Antivirus Software Computer Software Web Tips Guide
Antivirus Software Protecting Your Computer
By Dirk C Wallace
New viruses are created everyday and you need to protect your
computer with antivirus software, to prevent these viruses attacking
your computer.
The software checks to ensure no viruses are on the computer
at any time, and when a virus is found, the software tries to
neutralize and remove it from your computer. If you spend long
periods online, then you should continually update your anti virus
software with the latest updates and your software should be continuously
on the lookout for new malicious code on your computer.
You may wonder, how an antivirus program can identify a virus,
especially with all the code that is continually being processed
by a computer, how does it know which code is harmful and malicious?
A number of methods are used, but the simplest of them is to identify
signatures.
Looking For Virus Signatures
Malware code can be identified on a virus and identified as a
signature. Once the antivirus software engineers detect the virus
for the first time, they analyze it to find the signature and
then send it as an update patch to all those who use the program.
These signatures are then stored in a directory, and when your
software scans the computer for malicious code, it checks against
the signatures stored in the directory. This is the reason, why
you need to review your options and continually update your antivirus
software, to ensure you have the latest virus signatures in the
directory, for your software to detect any new viruses on your
computer.
Whistling When Prompted For Permission
Finding signatures is not the only solution to detect viruses.
Programmers writing malicious code are getting smarter and look
for ways to avoid anti virus scanners. A new approach has emerged
recently to protect against viruses, known as whistling.
With this process, your software follows executable code that
is normally considered safe, but when code that is not on the
safe list tries to start, the user is prompted for permission.
This action helps to prevent activation of potentially malicious
code.
Suspicious Code Making Repeated Requests
Your antivirus software is looking for executable files that
appear in a suspicious manner. Using this method, helps to increase
the range of methods used to protect your computer.
Viruses have been written to get around this method and some
users are ignoring warnings, because they may get similar requests
over a period of time and therefore choose to ignore any potential
threats.
The Heuristic Analysis With Advanced Software
The heuristic analysis is used by the better quality and advanced
versions of antivirus software. The process is to analyze the
code and discover what it is intended to do.
Just like looking for suspicious behavior, this method is looking
for suspicious intent. This method can also involve running a
certain piece of code on a virtual system to see what it actually
does, and thus takes away from the target at the time.
Continually Update Your Software
New viruses are written and released on the internet every day,
and new updates for your anti virus software are released all
the time. To provide the better protection for your computer,
you should always download the latest updates, at least once a
day, for your antivirus software.
About the Author:
Dirk C Wallace has written a number of articles on Computers and Internet Security Software including
Anti-Virus Protection,
Antispyware Software,
Computer Help,
Computer Security Handbook,
Computer Virus,
Frequently Asked Questions,
Internet And Security,
Computer Instruction,
Basic Computer Training,
Computer Training Software.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.
Did You Know?
What is internet safety?
The internet is a huge place, full of information
and other items of interest. However, much like a major metropolitan
city, there are dangers lurking in dark places. The most common
issues internet users are faced with today are related to financial
theft.
From stolen credit card information and
unauthorized usage, to identity theft and the hardships required
to get one’s life back. To make matters worse, internet hazards
include computer viruses and other malware designed disrupt workflow
and transmit personal information to third parties unseen.
Proper internet safety includes the use
of security software, to protect your computer, and limiting access
to personal details about yourself.
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