How antivirus software works?

Answer 1

An antivirus software package "searches a hard disk for viruses and removes any that are found." (Webopedia 2004). An antivirus would be useful on a network if a user intentionally or unintentionally allows a virus to execute onto the system. Most antivirus software packages have regular updates to ensure protection against the newest types of virus's, and can will scan a system to ensure it is virus free.

Answer 2

Antivirus software works by scanning your computer for threats and then removing them after the scan is done. It does this by searching for a certain set of string(s) that identifies a file as a known virus. The set of strings that identifies a file as a virus is known as the virus's "signature". When you scan your computer, the antivirus program accesses a database filled with the signatures of every known virus. The antivirus program scans a file and then compares the scanned file's signature with the virus signatures in its database. If it finds a match, it flags that file as a threat and notifies the user. Most antivirus programs only look for a partial match in files when scanning, although this is still enough to detect the virus.

Other antivirus programs use a technique known as behavioral analysis. Antivirus programs that scan using this method are generally slow but are very powerful at detecting viruses. Behavioral analysis is the process of detecting any changes in the system and then using certain algorithms, determines if that change was caused by the user or some malicious process. There aren't that many antivirus software that use this method as it is very time and resource consuming.

Answer 3

An antivirus program works by constantly monitoring the computers activity and matching the programs (especially new downloaded ones) by a database of already known viruses. If the match happens the program pops open a window saying "virus has been detected on your computer" and allows you to take certain actions like to remove the virus or quarantine it. Some of the best known antiviruses are Immunet Plus, Bitdefender, AVG, Avira, MSE, Norton etc.

Answer 4

your anti virus protects computer by the following:

Internet threats are blocked by your anit virus, any files that are downloaded are scanned before they enter your computer. Websites that you access are strictly scanned and updated on your PC. any pop ups blockers that try to send viruses to your PC is automatically blocked.

Removable Devices

any portable device that is connected to a computer is scanned and updated to the user. That includes portable usb's, external hard drives, DVD re-writers, discs,

Tracking cookies

cookies that save your usernames and passwords are recorded onto your machine. avg tracks these cookies and stops them from being shared.

Monitor

your anti virus is constantly monitoring your PC to see what is being installed and what's being removed. it records all the files that are either downloaded to your machine or uploaded to web.

other viruses

your anti virus controls other viruses such as worms, spyware, malware and adware to stop them from stealing your information or damaging your hard drive.

Answer 5

Anti-virus software typically uses two different techniques to accomplish this:

• Examining files to look for known viruses by means of a virus dictionary
• Identifying suspicious behavior from any computer program which might indicate infection

Most commercial anti-virus software uses both of these approaches, with an emphasis on the virus dictionary approach. Although the dictionary approach is considered effective, virus authors have tried to stay a step ahead of such software by writing "polymorphic viruses", which encrypt parts of themselves or otherwise modify themselves as a method of disguise, so as to not match the virus's signature in the dictionary.

Answer 6

There are two methods by which antivirus software detect and remove malware from your computer:

1) Signature detection: The antivirus program scans each file on the computer and compares its contents to that of the contents of each known malware program. If it finds a match, the antivirus program flags it as malware and removes it.

2) Heuristics analysis: The antivirus program monitors the computer for malware-like activity, which includes changes to the registry, unauthorized downloads, and unauthorized writes to files.

Answer 7

Protecting your computers and mobile phones with an all-in-one PC security software has become essential in today's internet world. Antivirus software blocks the intrusion of Computer Viruses and malware onto your system.
Here is a list of cyber threats against which an antivirus program can protect:
Virus: A good antivirus program assists in protecting your computer against virus or other cyber attacks that can harm your computer system.
Rootkit: Antivirus software can also provide the best of breed Rootkit protection. Rootkits are embedded deep inside your computer system and masks other dangerous malware to establish on your system.
Botnet: A system protected with an all-in-one PC security software alerts the user if someone is attempting to control your system remotely and use it as a source for other criminal activities. A botnet is a group of infected computers used to carry out other cyber attacks and compromise other computers.
Computer worm: Protecting your system with a good antivirus software can help you prevent damage to your computer by computer worms. Worms target unsecured network system more than an individual computer system. However, they can reproduce themselves and deposit malware on your system to cause secondary computer problems. Antivirus software can prevent damage caused due to computer worms.
Trojan Horses: Trojan horse is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program. These programs tempt the users to download or install the software on their system. An antivirus program cannot abstain you from downloading and installing the software. However, it can help you by warning you if it detects malware within the Trojan horse file.
Spyware: Though it is difficult to detect a spyware once it gets into your system, downloading and using a powerful antivirus software can help you detect the spyware on your system. Spyware is a malware that aims to collect user's personal data by keeping a track of all his or her computer activities.
Email Virus protection: Emails or text messages from an unknown sender can bring in the risk of malware installation on your system or identity theft. Antivirus software provides messaging protection by warning the users of the malware contained in the malicious email attachments or links. Antivirus software ensures instant messaging security.
Bottom Line:
The list of cyber threats from the internet goes on. Using trusted and reputable all-in-one PC security software is the best way to protect your data and your computer from cyber threats. These programs come with strong removal tools that effectively detect and remove the malware from your system. Antivirus protection is not only constrained to providing protection against cyber attacks from the internet. Antivirus software also provides protection against malware from removable or portable storage devices. Having a good data recovery system will help you eliminate the malware making your system or file malware-free.

Answer 8

Antivirus software is your first line of cyberdefense. With the number of cybercriminals just waiting for loopholes and vulnerabilities to attack, installing a robust security software should not even be a question. We need to be aware of the latest cybersecurity threats and trends so we’re always updated as to the best protection available for us. Antivirus software defends your devices and your data against cyberthreats such as viruses, worms, malware, ransomware, spyware, adware, trojan. It's designed to anticipate, detect and defend you from hackers and data thieves. At the moment of attack, it's posed to take down any malicious threats and completely eradicate them from your system, logging the attack and releasing patches and updates to the rest of its networks. The stronger the network of your antivirus software, the better. An example of this kind of security software is Trend Micro's Maximum Security, that has advanced privacy and parental controls, allows secure eCommerce transactions, boasts of unrivaled ransomware protection and can run on multi-devices and OS.

Answer 9

They work by finding viruses, or coded files that are made to harm someones computer and then they destroy them. They help your system by getting rid of them.

Answer 10

An antivirus removes the viruses of your computer and helps it in proper functioning.