguard sensitive information with a stronger inbound email security strategy.

That’s where Paubox Email Suite’s HIPAA compliant email service comes in. Cyber criminals actively target U.S healthcare, and the fallout is no joke. The impact on patients is devastating and the cost to recover can be in the hundred of millions.

Along with enabling healthcare email encryption for outbound email, Paubox Email Suite’s Plus and Premium plans include robust inbound email security tools that block malicious attacks from reaching the inbox in the first place.

Our patent-pending Zero Trust Email feature uses email AI to confirm that an email is legitimate. Additionally, our patented ExecProtect solution quickly intercepts display name spoofing attempts. Get peace of mind and a huge burden off your back with the Paubox Email Solution for inbound security and fool-proof HIPAA compliance. We've got you!

 
Try Paubox Email Suite Plus for FREE today.
 

HITRUST CSF certified 4.9/5.0 on the G2 Grid Paubox secures 70 million HIPAA compliant emails every month.