Can My Computer Get A Virus even After installing Antivirus Program?

We know most of you’d have this doubt – can my computer get infected by virus even after installing antivirus program? It’s a natural doubt too, because you would have heard about similar cases. We too have heard of cases where people are infected by ransomware and viruses even when they had the right antivirus security suite. So, to answer your question, it is time to be detailed here.

In this article, we will discuss different ways a virus can surpass an antivirus tool. We can also suggest some methods to overcome it.

Extra Reading: Do you Really Need to Buy an Antivirus Program

Can a Computer Get a Virus Even After Installing an Antivirus?

Short Answer

Yes. There are a number of ways a virus can overcome the protective layer of antivirus suites.

Long Answer

What do you do after installing an antivirus software in your computer? You just forget about the installation and think of being completely secure? Well, you’re doing it wrong, completely wrong. Now, let’s talk about the possible instances that make your antivirus-equipped PC prone to viruses or other malware.

• Outdated Virus Definition

Virus Definitions are a set of algorithms used by antivirus programs, for understanding possible threats and eliminating. In every single week/day, developers discover newer threats and release newer definitions. This is the detection layer of any antivirus tool you may install. What happens when you don’t update the virus definitions? Well, the computer won’t be able to differentiate between viruses and legitimate files. In that context, a virus can simply get into your computer and cause all the harm.

• Disabled Antivirus

Nowadays, antivirus tools come with an option for disabling the service. For some non-sure reason, you may have turned it off. Turning it off means that the security tool won’t be monitoring your computer for the time being. If you have used some not-so-safe internet services or plugged in an unknown USB drive, that’s enough for the virus to spread. In fact, one simple email can cause you enough trouble than you imagined it to be. So, disabled antivirus can be a reason for malware infection.

• Using Free Antivirus

We have talked about the risk of using free antivirus programs long before. And, don’t consider yourself protected by installing a completely free antivirus in the device. In fact, in some cases you are not protected at all. These antivirus tools are comparatively weaker as well as vulnerable. So, chances are high that a skilful hacker can get into your computer and give you enough tension and trouble.

So, these are the reason why your PC may get infected by viruses even after installing antivirus program. Now, we will talk about some methods to stay safe.

How to Stay More Secure?

This is indeed a tricky question, because there’s nothing like absolute security. Even when you say something digital is an extremely secure thing, there may be loopholes. However, in this context of antivirus protection, some tips can help you stay safer. They are:

1. Make sure that you are using the updated version of antivirus with the latest virus definitions. Most antivirus tools have an option for automated virus definition updates, but you have to enable it first. Also, you can set the suite to download the latest update if available. Trust us when we say that, running the latest version of antivirus would protect you from a variety of threats – both online and offline. In fact, developers fix the patches inside when it’s rolling out a later version of antivirus.
2. Second, you can try backing up your data, for precautionary needs. This isn’t really a way to stay secure, but if you are infected, this step would prove to be useful. While backing up data, you can consider creating a system restore point as well. So, if something goes wrong, you can simply roll back to the safer state of your computer. This is one of the best methods used by experts.
3. Another thing you can do is to educate yourself about the good, bad and the worst. This should be done in case of web browsing, emails and related stuff. For instance, you should know how to tell apart genuine emails and a set of phishing-based ones. Similarly, when it comes to downloading something, you should prefer the official site all the time.
4. Last but not the least, you can try shifting to a premium antivirus protection suite. Most of the reviewers recommends Bitdefender, Kaspersky or Norton for premium security solutions. This way, you can have a bunch of awesome features and advanced controls. According to our tests and user reviews, paid antiviruses are offering better protection than the free ones. At the least, you can ditch the ad-filled free antivirus tools and get something better.
5. In addition, keep an eye on what you are installing. If you download and install something not-safe, there will be no way to turn things around.

The Final Word

So, it’s a fact that a computer can get infected by virus even after installing an antivirus. So, never take things for granted. On the other hand, you can try the methods we have mentioned as a way to get better security. Well, let’s warn you, there is nothing like absolute security. It’s just that you can have the benefits of an extra layer. In the end, stay secure and use your senses before acting.