0
0
Antivirus software is a program used to protect computers, notebooks and other devices from malicious software. Here’s how they work
Protecting against malicious software hiding on the web becomes more and more difficult. One weapon that should never be missing from any device is antivirus software, especially on computers and notebooks, which are notoriously more vulnerable than tablets and smartphones. They work silently, preventing malware from entering your device.
All users have to do is find and install one of them – the antivirus will do the rest. The protection programs are designed to carry out continuous checks on the machine. We can imagine them as virtual gates that open to only allow legitimate files to pass, blocking the malicious ones and isolating the suspicious ones. Without an antivirus program, your computer would be at the mercy of Trojans, worms, and other malware. A computer without a protective cover is like a house without a door. And if you leave your home unattended, you are exposed to many dangers.
Once you understand the importance of antivirus software, ask yourself how these security programs work. How do they protect us from hackers?
How Antivirus Works
In general, antivirus software analyzes every file or program that is about to enter your system. These elements are checked for compliance with the so-called virus signatures, that is, a signature archive that stores information about malware.
If a file matches the definition in “the closet”, antivirus blocks it.
The rest are passed through the first gateway and directed to another security “space” found in some firewalls and antivirus software: Host-Based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS). What’s going on in this area? Simple. Reliable programs circulate in the system, while files unknown to the antivirus are given a kind of temporary “permission”: they run on the computer, but only in isolated “environments”. It is up to the user to decide whether he wants to open the machine’s door to these programs or to close it forever. In the latter case, like other malware, files are placed in quarantine.
Techniques of analysis
As mentioned, antivirus software performs continuous and real-time scans, searching the entire territory. The main attack tool is malware, as we have already seen. That’s why it’s so important to keep your antivirus software up-to-date: an outdated signature archive will not be able to block new malware.
There are also other investigative techniques. One popular method is heuristics, which usually works in conjunction with “virus signatures”. What is this? It is used to detect malicious code unknown to the antivirus. Using this technology, the security program analyzes the suspicious file in a virtual zone isolated from the system. This way, if a file is dangerous, it does not threaten to infect the entire machine.
There is also a behavioral analysis technique, which is a program that detects malware by examining its “behavior” while it is running.
One of the most advanced forensics solutions is data mining, which analyzes a file by extracting binary code fragments. Another method of analysis is sandboxing: suspicious files are run in a virtual environment where the antivirus can determine if they are malicious or not.
