What is Antivirus Software?

How Can It Help You Protect Yourself?

Definition

Software that is created specifically to help detect, prevent, and remove malware (malicious software).

Antivirus is a kind of software used to prevent, scan, detect, and delete viruses from a computer. Once installed, most antivirus software runs automatically in the background to provide real-time protection against virus attacks.

Comprehensive virus protection programs help protect your files and hardware from malware such as worms, Trojan horses and spyware, and may also offer additional protection such as customizable firewalls and website blocking.

Antivirus software is a program or set of programs that are designed to prevent, search for, detect, and remove software viruses, and other malicious software like worms, trojans, adware, and more.

Antivirus software typically runs as a background process, scanning computers, servers, or mobile devices to detect and restrict the spread of malware.

 Many antivirus software programs include real-time threat detection and protection to guard against potential vulnerabilities as they happen, as well as system scans that monitor device and system files looking for possible risks.

Why Do I Need Antivirus Software?

These tools are critical for users to have installed and up-to-date because a computer without antivirus software protection will be infected within minutes of connecting to the internet.

 The bombardment is constant, which means antivirus companies have to update their detection tools regularly to deal with the more than 60,000 new pieces of malware created daily.

Today's malware (an umbrella term that encompasses computer viruses) changes appearance quickly to avoid detection by older, definition-based antivirus software.

 Viruses can be programmed to cause damage to your device, prevent a user from accessing data, or to take control of your computer.

What Does Antivirus Software Do?

Several different companies build antivirus software and what each offer can vary but all perform some essential functions:

• Scan specific files or directories for any malware or known malicious patterns
• Allow you to schedule scans to automatically run for you
• Allow you to initiate a scan of a particular file or your entire computer, or of a CD or flash drive at any time
• Remove any malicious code detected –sometimes you will be notified of an infection and asked if you want to clean the file, other programs will automatically do this behind the scenes
• Show you the ‘health’ of your computer
• Scanning directories or specific files for known malicious patterns indicating the presence of malicious software
• Allowing users to schedule scans so they run automatically
• Allowing users to initiate new scans at any time
• Removing any malicious software it detects. Some antivirus software programs do this automatically in the background, while others notify users of infections and ask them if they want to clean the files
• Always be sure you have the best, up-to-date security software installed to protect your computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones

How Does Antivirus Software Work?

Many antivirus software programs still download malware definitions straight to your device and scan your files in search of matches.

 But since, as we mentioned, most malware regularly morphs in appearance to avoid detection, Webroot works differently.

 Instead of storing examples of recognized malware on your device, it stores malware definitions in the cloud. This allows us to take up less space, scan faster, and maintain a more robust threat library.

Free vs Paid Antivirus Software

From banking to baby photos, so much of our business and personal data live on our devices. 

If it were stored physically, paying for a security solution would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, we often expect our online data to remain secure without lifting a finger or spending a cent. 

Companies claiming to do it for free are partly responsible for the confusion, to be sure. But consumers should insist on features like identity theft protection, mobile security, and support options when it comes to their data security, too—features usually lacking with free solutions.