Practice Management Alert

Question: Does our practice need to have both antivirus and antimalware software? What’s the difference between the two?

Answer: Yes, you need both anti-virus and anti-malware software, said Mary Beth Gettins of Gettins’ Law LLC in a February blog posting.

“Look at anti-virus software as a multi-vitamin and antimalware as a vitamin C booster,” Gettins noted. “In the world of computers, there is always a flu and cold season, so a boost of vitamin C from anti-malware software is always essential.”

An important part of HIPAA security compliance is protecting your computers and other devices against viruses and malware, Gettins stressed. A virus is a type of malware.

Beware: “Viruses and all other types of malware can replicate, spread automatically, and compromise and harm your computer,” Gettins warned. “In addition to viruses, malware include trojans, spyware, adwords, worms, and many others.”

Best bet: Luckily, anti-virus and anti-malware software is readily available and usually inexpensive. Available anti-virus software includes Norton Anti-Virus, AVG, McAfee, and Avast. Malware Bytes, Spybot, and Hijack This are some anti-malware software on the marketplace.