Do I need an antivirus and a VPN?

The best antivirus acts as most people's go-to for device protection, but as I have already discussed, there are some threats that antivirus can't protect against.

With online threats are becoming ever more prevalent, an increasing number of people have an “it won’t happen to me” attitude about their security.

It’s easy to understand why – the web standards have drastically increased over the years, and vanilla browsers and operating systems have become better at identifying all kinds of dangers.

However, with the rising sophistication of cyberthreats (and an uptick in hybrid working environments), a robust antivirus software in combination with a VPN is necessary for complete protection of your computers.

The new threats emerging

Artificial intelligence is, unfortunately, ushering in an era of more sophisticated malware and phishing attacks. If AI-generated phishing emails that are indistinguishable from the real thing weren’t bad enough, cybercriminals can now use AI to modify malware in real time, making it more likely to slip under the radar.

There’s also a major uptick in ransomware. In the past, threat actors would implant malware that would encrypt the data and demand a ransom in exchange for decryption. Now, they exfiltrate the data and threaten to leak it on the dark web.

Not only are ransomware kits freely available for purchase, thus lowering the barrier of entry for cybercrime, but attackers also use AI to optimize their methods and choose their next target.

Remote work environments are simply adding fuel to the fire. Hackers will often compromise unsecured home or public networks to gain access to company systems through vulnerable personal and work devices.

Unfortunately, not all cybersecurity risks happen at the hands of a shady external individual. People also have to contend with internal threats, such as children or the elderly who may inadvertently expose systems to malicious actors.

Again, people that enjoy remote working practices get the short end of the stick. Companies that allow staff to connect to the company network with personal devices may get their system decimated by malware on the employee’s own device.

Regardless of the nature of the threat, your entire home network including your personal device can completely fall apart due to a cyberattack, and the financial toll can lead to some serious headaches.

How an antivirus can help

While safeguarding your computer from the wide scope of emerging cyber threats requires continuous effort, a dedicated antivirus software is the bare minimum.

It protects your devices from malware and viruses by scanning files and applications, as well as keeping an eye on the network. In other words, a good AV can stop viruses and malware before they cause damage to your device and files.

Now, we get what you may be thinking – modern devices usually have pre-installed antivirus software like Windows Defender. However, such solutions fall short of the comprehensive security that you might need to face modern threats.

For instance, even the best free antivirus may not have a centralized dashboard for monitoring security across different devices on your network. Windows Defender also doesn’t protect against sophisticated threats like targeted attacks or zero-day exploits, and is notorious for its slow response time. Put differently, it may not recognize the malware immediately, and if it does, it may only identify the attack when a device is already infected.

On the other hand, a robust antivirus will safeguard your information and offer additional security layers. Modern tools also implement AI to identify issues more quickly, allowing you to proactively boost your network security.

It’s also worth noting that investing in antivirus software is cost-effective, especially when you compare it to all the expenses that a cyberattack could incur.

How a VPN can help

A VPN (virtual private network) is a piece of software that routes your data through an encrypted tunnel to a secure server, encrypting your data in the process. In even simpler terms, it changes your IP address and makes internet traffic unreadable by third parties, even if they somehow manage to intercept the connection.

This simple tool is vital as it helps protect your sensitive data regardless of how secure the network it travels over is, thus allowing you to also securely access your company’s network and resources, or your cloud storage, in a safe and responsible way.

Compared to an antivirus, implementing a VPN is one of the cheapest ways to strengthen your cybersecurity. To put things into perspective, NordLayer, TechRadar's top choice for the best VPN, can be snagged for just $3.39 per month. That’s practically nothing when you consider the benefits it brings to the table, and costs far less than a potential data breach.

Plus, VPNs often offer applications for different devices, including smartphones – useful if you require protection across all platforms.

Do you need both?

The more the merrier also applies to your cybersecurity. While implementing just one measure is definitely a step in the right direction, both a VPN and an antivirus are necessary if you want to cover all your bases.

In short, a VPN protects the data transmitted over the internet and the connection itself. An antivirus is great against threats attempting to infiltrate the system. You can see a thread develop here, but these solutions are complementary and will lead to a better security posture.

For example, even if you’re using a VPN, you might still fall prey to phishing and download an infected file. What’s more, the opposite is equally dangerous. You may have solid AV protection, but if you connect to a public network, a hacker may be able to intercept the data in transit.

Should you invest in more advanced types of software?

Both an antivirus and a VPN are the essentials when it comes to protecting personal devices. However, businesses are more prone to cyberattacks, and need therefore need to stay on top of the latest developments. A good upgrade is the best endpoint protection solutions, which are becoming the golden standard in digital security.

For consumers this is definitely overkill, as I have discussed before. Most of the time, the combination of antivirus, VPN, and one of the best password managers is enough to secure you against most threats. But it is worth understanding the capabilities an EPP can provide.

Whereas an antivirus is limited to a single endpoint and uses signature-based detection (rendering it useless against fileless malware or threats that don’t use a signature), an endpoint security suite scans all devices connected to the network for suspicious behavior. Put differently, it continuously scans all endpoints and can recognize threats a lot faster.

Investing in such a solution may often end up being more economical in the long run for many businesses. EPP can include a VPN, as well as the basic AV functionality (such is the case with Avast Business Security), which centralizes the protection of the entire network and eliminates the need to deploy separate applications.

You can also get some extra goodies like USB protection, which disables the use of unauthorized removable storage devices. Other providers also employ advanced correlation engines that help identify green zone threats that a regular antivirus might overlook.

The good thing is that despite the advanced nature of an endpoint security software, it’s as easy to implement as a traditional antivirus. You can get it up and running in a few minutes and instantly start protecting thousands upon thousands of endpoints.

Are these tools enough?

Despite being rather effective, the trio of antivirus, VPN, and endpoint security software may not erase all the vulnerabilities in your system, and that’s a fact. We can go as far as to claim they may be dangerous if they lull you into a false sense of security.

Look at it this way:

VPNs and antivirus software are just tools and will always be fallible unless you implement the right personal practices and cybersecurity awareness.

For individuals, this includes being wary of dodgy websites and questionable emails, and also making sure that what your are downloading is legal and from a reputable source. There are many horror stories of people looking to dodge paying for a game or service and being greeted with ransomware the second they launched their new 'software'.

For businesses on the other hand, training to recognize fake login pages and phishing emails goes a long way in preventing you from becoming a target of a cybercrime. In addition to all the technological gizmos, you also need to work on your password policy by creating strong passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication on all accounts that support it.

Once you minimize the possibility of human error (which is still the leading source of cyberattacks), your VPN and AV will be a lot more effective in your hands, and significantly help you avoid becoming a cyberattack statistic.