Antivirus protection software detects and blocks malware that could infiltrate enterprise’s digital systems in order to steal, alter or corrupt data. It can be used to protect a range of devices, including desktops, laptops, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and even connected home devices such as printers and smart TVs.
Modern antivirus software typically employs multiple detection techniques to prevent a single infection. Signature-based detection is the most common method. This involves maintaining a database of distinct code snippets known as malware signatures and analyzing files to find matches. If attackers alter existing malicious code enough to not be recognized by these signatures, it’s considered polymorphic, and requires more sophisticated detection methods.
Heuristic-based detection is a more advanced method. It aims to identify malware by recognizing patterns that are specific to malicious code, for example, changing and deleting large amounts of data, altering the settings of other programs or remotely connecting to computers. Security detection using algorithms can lead to false positives and fatigue.
Look for a powerful antivirus program that is able to deal with polymorphic malware, ransomware memory attacks, and other advanced threats. It should also be easy to install on a wide range of devices, which includes Macs and PCs, as well as work with different operating systems. It should not utilize excessive system resources, as this could cause a device to slow down or crash.