Antivirus software is a program designed to identify, prevent and remove malicious software (malware) from a computer or network. Generally, antivirus programs work in two main ways: through signature detection and through behavioral detection.
Signature detection
Signature detection involves checking a file for a code sequence known as a “signature”. These signatures are created by cybersecurity companies that constantly monitor the threat of malware and create new signatures to identify new types of malware. When a file is scanned for signatures, the antivirus software compares the file’s code sequence with known signatures. If there is a match, the antivirus identifies the file as malware and removes or quarantines it.
Behavioral detection
Behavioral detection is a more advanced method of detecting malware, which is not based on signatures, but on suspicious behavior. Antivirus programs that use this method monitor the computer’s activities for suspicious behavior that could indicate the presence of malware. For example, the antivirus can detect that a program is trying to modify a system file, or that it is trying to connect to an external server without permission. If the antivirus identifies suspicious behavior, it can alert the user and take steps to block or remove the malware.
In addition, many antivirus programs also include additional features such as a firewall, web browsing protection and automatic security updates. These additional features help to ensure that your computer is protected against cyber threats in real time.
In short, antivirus programs work by scanning files for known malware signatures and monitoring system behavior for suspicious activity. They are an essential part of protection against cyber threats and should be kept up to date and running on all computers.
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