What is Antivirus and Why is it Important to MSPs?
Antivirus (AV) is a program that prevents, detects and removes malware from computer systems. It protects against threats such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, ransomware and more. It works by scanning and analyzing data — web pages, files and applications — as it travels over the network to devices. Antivirus programs look for and flag suspicious behavior and malicious code, protecting against increasingly savvier cyberattacks that are constantly evolving and multiplying.
A virus, in essence, latches onto a legitimate file and corrupts it, then self-propagates from one device to the next by replicating itself or by exploiting security holes in the operating system and spreading through network devices, email attachments or other methods. Viruses are often polymorphic, changing their code to avoid detection by antivirus software. They may steal data, damage systems or degrade performance.
Modern antivirus software includes heuristic and behavioral detection in addition to signature-based detection. Heuristic detection looks for characteristics of commonly used malware, while behavioral detection observes a program’s actions at runtime and infers whether those activities are malicious.
Some antivirus programs also include cloud analysis, which leverages online resources to help MSPs quickly identify new and evolving malware variants that can’t be quickly identified using signature-based detection. As viruses and malware become ever more sophisticated, it’s important for MSPs to have a robust cybersecurity toolkit that provides comprehensive protection across all client devices. Visit our cybersecurity glossary to learn more about how antivirus is one of the most critical tools in an MSP’s arsenal.