What is the difference between antivirus and antispyware?

Answer 1

Answer Antivirus is meant to find, and remove viruses from your computer. Viruses are unwanted and malicious code that deletes, edits and or adds files in the hope of being destructive. Antimalware is programs that defend against all malware. The main malware groups are trojans, viruses, spyware, adware, worms, rootkits, phishing. Antimalware software is definitely more complete than antivirus programs and it a much better purchase because you will run in to atleast two types of malware. Simply put there are seven major threats and antivirus software only protects you against one of those seven.

Answer 2

this is basically the wrong question, though. A spyware is something that self installs on your computer to gather data by accessing your internet connection and automating transfers. This way, personal and private to corporate data which should be secure could be stolen.

An antivirus is a tool for removing viruses that aim to damage computer files.

More on antivirus and viruses at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2628921/advanced_computer_virus_safety_tricks.html

Answer 3

Anti-virus software protects against specific malicious software that is meant to harm your computer. Antispyware software protects against programs that were written to invade your computer with commercial and sometimes malicious software that floods your computer with advertisements.

Answer 4

Malware, short for malicious software, is software to help hackers disrupt users computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. While it is often software, it can also appear in the form of script or code.

Antivirusor anti-virus software is software used to prevent, detect and remove malware, such as: Computer Viruses, adware, backdoors, malicious BHOs, dialers, fraudtools, hijackers, keyloggers, malicious LSPs, rootkits, spyware, trojan horses and worms. Computer security, including protection from social engineering techniques, is commonly offered in products and services of antivirus software companies. This page discusses the software used for the prevention and removal of malware threats, rather than computer security implemented by software methods.

Answer 5

No. Malware is not the same thing as a virus, though both are quite harmful to the computer.