Cybersecurity

How You Can Prevent Viruses and Malicious Code (Malware)

By installing cybersecurity measures like next-gen antivirus and multi-factor authentication, you can prevent viruses and malicious code for your organization. 

Andrew Mancini

Blog Post

9 minute read

May 27, 2025

A single virus or malicious program, also known as malware, can wreak havoc on a network. Luckily, there are a wide variety of cybersecurity solutions that help users avoid downloading viruses and malicious programs altogether.

In this blog, we’ll explore five cybersecurity mechanisms you can use to prevent malware and keep your organization protected.

  1. Installing Next-Gen Antivirus (NGAV)
  2. Creating Strong User Credentials
  3. Deploying Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  4. Avoiding Public Networks
  5. Recognizing and Reporting Phishing Attacks 

If you’d like to learn more about how cybersecurity incidents are handled when they do occur, watch Impact’s webinar, Dissecting Cybersecurity Breaches: How They Happen & How to Stop Them.

What Is Malware?

Malware refers to any software designed to cause harm to computers, networks, or users. This harmful software can take various forms, including viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware, and adware.  

Each type of malware operates differently, but the ultimate goal is usually to damage systems, steal sensitive information, gain unauthorized access to networks, or disrupt normal operations. For example, viruses attach themselves to legitimate programs and spread when these programs are executed, while ransomware programs encrypt files and demand payment. 

The methods by which malware infects systems are diverse. Common attack vectors include email attachments, malicious links, compromised websites, and software downloads from untrusted sources. Once inside a system, malware can perform various activities such as corrupting files, monitoring user activity, stealing login credentials, or even taking control of the entire system.  

To protect against malware, it's crucial to employ a combination of strong security practices

How You Can Avoid Downloading Malicious Code

While there is no way to completely eliminate organizational cyber risk or the chance of malware being downloaded, there are a variety of cybersecurity solutions and best practices you can install that significantly improve your cyber defenses and resilience.  

Malware prevention methods

1. Next-Gen Antivirus (NGAV)

Next-generation antivirus solutions make use of machine learning, behavioral analysis, and artificial intelligence to detect and prevent malware.  

Unlike traditional antivirus software, which relies on detecting known threats through identifiable markers, NGAV solutions can identify and mitigate previously unknown zero-day threats. Machine learning algorithms analyze vast amounts of data from various sources to recognize patterns and anomalies that may indicate malicious activity.  

This proactive approach allows NGAV to detect sophisticated malware variants that traditional methods might miss, thereby providing more robust protection for users.

Additionally, NGAV solutions often include features like real-time monitoring and behavioral analysis to observe the actions of applications and files on a system. By continuously monitoring system activity, NGAV can identify and block suspicious behavior before it can cause harm.  

For instance, if a downloaded file exhibits characteristics typical of ransomware, such as attempting to encrypt numerous files rapidly, the NGAV solution can immediately quarantine the file and prevent it from executing further. This real-time response capability helps users avoid running malicious software if it is downloaded, offering an additional layer of security beyond traditional antivirus programs. 

2. Strong User Credentials

Strong user credentials are essential for protecting against unauthorized access and potential malware infections. By using complex, unique passwords or, better yet, passphrases for each account, users can significantly reduce the risk of cyberattacks.  

Strong passwords typically combine 16 or more uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, making them difficult for hackers to guess or crack using brute-force methods. Additionally, regularly updating passwords and avoiding common words or easily guessable information further enhances security.

Many security experts also recommend using password managers to generate and store complex passwords, ensuring that users do not have to remember multiple strong passwords.

Furthermore, avoiding the reuse of passwords across different accounts is crucial for maintaining security. If one account is compromised, using the same password for multiple accounts can lead to a domino effect, giving attackers access to additional accounts. By creating unique passwords for each account, users limit the potential damage that can occur from a single breached password.  

This combined with regular password updates and the use of password managers, forms a robust defense against unauthorized access and safeguards personal information and devices from malware and other cyber threats. 

3. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication protocols significantly boost security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification before gaining access to their accounts.  

This layered approach means that even if an attacker obtains a user's password, they cannot access the account without the additional verification factors, such as a temporary code sent to the user's mobile device or biometric authentication like a fingerprint or facial recognition.  

By ensuring that access requires more than just a password, MFA greatly reduces the chances of unauthorized access, thereby preventing attackers from installing or distributing malware through compromised accounts. 

Furthermore, MFA prevents malware infections by adding a critical barrier during login attempts.  

Many malware attacks begin with credential theft, where attackers use stolen passwords to access accounts and distribute malicious software. With MFA in place, even if attackers manage to steal passwords through phishing or other means, they are thwarted by the need for the second authentication factor.  

This additional step not only protects the account but also mitigates the risk of malware spreading through trusted access points, such as email accounts or network systems. By implementing MFA, users significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to malware infections originating from compromised credentials.

4. Avoiding Public Networks  

Avoiding public networks prevents malware infections because these networks are often more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Public Wi-Fi networks, commonly found in cafes, airports, and hotels, typically lack robust security measures, making it easier for attackers to intercept data transmitted over the network.  

This lack of encryption allows cybercriminals to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, where they can intercept and alter communication between the user and the internet. By avoiding public networks, users reduce the risk of their data being intercepted and manipulated to download malicious software.

Moreover, public networks can be a hotspot for malicious activities, such as distributing malware through seemingly legitimate connections. Attackers can set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots with names similar to legitimate networks to trick users into connecting. Once connected, these rogue hotspots can inject malware into the user's device or steal sensitive information.  

By refraining from using public Wi-Fi, users minimize their exposure to such threats. Instead, using secure and private connections, such as a personal mobile hotspot or a virtual private network (VPN), ensures that data transmission remains encrypted and reduces the likelihood of encountering malicious activities. 

5. Recognizing and Reporting Phishing Attacks

Training employees to recognize and report phishing attacks is a vital strategy for preventing malware infections in a corporate environment. Phishing attacks often involve deceptive emails or messages that appear to come from legitimate sources, tricking recipients into clicking on malicious links or downloading infected attachments.  

By educating employees about the common signs of phishing—such as suspicious sender addresses, urgent language, and unexpected attachments—they become more adept at identifying and avoiding these threats. Recognizing phishing attempts before interacting with them prevents the initial infection vector for many types of malware.

Additionally, fostering a culture of prompt reporting when phishing attempts are suspected can significantly enhance an organization's overall security. When employees report potential phishing attacks to the IT department or security team, it enables a swift response to mitigate any risks.

The security team can analyze the reported phishing attempts, block the malicious sources, and inform the rest of the organization about the specific threat. This collective vigilance not only reduces the likelihood of individual employees falling victim to phishing but also strengthens the organization’s defenses against widespread malware attacks, ensuring a safer digital environment for all users.

How AI Is Changing Malware Development and Deployment

Artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity across the board, not just in next-gen antivirus. Unfortunately, that includes how malware is developed and deployed. Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to create more sophisticated, adaptive, and evasive threats.

One major shift is in the automation of malware creation. AI can now generate polymorphic malware, malicious code that changes its appearance with each iteration to evade signature-based detection tools. As stated earlier, NGAV can address these threats, but organizations that still rely on traditional antivirus can easily get overwhelmed.

AI is also enabling more convincing phishing attacks. Natural language generation tools can craft emails that mimic human writing styles, making it harder for targets to distinguish real communication from fraud. These messages can even be personalized to individual recipients at scale using publicly available data. 

Moreover, AI models can analyze a target’s digital behavior and time attacks for maximum damage. For example, malware might wait until a user logs in to a secure system before activating, making it more likely to slip past defenses.

In the hands of bad actors, AI can also be used to probe for vulnerabilities, test exploits, and adjust attack strategies on the fly. This agility means that malware campaigns can now be faster, more targeted, and harder to trace. 

While AI is a powerful tool for improving cybersecurity, it’s also raising the bar for attackers. That’s why staying proactive with advanced threat detection, behavioral analysis, and layered defenses is more critical than ever.

As AI-driven threats grow more advanced, it’s important for users, not just IT or cybersecurity professionals, to understand how AI works. Knowing the signs of AI-generated phishing emails, deepfake scams, or unusual digital behavior can empower individuals to spot and avoid potential threats.  

Just as attackers are becoming more sophisticated, everyday users must also become more informed to stay a step ahead. 

Wrapping Up on Avoiding Malware Downloads

Learning how you can avoid downloading malicious code is integral to protecting your network in the digital age. By building a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that protects you from multiple angles, informs your users, and relies on multiple layers of device and network security you can greatly reduce how much cyber risk is present in your organization.  

With a complete cybersecurity strategy installed, you and your team can spend more time and energy focusing on ”the big idea” of your organization – whatever your core competencies are.  

A lot goes into responding to and remediating cybersecurity incidents when they do occur. To learn more about handling these situations watch Impact’s webinar, Dissecting Cybersecurity Breaches: How They Happen & How to Stop Them.  

Andrew Mancini

Andrew Mancini

Content Writer

Andrew Mancini is a Content Writer for Impact and DOT Security’s in-house marketing team, where he plans content for both the Impact and DOT Security insights hubs, manages the publication schedule, drafts articles, Q&As, interview narratives, case studies, video scripts, and other content with SEO best practices. He is also the main contributor on a monthly cybersecurity news series, The DOT Report, researching stories, writing the script, and delivering the report on camera.

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