How Does Antivirus Work?
Antivirus is software that monitors, detects, and prevents malware threats from damaging your devices or stealing your data. It’s a critical layer of defense that protects all types and sizes of businesses.
Antivirus protection works by checking for and blocking malicious programs like computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware and more. The program scans for these threats by looking at the file structure and comparing it to a database of known malware signatures. The program will then alert you, quarantine or delete the suspicious file. Many antivirus programs also come with a firewall, which can help stop malware at the door and provide extra layers of security.
Modern antivirus tools use a combination of signature matching, heuristic detection and advanced behavioral telemetry to identify and stop cyberattacks. Heuristic detection looks for patterns in the behavior of malware, including its ability to hide and evade detection. This is a key way to combat new forms of malware that have evolved beyond signature detection techniques. For example, oligomorphic or polymorphic viruses change their codebase or other parts of themselves as they spread to avoid detection by traditional antivirus software.
Besides the signature-less detection methods mentioned above, some antivirus software can also run suspected malware in a controlled environment called a “sandbox.” This allows the program to see how it behaves, if it tries to hide or damage the device and more, without exposing your system to potential harm. The sandbox method is a great tool for combating exploits and ransomware, two newer types of malicious software that are difficult to detect using traditional signature-based detection alone.