How Does Antivirus Work?
Detecting and removing viruses, malware and other cyber threats from computers and laptops is what antivirus software does. But how exactly does it work?
Antivirus software works as a silent guardian in the background of your device, scanning all the programs and files you access. The process is called on-access scanning, real-time protection or background scanning depending on the program you use. It looks for patterns that may indicate a threat, such as changes in file size or behavior or attempts to remotely connect to computers or modify their settings.
It then flags the suspected malicious code and either quarantines it or removes it depending on your program’s settings. The best antivirus software will also notify you (often with a popup or dialog box) when it finds new types of malware so you can decide what to do with them.
The ever-changing and escalating nature of malware requires ongoing, proactive defense measures. Regular antivirus definition updates are key to this, as they keep scanners up to date with all the latest threats.
Signature-based detection is the traditional method of identifying viruses. This involves comparing the data of a detected virus against an extensive list of known viruses to identify its characteristics. However, since there’s no way to know what new malware will look like in advance, some security vendors combine signature-based detection with other techniques such as machine learning and heuristics to spot new threats faster. This combination is known as next-gen antivirus.