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The majority of antivirus software programs utilize virus signature scanning to identify viruses on your computer. The antivirus software references well-known virus signatures in its database. It accesses the database every time your computer opens, creates or downloads a file. A virus signature has a distinct pattern of information that is found in a virus. It does not show up anywhere else with the exception of that virus. A signature is similar to a footprint of the virus. Effective antivirus software will have an estimated 20,000 to 60,000 known viruses. You can configure your computer to schedule the antivirus software to scan files that are on you computer’s hard disk on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule.
Antivirus software will take one of the following actions.
1. Make an effort to fix the file by removing the virus itself out of the file.
2. Quarantine the file so that the file becomes unavailable and the virus cannot spread.
3. Delete the infected file. To maintain effectiveness of your antivirus software, you should program your computer to check for updates regularly.
You most likely have come across malware, spyware and adware. Although not technically a virus, this software oftentimes be installed on your computer without your knowledge. This can happen if you downloaded or click on a pop-up ad or banner. These “wares” can also wreak havoc on your operating system. For instance, they can slow down the speed of your computer, alter your desktop, alter your Internet homepage and add programs to your taskbar. It can even send confidential information on your computer to other Internet servers.
Antivirus software is arguably the most valuable program to install on your computer. You should also understand how the antivirus program works to be fully protected. It is essential to research and invest in a strong antivirus software program not only to protect your computer, but yourself.
