Software Pedia

Whether you have purchased your computer for business or personal pursuits, the security of the computer must be effectively maintained at all costs. Unfortunately, there are elements out there that seek to undermine the security of your computer. That is why it is necessary to make sure the computer is effectively protected. This is where antivirus software and antivirus firewall software come into play. These programs are absolute musts for anyone looking to make sure a computer is properly and effectively protected.

 

Some may be new to computers and are not completely familiar with what these antivirus software and antivirus firewall software programs do. They may even already have the programs installed on their computer and are unsure how to operate them or, for that matter, might not even know why the programs need to be run. So, for those that may have such concerns, here is a brief overview of what these programs are along with their intended purpose.

 

Antivirus Software: Antivirus programs can the items that can thoroughly clean out the computer’s hard drive of any number of malicious programs that might find their way into it. These malicious programs can include spyware that is designed to keep track of your internet browsing habits as well of malicious Trojans designed to wreck havoc on the computer’s files. Clearly, the presence of such maladies on the computer is not helpful and this is why an antivirus software program needs to be run. The antivirus software will scan a computer’s hard drive, locate the dangerous files or viruses, and then remove them. This will allow a computer to return to its normal operational condition which, in turn, will prevent freezes, crashes, and other problems.

 

Antivirus Firewall Software: No one likes unauthorized intrusions into a computer and this is where antivirus firewall software comes into play. As the name infers, a firewall is an invisible wall between your computer and any remote computer that seeks to access it. (Actually, such a program is a combination of a firewall system and a traditional antivirus program. The software performs both tasks) It is this program that effectively prevents intrusions or, at the very least, reduces them to a significant degree. Whether it is spyware promoters or devious hackers, a firewall will let you know when an intrusion is occurring. It will also stop an intrusion dead in its tracks. Antivirus firewall software is not complicated to operate as the firewall operates in a completely automatic manner. You simply need to make sure it is turned on and it will handle any problems that come its way. Of course, the more reliable a software program you purchase, the greater the odds it will work.

 

Ultimately, if you want to keep your computer safe, you will need to install a reliable and high quality antivirus software and/or antivirus firewall software program. The presence of these programs will certainly prove helpful in terms of their ability to prevent serious problems from occurring with the computer.

 

 

How Antivirus Software Works

 

Most computer users know what antivirus software is, but have no idea how it works. Knowing how it works is key to choosing the right virus protection for your system.

 

Following is an overview of how antivirus software works.

Antivirus software is basically computer programs that protect your system from malicious or damaging software. The name “antivirus software” has its genesis in the fact that it was originally designed to fight computer viruses. Now, it has evolved into a more sophisticated, all-encompassing virus protection program. It targets phishing attacks, destructive worms, Trojan horses and a host of other malware that can destroy your system.

 

The 2 Methods Used by Antivirus Software to Protect Your System

 

Antivirus software uses two different approaches to protect your system: (i) scanning files; and (ii) targeting suspiciously behaving files from computer programs that may be infected.

 

Scanning: Scanning can be explained by the law enforcement analogy of police lineups. Basically you match a perp (a suspect) to a photo. To explain, when antivirus software scans a hard drive, for example, it is referred to as the virus dictionary approach.

It is so named because it is looking for a match between a file on your hard drive and comparing it to a “dictionary” of known viruses. If any piece of code in a file on your hard drive matches the known virus in the dictionary, then the antivirus software swings into action, taking one of the following three actions:

Repair the File: The antivirus software will try to repair the infected file by removing the virus; or

Isolate the File: The antivirus software will attempt to provide virus protection by making the file inaccessible programs. This keeps the virus from spreading; or

Delete the File: The antivirus software will delete the file, which is arguably the most drastic form of virus protection.

The dictionary approach requires computer users to constantly download updated versions of their virus protection software. This is because new entries (ie, viruses, malware, etc.) are constantly being added to the dictionary.

Dictionary-based antivirus software usually starts working when a computer’s operating ssytem either opens, closes, emails or creates them. However, a user can set up their system to be constantly monitored by scheduling the antivirus software to scan files on a consistent basis. This can be daily, weekly, monthly, etc. In short, however often they want.

The Suspicious Behavior Approach: The suspicious behavior appraoch to virus protection is different from the dictionary approach. It monitors all of the programs on a system instead of attempint to identify known viruses.

For example, if one program tries conduct a suspicious activity like writing data to an executable program, the antivirus software will alert the user to this and inquire about what steps it should take, if any.

One of the advantages often cited of using the suspicious behavior approach for virus protection is that it offers protection against new viruses. Remember, with the dictionary approache, the virus has to first be identified and listed.

To use another law enforcement analysis, this is like staking out a suspect because of his behavior. Even though he hasn’t done anything yet, the actions he’s taking alerts you to the fact that he might be up to something.