Antivirus software is a program designed to prevent, detect, search, and remove viruses and other types of malicious software from computers, networks, and other devices. It is created specifically to help detect, prevent, and remove malware such as viruses. Once installed, most antivirus software runs automatically in the background to provide real-time protection against virus attacks. Antivirus software typically scans files, programs, and applications going in and out of your computer to its database to identify matches. It works by comparing your computer applications and files to a database of known malware kinds. Antivirus software can help mitigate a variety of cyber threats, including keyloggers, browser hijackers, Trojan horses, worms, rootkits, spyware, adware, botnets, phishing attempts, and ransomware attacks.
Antivirus software provides the following benefits:
- Virus and malware protection: The main benefit of antivirus software is to protect against malicious viruses, such as malware and spyware.
- Real-time protection: Most antivirus software provides real-time protection, which can protect your devices from incoming threats.
- Automatic updates: Antivirus software can scan your entire computer regularly for known threats and provide automatic updates.
- Vulnerability scans: Antivirus software can perform system scans that monitor device and system files, looking for possible risks.
It is important to keep antivirus software up-to-date because new viruses are created and disseminated regularly. Antivirus software can only detect malware that has known characteristics, so it has its limitations.
