Antivirus software

Antivirus software helps protect a computer system from computer malware. Viruses, worms or trojan horses can be used by criminals or hackers. They can steal information or damage system files. If no antivirus software is installed, hackers will be able to access the information in the computer.

Types

There are many different types of antivirus software. Many antivirus programs can be downloaded for free. These free antiviruses usually have some features missing. The missing features are only available to people who buy the full version. Many free antiviruses have great virus scanning capabilities and can give people suitable internet security protections without the need to buying additional protections.

Features

Antivirus software protects computers in many different ways. Most antiviruses offer more than just "virus" protection. They protect computers from all different kinds of malware, like spyware, rootkits, phishing, and ransomware. Antiviruses are often referred to as "anti-malware" programs. There are several ways that antiviruses protect against malware. The most used way is through a regular scan of all the data and files on a computer's hard disk. In an antivirus scan, the software will look through every file on a computer It compares each computer file's genetic makeup with the genetic makeup of already-known viruses. If a file has the same genetic makeup as a known piece of malware, it will be flagged as a problem. This is known as signature-based detection. It is only effective when a malware file has been previously identified and shared with the community of malware researchers who maintain the malware database. Another typical kind of malware detection is through behavior analysis. This is when the antivirus software identifies an abnormal behavior in a computer file or program. It makes the antivirus to flag that issue and assess whether or not the abnormality has been caused by malware or by something else.

Problems with antivirus software

Most tests and experts claim that while antivirus software is extremely useful in preventing some cyber attacks, it is unable to stop all attacks. That is because once a piece of malware has been identified, hackers know that this malware will be added to the list of already-known viruses, and it will no longer be able to pass through most signature-based detection systems. Also, antivirus software is not completely perfect, and there are more new and emerging threats that mostly sneak by a computer's defenses.

Installing more than one antivirus is never a good idea. The two different antivirus software may interfere with each other and causes damage.

Sometimes antivirus software sees viruses in files that do not actually have viruses. This is called a false positive. The antivirus software will may remove files from the computer that do not have to be removed. This may cause other programs to not work correctly.